The Fair always needs people to lend a hand, whether that be by stewarding, litter-picking, joining a committee or making costumes for the weekly pre-Fair parade. If you can spare a few hours on the day, drop a line to iwanttohelp@strawberry-fair.org.uk and offer your assistance. As well as a few hours on the day, the Fair require all stewards to attend a training session before the day itself. In return for giving up your time, you get a free dinner after your shift and, of course, that patented feel-good glow of post-altruism satisfaction.

In the meantime, you could always attend one, some or all of the Strawberry Fair fundraising gigs taking place this May:
6th Portland Arms - acoustic night, line up TBC
12th Devonshire Arms - featuring Fatman
13th Portland Arms - featuring Aconite and others TBC
16th Portland Arms - featuring the Miss Black America-related Colonic Irregular and the Piss Weasels
19th Portland Arms - Theatrical Stage fundraiser
21st Man on the Moon - featuring Moe Foe and Just George 26th Man on the Moon - Theatrical Stage Fundraiser
27th Portland Arms - Line up TBC

And what if you fancy something a little less soft-fruit-and-music based to pass the time this May? Well, you could do worse than R*E*P*E*A*T Fanzine’s Chris TT gig at the Portland Arms on Saturday the 7th. Also featuring The Low Country and Jazz from Right Turn Clyde, it will cost but £5 and promises to be an eye-opener for those who dismiss acoustic music as only suitable for “bored folkies”. Also on at the Portland this month are The Boxer Rebellion on May 3rd and The Little Flames on the 10th (courtesy of Greenmind), and The Man From Uranus, who may or may not put Wellingtons on his hand for a proportion of his set of free-form electronica ramblings on the 11th. Or you could ramble over to The Junction for the indie shimmerings of Teenage Fanclub on the 18th or the acid-country-house-jazz-gospel music and sunglasses of Alabama 3 on the 23rd. After all, it’s May! What better way to spend the first month of summer than crammed into a dark sweaty room with no windows? You know it makes sense!