Thousands of people braved the rain to raise money for good causes at the annual Marlow May Fayre as it made a return at the weekend.

The traditional fayre and the ever-popular duck race, which is organised by the Marlow Round Table, delighted crowds at Higginson Park on Saturday afternoon – despite the wet weather.

A packed schedule of entertainment kicked off the day at noon, with the Dave the Disco, Tiger Martial Arts, the Kobika dance group, Razzmatazz and Marlow Glee Club among others.

Mayor Jocelyn Towns kicked off the duck race with more than 1,000 yellow rubber ducks dominating the Thames once more, as they raced towards Marlow Bridge

Nick Skelton, from the Round Table, said they were hoping to raise around £5,000 from the event.

He said: “It was very good. The weather wasn’t quite as friendly as we’d hoped but it didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits.

“We had a great turnout and there was some great entertainment going on.

“The event is one of our three main fundraising events. Hopefully we will have raised a good amount – I would have thought we’ve raised around £5,000, which is a great start.”

Marlow Round Table chairman Duncan Willcocks said: “For us at Round Table, we love raising money for local causes, but we always want to do this in a way that will bring a big smile to the faces of people from Marlow and the surrounding area. 

“The May Fayre is our first fundraising event of the year, before we move on to managing the bar at next month’s Marlow Regatta and taking Santa’s float around Marlow each Christmas to meet the kids.

“Without the help and support of the local community it wouldn’t be so much fun, nor as successful; it’s a great community effort and we love doing it.”