COWBOYS will be visiting a garden centre in Somerset along with Native Americans and horses this month (August, 2010) to help raise funds for charity.

A Wild West re-enactment will be taking place at Sanders GardenWorld in Brent Knoll from Saturday, August 28 until Bank Holiday Monday, August 30. Proceeds from the event will be donated to two charities. 

Peter Burks, General Manager of Sanders GardenWorld, said: “We held a re-enactment at the garden centre last May (2010) and it was a great success. The Wild West is a greatly romanticised period of American history that captivates the imagination of adults and children alike.

“Families that visit the event will be able to get involved and experience a little of what life was like in Western America during the 19th century.  

“Proceeds from the event will be donated to Help for Heroes and the Special Needs Activity Project (SNAP).”

The Boots & Saddles Western Re-enactment & Living History Club based in Somerset, which will be doing the re-enactment at the garden centre, aims to raise money for charity while providing people with a glimpse of the Wild West.  

Dave Rouse, Trail Boss of The Boots & Saddles Western Re-enactment & Living History Club, explained: “We will be setting up an encampment, including tents and teepees, for visitors to have an insight into how people would have lived during the 1800s. Visitors to the re-enactment will be able to enter these ‘homes’ to look around and ask the inhabitants questions.

“Everyone involved in the re-enactment will be dressed in the style of the era. There will be a narrated dress parade, which consists of club members dressed as Native Americans, mountain men, townsfolk, pioneers, Civil War military and of course cowboys. This will be weather dependent.” 

Throughout the re-enactment there will be mock examples of gun fights, which were typical in the Wild West during the 1800s and the Native Americans will be performing traditional dances in full regalia.

 John Redup, a private hobbyist, will also be bringing a collection of birds of prey to the event including a European eagle owl, a red tailed hawk and a kestrel. He will be hosting flying displays with the birds during the weekend, which will be weather dependent.

Dave continued: “There will also be various Western-themed side shows and games for both children and adults to take part in, including horse rides and cactus hoopla, where contestants can attempt to throw hoops onto the arms of a cactus.” 

Entrance to the re-enactment will cost £1 for adults and 50p for children under 14-years-old. There will be a small cost for the sideshows of no more than £1 per person. Proceeds will be donated to Help for Heroes and SNAP. 

Help for Heroes is a British charity that was launched in September 2007. It aims to provide better facilities for wounded British servicemen and women. 

SNAP is based in Bridgwater and supports families with children and young adults who have disibilities.

The Wild West re-enactment takes place on Saturday, August 28, Sunday, August 29 and Bank Holiday Monday, August 30 from 11am until 5pm. A full programme of events will take place from 12noon. 

For more information, please call Sanders GardenWorld, which is located just off junction 22 of the M5, on 01278 761111 or visit www.sandersgardenworld.co.uk.