Puppetry may be something of a "dying art" but at yesterday's Victorian fete in Oamaru, it was very much alive.
Jonathon Acorn, of Auckland, brought his show to the fete in the town's Victorian precinct for the second time and judging by the applause and hooting after his and colleague Mr Bones' song and dance number, it went down quite well.
"I have been a puppeteer for 40 years," he said.
"I was brought up in England. I moved in with a group of people when I was younger who wanted to get a show together to raise money to buy a piece of land.
"I went for puppeteering and an agent saw me, and it went from there, really.
I've been caught up in puppeteering ever since."
He said skeleton puppets were traditionally used to perform song and dance routines, and were a little different from usual puppet shows, which he said tended to be more based on comedy.Mr Acorn said the craft was not as prominent today as it was in the past, but he was not about to let that deter him.
"It's a dying art really, so there's a few of us trying to keep it alive.
"There's something about it. People like to be taken to a world of fantasy."
The show was one of several varieties of entertainment on offer at the fete, which concluded this year's wheels-themed celebrations.
Before the fete was held, there had been a grand parade on Saturday and a Victorian garden party on Friday which were a mixture of free and ticketed attractions ranging from walking tours to a burlesque night and a Victorian ball.
Fete co-ordinator Frances McMillan said that she was happy with yesterday's crowd.
It was the fete's variety that kept people coming back, she said.
"We have been doing this, a variation of the fete, for 30 years ... It's an event that caters for adults and children. It's variety."
