WB Yeats remarked that the metal figure pointing out a safe passage into Sligo Bay was the only man in Rosses Point never to tell a lie. Men of similar virtue are a bit thin on the ground on a fair day. At Castlewellan fair the sun shone and the day was blessed with a bit of rain to cool the horses sweating in the street. The bustling May fair presents a scene that's been slow to change, no longer concerned with hiring, the crowds are drawn in by horses and stalls running the length of the town. Yeats brother Jack sketched many similar scenes in the west of Ireland and would have enjoyed the day and the horses. I went along to do a few sketches myself but without any intension of acquiring livestock. I came home with a goldfish and a gorilla thanks to the children's success throwing balls into a jam jar. More skill is required finding a place to sketch the horses and the well worn faces crammed into the squares. Its difficult to park close to the action and probably pointless as the crowds filing past the car would obscure the view. Out and about there is more peace to work provided you can remain discrete, find a shady spot and perhaps conceal the sketchbook with a newspaper. Capturing a likeness is not wholly dependant on facial features, while the face has much to say , a persons stance, clothes, surroundings and especially their hands go along way to define their character. A quiet corner of a bar is another great place to draw people. If you stay too long in the pub or sell a horse on the strength of a white lie, then there's plenty of opportunity to repent on the Newcastle road, watch a puppet show and get your face painted by ladies eager to save souls and make tea.