There’s something fishy about a fundraising group’s latest community fun day – and it is not just the sardines.

According to the zany team behind giant Buckaroo and the British Bread Golf Open, Sunday, April 22, will mark the return of the Seething Freshwater Sardine Festival after a 170-year absence.

They claim Surbiton was once a hub of freshwater fishing with an annual sardine festival, which drew “crowds of thousands” but had to stop because of “overfishing”.

The man at the centre of the festival, Robin Hutchinson, claims the only reason this event can now go ahead is because freshwater sardines escaped from a new fish farming company that established itself in 2005 by the Seething Wells Filter Beds.

Based on fact or not there will be plenty to keep visitors amused with a procession featuring a wooden cart full with “sardine freshwater catch” pulled by four giant guinea pigs.

There will be a barbecue in St Andrews’s Square in addition to live music from the Green Rock River Band, The Mayflys and original Seething Folk Music.

Free workshops building up to the day on April 14, 15, and 21 between 1pm and 4pm will take place in the gardens of the Lamb Public House, Brighton Road, Surbiton.

Further details can be found on the website seethingwells.org or by emailing Mr Hutchinson at lefithegoatboy@yahoo.co.uk.