The Feast

The Fete on the Green

I  remember when I was young that the time of the Village Fete was always called the Feast, and it has occurred to me that we don't seem to use this expression now, but I must say that our village definitely does have a 'Feast.'

Our population is, I think a little over 2,000, but I believe that our Feast is rather unusual in this day and age as it lasts not a day, or even a weekend, but a whole week.

It begins quite gently with the Fete on the Village Green with the usual stalls and games, this year including a Skittles Marathon - this is table skittles which is quite special to our part of the country, plate smashing - which I can't bear to watch, a roundabout for the little ones and the usual cakes and book stalls, super preserves and bric-a-brac plus the refreshment tent, and a really good band, and after a wander around here, it is really pleasant to walk 'down the lanes' to the church where the Flower Festival is in full swing with this year's theme being 2012 ! featuring all things Jubilee and Olympics.

The Walk to the Church

The Churchyard

The atmosphere is warm and friendly and although most people are clutching umbrellas, we have not had to use them yet and there is tea and (for me) wonderful coffee and walnut cake to sample - although I am spoilt for choice really.  There is a mass of red,white and blue in the floral arrangements interspersed with orange and yellow Olympic 'flames', and my especial favourite, I think because it is so naive, is from the pre-school, where Olympic medals have been made from paper plates sprayed gold, silver and bronze and decorated with rough, childlike stencils of sports people practising their arts.

I leave the Church after some good chatting and realise there are a few spots of rain falling, but I have my umbrella and am confident that it will soon pass.

Well it does soon pass, but not until torrential rain has fallen and I am soaked to the skin, but I have to smile because as I walk back past the Green, the band has stopped playing and everyone is either huddled under various gazebos - or has nipped into the pub, and all is silent, but within a few minutes the rain stops, the band begins to play again and everyone carries on as if nothing has happened - only in England  !!!!!

Outside the House after the Rain!

During the following week there are such joys as a Heritage Walk and a Ghost Walk, a hand bell display, the silver band playing on the Green and lunch in the church.

However, the thing which still gives me a tingle in the tum is on Sunday morning when the Fair begins to arrive.  The huge lorries and caravans clog the road, park around the Green and in a day the centre of the village is transformed, and for three evenings, there is the thud thud of really loud music, lots of people about - children and parents in the early evening and teenagers later and the screams of people on the 'big' ride this year called Oblivion!

Accommodation for the Fair

Shooting

Hi-Energy!

Oblivion at Rest

Oblivion in Full Swing  !!

I think we must be one of the smallest villages to have the Fair visit and pitch in the centre of our village - AND LONG MAY IT CONTINUE !!!

On Sunday morning the Fair packs up, the lorries leave and peace returns for another year!