A Fête On The Field

The Welsh have their Eisteddfods, the Scots their Highland Games, but the English have their Village Fêtes. Up and down the country, for a century or more these events have been a quintessential part of rural summer life. Drawing on the medieval trading fairs and Victorian community gatherings [especially around harvest time] The 'modern' fête really took off between the two world wars, in the 1920s and 30s. They began as parish 'sales of work' - to raise money for orphans, war veterans and church repairs. 
On Sunday we went to church in Wymondham - Bob is mentoring their minister,[and advising on PA] and we wanted to see how things were going now they have rearranged the inside of their chapel. They have new seats, and air-con too, so we were cool and comfortable, and it was a great service.

On the way we passed some signs to a nearby village. So, after church, we grabbed a snack at Wymondham Food Festival, and drove to a little village in the middle of nowhere [I don't recall going to Hardingham before] It was fabulous!

Helpful adults and cheerful children with collecting buckets, all in hi-viz vests, directed us to the parking area at one edge of the cricket field. 

These are just some of the gazebos! Everyone was raising money for the upkeep of the Village 'Memorial' Hall and the Parish Church. And they had all the 'proper' things you expect at a fête

Tombola, hoop-la, books, bric-a-brac, bottle stall, old tools [Bob loved them] cake stall, smashing crockery [with the option to buy any unbroken pieces from the baskets if you wanted!] obstacle course, children's games, facepainting, raffle, "village croquet"...

And inside the adjacent hall, tea, cakes, scones at one end, a bar at the other, and just outside two blokes cooking sausages and burgers. And all the while, the Norwich City Concert Band, under their huge blue gazebo, entertained us with fabulous tunes. 

I bought a Victoria Sponge from the cake stall for later, but also cups of tea and scones to enjoy outside in the sun.

Mercifully it was nothing like as hot as the previous three days.

I also had a good chat to the lady on stilts. She was so adept at balancing, walking, and standing still - and delighted the children with her handheld bubble machine. She makes new costumes each year - we talked about play costumes, and the complications of 'trousers' for the stilts.

Bob bought two chisels to refurbish and I got a calligraphy set. Before we left, I went to thank the guy at the organisers' table next to the First Aid Tent. He told me the event had run for 80 years, apart from Covid year. They begin planning in February! He said they had introduced 'tokens' this year to cope with the whole cash/cards problem. You could buy as many [or as few] as you liked from his table at £1 each, [he had a card reader] then use them at the stalls round the field. Bob and I did have cash with us - but he said many people don't carry much anymore, and this system seemed to work well. I thought back to the wonderful fundays and fêtes we had been heavily involved in, both in Kirby and Ferndown - and said we really did appreciate how much work went on behind the scenes to produce such a lovely event.
In my opinion, this is the sort of event I like to visit - you can keep your commercialised, over priced, politicised State Fairs and the like. This is just ordinary people in their community getting together to do good. I hope they do really well [and get enough money for the village defibrillator!]

Have you been to any good community events this summer?

Are you involved in anyway, baking, making, selling etc?