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August 29, 2011
Fayre and Feast 2011 - a bit of a fairy tale for 22 October 2011
Once upon a time in a land of wide open spaces known as Lincolnshire there was a large village called Metheringham where once a year a big celebration was held which dated back to ancient times. The annual festival was known as the Fayre and Feast and Meg used to go with her family every year.
Meg had been reading about plans for the 2011 Fayre and Feast in the local MACLA magazine. The theme was going to be "Fairy Stories" and Meg was excited thinking how all the shopkeepers, traders and charitable groups would interpret this to make their shops and stalls more entertaining and appealing to the visitors. She hoped they would be decorated as castles, enchanted forests, palaces or mountain caves full of goblins or dragons. Meg hoped there would be a wolf and the three little pigs as that was one of her favourite stories.
On Saturday 22 October 2011 the High Street would be closed to traffic and the stalls set up ready to be open to the public between 2.00pm and 9.30pm The streets would be crowded with people coming from near and far, some using the new transport interchange. Meg and her family would spend the day bumping into old friends and making new acquaintances. Entertainment would be provided on a stage by the new village cross. There was also going to be a travelling fairground nearby with rides and noise and candy floss.
A special visitor, John Marshall from Lincs F.M., would perform the official opening of the Fayre and Feast at 2.15 pm. He would be escorted to the stage by a procession involving the Silver Sounds Band and the Scout band who were both set to perform later in the afternoon. Children and people with mobility chariots were invited to join the procession in themed fancy dress and there would be prizes awarded for the different ages. Meg and her Granny both wanted to dress up and be in the parade. They were thinking of Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf. There would also be the usual prizes for best decorated commercial premises and best stall.
A wide programme of local music and entertainment was planned for the afternoon and evening including Shouting Secrets, Atlas, Joe Gray and Friends and The Bootleggs. Hannah Schofield and Gemma had yet to be confirmed when Meg was reading about the Feast but she had heard everyone talk about DJ Bob before. He would be compering throughout the day and introducing demonstrations from Zumba fitness, The Poachermen Morris team and Bollywood dancers, performing courtesy of Turone at Mowgli. Meg was looking forward to seeing if they would be dancing to Bare Necessities and other songs from The Jungle Book. She also really wanted to watch the stilt walkers from Earthbound Misfits and Feet First.
Meg's Mum liked to support her favourite local causes and always went to the WI and the Air Ambulance before having a look at the craft stalls. She would then be heading off to one of the churches for a cup of tea. Meg's Dad always put in a couple of hours stewarding to help out the organisers and then they would all decide which of the food vendors to go to. Meg liked all the different smells and the buzz from the local ale houses that her dad and his mates would be going to later, once Meg was dreaming. That night she dreamt .............
Amazingly the dragon from the fen didn't eat the princess because although it roared and had double sets of caterpillar tracks it was too slow and she had been stolen by the wicked wolf on his two-stroke moped. The poisoned apple turned out to be a quince from Field Farm Lane so Snow White had no excuse for sleeping in and all the wicked stepmothers were let off with a caution. The dwarves, goblins, pixies and gnomes ran up and down the streets enjoying the rest of their half term holiday and eating porridge with Goldilocks, Pinocchio and the Gingerbread men. When the Green Man knight rode across the heath and into town in his white van to save the damsels of the village their only distress was that the party didn't go on longer so they could watch the little pigs enjoying the ghost train at the fun fair.
Meg knew that it would be a really good Fayre and Feast and that everyone would live happily ever after.
I bought my first bottom drawer stuff from the Pot Man in the 50s.
I also remember the potman.Ladies of the village would look forward to renewing their crockery with his "bargains" I remember my mum buying some bargain dinner plates to serve extra visitors at christmas, only to get them home, unwrap them and find everyone had a hole through them!! They had been cake stands.The ones the potman showed was not the ones he sold.This did not deter her from visiting the next year,We would be munching on our toffee apples as they threw whole teasets up in the air or to each other, much to the delight of the crowd.Gone are the days.