Luckily a sunny day and an event intent on lifting spirits and raising money for lots of local charities. This is the kind of fair I remember as a child in London in the late 40s.
Where else, but a village fair would you find people choosing which toy pig to back in a race, a ukelele band, art, craft, a male voice choir, a Japanese dancer, stalls with jam and homemade marmalade for sale, plums straight from someone’s garden, and Rottingdean Village News giving away hats made out of newspaper!
Tbe local bee keepers, Newhaven RNLI, a raffle for the church spire, the local drama association were also there. There was a big programme of entertainment, the Rottingdean and Saltdean Lions association organised the refreshments and volunteers looked after the temporary carpark that raised funds too.
Love the hats people had decorated and met several artists and poets having a happy time in the sun. There was even croquet in Kipling’s garden but I did not get that far!
This fair is on the same weekend as Brighton’s Pride but I know a few local people with enough energy to do both!
When I was a child my Granny was sometimes asked to open the local summer fair. She always wore a hat that she had decorated herself, with trimmings she had bought during the January sales in the haberdashery department of Bourne and Hollingsworth.
As we had a fruit shop in Goodge Street she always contributed a very colourful and edible raffle prize!
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