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Weldon
Fair
On
October 31st 1685, A charter was signed at the Court of
King James. This granted Christopher, Viscount Hatton the right to
allow a market and four fairs for the buying and selling of all
manner of Grain, Goods, Livestock and Merchandise. The said market
to be held on each Thursday, and the said four fairs to be held on
the first Wednesday in the several months of February, May, August
and November, each fair to last one day
(The
above are extracts from the original Charter at Delepre Abbey)
"When
the date of Weldon Fair was altered I do not know, but now the fair
has to be celebrated on the first Thursday after the second Sunday
in July.
During
Thursday, wagons and caravans began to arrive on the village green.
One of the first to arrive would be a well known character, Johnny
Roberts. He had a small round-a-bout, with small galloping horses
rising and falling up and down gleaming brass poles. This was driven
by a man turning a big wheel. There was a dancing booth, where some
of the village men competed at step dancing. The last one to dance,
wearing a smock was Bobby Freeman, this was about 1908.
At
night the naptha lights hissed and flared. There was a brandy snap
stall, shooting galleries, coconut shy and hoopla, the Helter
Skelter, or penny on the mat, and various other stalls.
Later
Thurstons came with the "Switchbacks". The wagons were
pulled by steam engines, dazzling in bright paint and gleaming
brass. Their steam and smoke added to everything else made up the
Weldon Fair smell.
This
carried on during Friday and Saturday. At midnight Saturday
everything stopped, then the owners set to work to pack everything
on to the wagons. By 6am on Sunday morning the Green was empty.
Anyone breaking this rule was fined.
Large
crowds attended the fair, many coming from the surrounding area.
They came by pony and trap, bicycle or on foot. They came to meet
people they had not seen since the last fair.
We
were allowed two days holiday from school for Weldon Fair.
As
the various attractions got larger, the fair was moved to a nearby
field. This, together with the breaks during the wars, spoiled the
old spirit of Weldon Fair, and shortly after the second war it
finished. All that is left now is Fair Sunday".
Text
taken from original notes by Annie Beaver (1903 - 1995) |
Stamford Road & Green - early 20th
Century
The old
Kings Arms / Butchers and general store
View
of Stamford Road (Postmarked 1904)
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