By Catherine Larmour
From the moment John Glanfield opened the fête in marvellous style and voice, we knew it was going to be a cracker this year. For a start, the weather was on our side. No sign of the storm clouds that sent us all running for cover last year. Sunglasses and straw hats were evident in abundance, this is how we want all our English summer events to be.
The Maypole dancers were a delight. The crowds, fuelled by ice-creams, Dutch pancakes, cream teas and Pimm’s, thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Red, white and blue balloons were released into the sky; at the time of going to press, there have been several calls from Kent saying they’ve found a balloon. It must have been a north-westerly breeze. The stalls did a roaring trade. Mike Senior’s dulcet northern tones ensured that everyone remained well-informed throughout the afternoon.
Maybe the ambience of the day put people in a spending frame of mind – who knows? – but the fact is that we made about £5,700; that is an excellent total. Added to this, we have received a very generous donation from Mrs Stewart-Liberty, with whose kind permission we were able to use the beautiful Green again.
Of course, it wouldn’t have happened without all those hard-working people who helped on the day. The committee is particularly grateful to those workhorses, and they know who they are, who devoted large amounts of time to the fête in the weeks ahead of the big day, collecting, storing and organising. Thanks to you all.
The marquee was put to good use the following morning for the family service