Summer beckons

Late spring, and the village fete season has started. Over the weekend I played at two of these affairs, with the Coldharbour Village Band and the Leith Hill Big Band, and had the opportunity to witness the continuation of this longstanding tradition once more.

When we are beset with news of war and atrocity, when some of the most powerful figures in the world seem intent on causing death and hardship, careless of the lives of others, it’s a great relief to spend some time focussing on more positive experiences. Playing music is one of those, and seeing a community pull together to have fun, raise money, and celebrate village living is another.

The two events were quite different. The first, Abinger’s Teddy Bears’ Picnic, was very child focussed with two local schools at the helm, and stalls geared to small children and young families, nerf gun competitions and prizes for the best Teddy Bears. The second, Coldharbour Fete, was much more of a village community affair, with stall holders and others dressed in 1940s style to honour VE Day, a dog show, sheaf tossing, book and plant stalls and more – and Punch and Judy for the children. The common threads between the two were the volunteers running everything, the spirit of camaraderie, the chance conversations, the sparks of friendship and shared values – and the reminder that while we see much change there are also constants in life, and some of those constants are very positive. Not least, these early events are harbingers of summer.

Village Fetes

Face painting 
candy floss 
little boy lost

nerf guns 
water pistols
racing ducks 

tannoy echoes
invasive sound
little boy found

story tent
the Rev Tim
teddy bears

the band plays on

tossing the sheaf
prettiest dog
church garden teas

plants, books
raffle, tombola
bottle stall

a range of cakes
in grand array
all home baked

old friends greeted
handshakes, hugs
sharing the love

the band plays on