I am indebted as always to Duncan and Jenny Pigg for the details that follow which are taken from Duncan's village collection of memorabilia which I will be passing on to the official village archives.
On Saturday 15th June, 1946, nine months after the official end of the Second World War a Whitsuntide Fete was held in the grounds of Hethersett Hall. Admission was one shilling (5p) for adults and 6d (2 1/2p) for children under-14. Car parking was an additional shilling. Those attending were promised a "non stop programme". The opening ceremony was conducted by Mrs Sandeman-Allen who lived at Hethersett Priory.
The event included darts, hoop la, pony rides, roulette, clock golf, rifle range, tug of war, side shows, a mile of pennies and a strangely entitled ankle competition. Other attractions included the engagingly titled "Lady With 100 Pockets," "Cupid's Post Office," and fortune telling. The fete was followed by a whist drive at The Priory at 8 pm and a grand dance in the village hall at the same time.
Duncan in 1946 was serving with the RAF and was stationed for over a year next to the small town of Wadi Haifa in the Sudan and on the west side of the River Nile on the edge of the Nubian Desert. "The unit was one of the staging posts with a landing strip, control tower etc. We were on the Dakota route from Egypt to India. One of my duties was to see that passengers and freight were loaded correctly and I was also accounts clerk," Duncan said. He kindly gave me a flavour of things there with his diary entry for Thursday, August 15th, 1946 which reads as follows:
"Received parcel from Mum this morning. Contents were - my camera, two white shirts, a handkerchief and some books including some church magazines and also a leaflet of the Whitsuntide Fete. Hudson and I went down to Sudan Railways to collect money. Pay parades at 5.20 and 6.30 as usual.
"Picture on the camp this evening was James Cagney in Blood on the Sun. Will give it about five out of 10. After the picture, Ken and I had a good tuck in with a tin of grapefruit and a tin of milk and some cornflakes. After this had some chocolate that Ken had sent from home. This had to be put in the ice box during the day as otherwise we would never have been able to do anything with it.
"While having this, Shakespeare came in and we started talking about all the different chocolates and sweets we could remember from before the war - Milk Tray, Maltesers, Dairy Box, Double Six, Coffee Creams, Smarties and all the rest. Must have spent hours, well anyhow an hour, talking, making it nearly 11.30 before getting to bed, which made me leave my diary and that is why I'm now filling it in on Friday."
Duncan's memorabilia also included a Hethersett British Legion and Church Council Joint Fete Committee minute book. The initial meeting to discuss the holding of a fete was held in Hethersett Rectory on May 1st, 1946. Those present included the Rector, the Rev Titterton and Mrs Titterton, Colonel and Mrs Sandeman-Allen and a host of other people from the village. Officers were appointed. The minutes state:
"It was decided to try and arrange for a recently returned ex-serviceman or woman to open the fete. Mrs Sandeman-Allen kindly offered to open the fete should it not be possible to make the other arrangements."
The minute book then skips six years to a fete held on 12th July, 1952. This event made a profit of £124 13s 4d (£124.67p).
There is also evidence of a fete and gymkhana held at Hethersett Hall on 17th July, 1954, when local people were invited to enjoy the three Rs - Revelry, Relaxation and Refreshment and a similar event on July16th, 1960 when prizes for getting the most answers right in a 20 question quiz included a ball point pen, a box of soap, two cups and saucers, a tin of pineapple, 500 matches, two pencils, a pair of kippers and two light ales. This latter event was in aid of Church and Horticultural Funds whilst all the other events mentioned were for the British Legion and Parish Church.
I hope you have enjoyed this piece of whimsy from the past. I will include photographs of the posters for the various events in a future blog.
* * *
Mary Parker from Ketteringham read my blog about Hill House Hotel a couple of days ago and sent me the magnificent picture reproduced here which shows just what an impressive building it was and how sad that it was pulled down to improve a road.