The History of the Kirby-le-Soken Village Fete
The History of the Kirby-le-Soken Village Fete |
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A fete has taken place in Kirby-le-Soken for over 100 years principally to raise money for the upkeep of St. Michaels Church but also to contribute to other worth causes. Since 1925 it has been traditionally been held on August Bank Holiday Monday.
To my knowledge, no one has researched the history of the Kirby Fete (or at least not yet put pen to paper).
In my quest for further information I met Olive Sparling who is now well over 80 years old and still lives at Kirby Cross. Olive's family lived in a cottage near where the Hare and Hounds pub is now situated and worshipped at St. Michaels Church, Kirby-le-Soken. In those days they walked to church from Upper Kirby sometimes twice or three times on Sunday and must have worked up quite an appetite. Olive tells me her father Arthur Gray attended at St. Michaels for many years until his death in 1975 aged 82.
As far as Olive can remember, prior to 1925 the Fete was held at Hill House (the big white house near the playing fields) which stood at the top of Shum Hill - not Halstead Road as it is now known - the word Shum being derived from the esteemed Shum family who occupied Hill House. They will long be remembered for their gift of the present clock to the church.
The Rev. Gledhill was the minister from 1917 to 1927 and it was during this period that the Fete moved to the Vicarage Gardens, which I assume now forms part of Roger Parker's land, and was first held there on August Bank Holiday Monday 1925.
As one might expect the fete was only a small affair held over a couple of hours in the afternoon and could more properly be described as something similar to a vicar's tea party, (I have not personally attended such an event but am open to offers from the present incumbent).
Without referring to any notes or records Olive was able to remember the sequence of vicars who helped run the fete starting with the Rev. Huningford 1927-1929, the Rev. Hodginson 1929-1940, the Rev, John Thomas 1940-1973, During this latter period of course we had the Second World War and there was no fete partly due to a takeover of the Church Hall by the Army. The fete returned again in 1947 from when it was decided to use the Glebe Field and this has been our new home since.
I understand the Rev. Peter Garner ran things from 1973-1982, followed by the Rev. Price, the Rev. Tony Beauchamp and last, but not least, the present vicar, our own, our very own, Rev. Peter Coley who always takes a keen interest in helping with the Kirby fete.
The first Kirby fete was held on Thursday 9th August 1900 at Hill House, the home of Miss Shum a generous benefactor to St. Michaels Church, Kirby-le-Soken. The local M.P. Mr. T. Round agreed to attend and true to similar fete traditions a local band was hired to enliven the proceedings. Proceeds were allocated to go towards building a church hall and there was a prize of a bound copy of the Parish Magazine for 1899-1900 for the best report of the fete.
The Railway Company agreed to charge special fares for the fete, which was to be opened by Lady Glenacre. Parishioners displayed lots of enthusiasm and energy and ran concerts and stalls of every description with a grand jumble sale to round things off. The vicar, the Rev. Kerslake made it his business to go round the fete and encourage one and all. It clearly had the desired effect as at least 229 entries were received for the best article competition.
Although great excitement was generated before the fete, by the time of opening some of that had been dissipated by the news that the local M.P. would not now be able to attend. However, there was even greater excitement when it was announced that a gramophone and phonograph would be on show and could actually be heard!
Unfortunately the first week of August turned out to be one of the worst of the year, with violent storms hitting the East Coast - totally without precedent according to the Clacton Advertiser. The morning of the fete began with rain and a steady downpour continued throughout the day, but undeterred Miss Shum lent a flag for the occasion, which waved bravely from the Church Tower, (and still does on fete days).
Soon after 8.30 a.m. Hill House was a hive of activity with lots of flags and decorated tents. The editor of the Church Magazine took the writer (Gillian Wildney) on a tour of the stalls and explained some of the contributors such as the Razawattee Tea Company, Lipton Tea Company, and Macfarlane Lang & Co. Mr. R. Sparling had been busy baking cakes and buns with ladies from the parish dispensing refreshments all provided against a 'profusion of colour' from the flower stall opposite.
The fancy goods stall had lots of 'bedroom requisites' made during the past six months by ladies who met regularly at the Vicarage. The rain kept attendances down to 50-60 at the start, and a number of performers failed to arrive, but things picked-up later when the St. Osyth Band helped to liven the proceedings. There was an art show, a bicycle competition with 7 entrants but the Hat Trimming fared better with 8.
Panic broke out when the pigs sent to the fete by Mr. Mumford broke loose "thus providing the unexpected attraction of a boar hunt" These were subsequently won by a spinster lady who " showed a singular lack of appreciation of her good fortune" by immediately effecting a 'deal' with Messrs. Marshalls of Frinton, (how she got them home in her carriage remained a mystery).
Help on the day came from far and wide, including Great Holland, (that co-operation still exists today and indeed the Anglican Church there is now administered by the vicar of St. Michaels). Attendances were estimated at around 260 but the rain was a severe damper and many goods were not sold. This brought a proposal that a second fete be held in September.
Thus a second fete was duly held and the attendances improved to around 300. Most of the previous items and attractions were on show but with extras such as Maypole Dancing and the 'Monkey Brand' polishing competition. This was in fact a penny polishing competition and won by two inhabitants of Kirby who received a handsome prize of a case of teaspoons and tongs, and a case containing 38 packets of soap!
The amount raised on this occasion was around £70.00.
As a result of the popularity of the fete over subsequent years the Church Hall was duly built. It was also recorded that a terrible fire broke out at Kirby Hall, the home of Mr. Mumford at midday on 5th September 1900, during threshing operations, and was not subdued until late at night. Due to the heroic efforts of the Thorpe fire engine most of the house and animals were saved.
