Summer Fete

Up and down the country the summer fete, or fayre, is a traditional mainstay of the country village. Fete committees and their associated volunteers work tremendously hard (I’ve been on my fete committee, on and off, for over 10 years, so I understand the sheer number of hours that goes into organising a fete) often for months beforehand to ensure the show goes on. It’s a bit of carefree, simple fun, that brings communities together and raises money for good causes.

Unfortunately the one thing that you can never really plan for, especially in the UK, is the weather.

Saturday was the day of my own village fete. The weather had been fine for the two days beforehand, and on the morning of the fete itself. However, as the crowds descended on the garden, so did the rain. It poured. It rained more heavily than it has for weeks. Typical. We expected a shower, given the torrential nature of the storm, but it continued for a long while. However, spirits were not dampened. The people who stuck around were brilliant and smiles remained on faces. A glorious community spirit lived through the event and people were determined to have a good time regardless! In fact, the rain helped in bringing people together, reaching for shared shelter under gazebos or trees, talking with eachother, perhaps for the first time.

Eventually we were rewarded with some sunshine, and the storms moved away.

I certainly won’t forget this fete for a while.

Thank you to everyone who helped on the day (you know who you are!)

Image credit: Paul Withams. The remainder of the fete photos can be seen here.