Wanborough Show has a long history, with records going back to the begining of last century, referring to the Wanborough feast and sports day. Personally my earliest memories of the show go back to the 60's when the carnival was in its heyday, 20 or more floats were common and the procession brought people from far and wide and the village to a standstill.

The show then also seemed bigger, I remember there being a large funfair and many tents and stalls. All this is surrounded in the golden glow of childhood memories and the reality is probably different

If there are any of you out there that have specific memories of the show in the last 50 years, or any memorabilia, especially photos, from that period we would like to hear from you. These items can be displayed here to illustrate the history of the show and how it has changed over the years. We would also like to build a lasting archive of show material before these things are lost forever.

A  definitive history of the Wanborough Show could easily fill a book in its own right, so rather than attempt to give 'chapter and verse' I've tried to capture the flavour of past shows, by recording memories from some of the people who have been closely associated with the show over the last 60 years.

The history of Wanborough as the site of a market and fair goes right back to 1252 in the reign of King Stephen, but the tradition of a show in August came down to us in the form of The Wanborough Feast. In his history of the village written in 1888, William Morris says

Wanborough Feast begins on the first Sunday in August, and is continued throughout the early pail of the week. "But the Feast is nothing now to what it used to be" the old people will tell you; when the old gamesters, and the young gamesters, and the wrestlers, and the boxers, both of the village as well as from the surrounding counties, would meet together on the Wanborough backsword stage, which used to be erected on the small triangular grass plot in front of the Inn at Upper Wanborough [The Calley Arms], and display their prowess in competitions for prizes in what were designated the fine old English Games and Sports

By the 1930's the Feast day had developed into a rather more restrained affair. Pam Smith, who's father was the landlord of the Brewers Arms, remembers, 'It was the same day every year and it was a school holiday. They used to have a funfair at the back of The Brewers, and there were sports behind the Hall. The Fair always came for the Wanborough Feast. There were swings and roundabouts, and the gypsy people used to make toffee apples.'

Noreen Fulford has another memory, 'I'm told that I went to see somebody walking on burning coals at the back of The Brewers, that must have been the fair.'

Doris Carter remembered stalls down the street at those early shows, 'It was all horses carts and waggons in them days, no motor vehicles like it is today.' Doris also recalled dances, 'There used to be a hut in Upper Wanborough, where the council houses are now, Start Groves used to have his cobblers there. There used to he a big hut because Nan used to do the catering for the dances. The jockeys came down from Foxhill. They asked Stan if they could come. He said they'd behave themselves and they did.'

The Show was to grow to a major event, largely spurred on by the Second World War, the National Fire Service and two bakeries. As Jim Hewer told me, 'My father, Bob Hewer, and Cyril Gray, from Grays The Bakers in Swindon. They said we'll get together and that's where it started. The Fire Service sort of started it off, getting the Carnival going. There was Harry Higgins and some of the chaps that worked for us. They ran the show to collect for "Wings for Victory"'

That was in 1942, when the first Carnival Queen was Mary Stratford, (who later married Jim) 'They used to have the Carnival on Wednesday. I know because I started work on Monday and was Carnival Queen on Wednesday. We used to have to go round and sell tickets for the Show, and the person who sold the most tickets was the Carnival Queen.'

In the following year the Herald and Advertiser of 13 August was able to report 'Despite the stress of the times, the Sports and Show Week's programme of indoor and outdoor attractions at Wanborough was heartily supported.' A whole week of events included Fancy Dress, Six-a-Side football a Married vs. Single football match (won by the Singles 5-3), Maypole and Folk Dancing. Cycling events, Pillow Fighting, Children's sports, a Dog Show (one class was for 'The Prettiest Owner with The Ugliest Dog), a Flower and Vegetable show (with 209 entries in 40 classes) and five Ladies Events including an 'Ankle Competition'. Noreen Fulford explains, 'They used to have these competitions years ago, for the best ankles. There used to be some screens, with a space at the bottom so you could see their ankles, but you couldn't see the people they belonged to.'

Among the twenty members of the committee that year were Mr. C. A. Gray (Hon. General Secretary), Mr. G. Gibbs (Flower Show Secretary), Mr. H. J. Higgins (Hon. Treasurer), The Rev E. Milner Swift (Chairman), Mr. R. Hewer (Vice-chairman), Mrs M. Horton and Mr. F. Roberts who 'kept the crowds well informed through the field loud-speaker.'

The Shows were held in the Village Hall, with the Recreation Field behind it used for the outdoor events and sports. As well as the show there was The Carnival Procession; Jim Hewer, 'We used to go front the Village Hall, along Berrycroft, up Pack Hill into Upper Wanborough. That's a long way! So then we started from Warneage Green, that was the collecting area, then we went down Kite Hill to the Rec. That was the route at the finish, and that was enough because of the people walking. I used to ride Mrs. Heywood Jones's polo pony. He was a bit of a devil to ride, because they're very quick stepping horses. I used to lead the procession, and when they started up the music he used to sort of dance and stand on his hind legs.'

It's hard to compare the situation of today with the 30's and 40's when a trip into Swindon was still regarded by most people as something special. Then the Show was a highlight of the year, as Jean Kent explains, 'There used to be a lot of excitement when it was coming round. It was a real proper event. When you couldn't travel very easily, it was ideal, it gave people something to look forward to.'

Jean's husband Roy was the secretary of the Horticultural Show for 35 years and a regular winner of classes and cups. 'Roy was on all week getting his entries ready. On Wednesday he was out inspecting the flowers, cutting them, bringing them in and putting them in cool corners trying to encourage them to come out just that little bit more. He had piles of vegetables out there, he'd dig them all up, trying to find 6 to match or whatever, and we'd have boxes of vegetables for weeks to use up. Roy used to be up at 6 o'clock in the morning getting all his exhibits collected up.' Roy's pride and joy were his begonias, 'When he was working and it was at the Village Hall I can remember being asked to take The Begonia up. They're very tender, one touch and the leaves will crack and I had to take it up on my bike. I had it tucked under my arm and I got it there. I went very slow!.'

As the Show grew, the Village Hall and the Recreation Field weren't big enough, 'It got that there was no room to put all the exhibits up. We used to cram them in, on the stage and everywhere' says Jean. At that time the Show moved to the Corn Marsh (the field was opposite the old bakery). 'That was in the 60's,' Jim Hewer recalls. 'It made it easy for us. When anything arrived we could just go across the road and sort it out.'

By this time Jim was secretary of the Horse Show, 'We used to have about 6 challenge cups then and I used to go round picking up the cups ready for the show.' Entries came from far and wide: in 1969 the Gazette and Herald reported them coming from 'Southampton, Rugby, Nailsea near Bristol, Oxford, Reading and Bartestree in Herefordshire.' The Show was then on the British Show Jumping Association circuit and attracted some up-and-coming names, 'Johnny Francome was riding at

Wanborough as a teenager, and Mark Phillips (Pictured left). They used to go in for the BSJA events to get points to go into the cross country events and that kind of thing.' There were problems, 'It used to clash with Somerford and the BSJA wanted us to change the day, so we pulled out of it.' Jack Smith remembers, 'they had a very valuable open prize here, about £200, and that was a lot of money in those days. Somerford was having a job to compete with the open prize here, even though it was a big show.'

A memorable incident in the years at the Corn Marsh was "The Whirlwind", 'It happened at about 1 o'clock, before the show proper, and lasted about a quarter of an hour, it wreaked havoc,' says Jean Kent. Jim and Mary Hewer remember it too, 'We heard this crashing noise coming and we looked out. Les Thompson was in the tent with me because he was running the horses. All our papers in our tent disappeared, it turned over a horse box. It went straight down the middle of the show and down Horpit to Watchfield way, made

a hell of a mess.' Mary says, 'I had a little Standard van by the refreshment tent and it ripped the door off.'

Attractions at the Shows on the Corn Marsh in the 60's included also included the perennial favourites the fancy dress and tug- of-war, as well as displays of vintage cars, miniature railway rides, children's sports organised by the teacher, Mrs Adams, demonstrations by local thatcher Ted Anger, and by the Fire Brigade, though their display didn't always go smoothly, as Pam Smith remembers, 'It was in one comer of the field because they had to keep it away from the horses and they squirted this lovely white foam. It was when it was first introduced to put out fires in road accidents. Suddenly something went wrong and it caught on fire. I thought afterwards, maybe it was meant to go on fire, but couldn't have been because it was supposed to put things out.'

The Carnival Procession normally took place in the week preceding the Show, though sometimes the events were spread over several weeks, such as in 1973 when the Carnival was on a Saturday, and the Flower Show, and the Gymkhana on the following two Saturdays. The procession featured floats from all the local businesses and organisations, sometimes as many as 20, often very spectacular. 'We had a pirate ship one year. They had a job with the overhead wires going round.' In 1973 the paper reported

'Bringing up the rear was a tractor and trailer labelled "Tired Walkers", intended to pick up stragglers, but already crowded with children before the procession moved off. The judges of the floats were jockey Richard Pitman and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. N. Hinksman of Hinton Parva and Mr. and Mrs. D. Bunce of Liddington.'

Thinking back to the forties; 'We had a chap, used to be a butcher in the village, name of Freeman,' said Jim Hewer. 'I used to go in there with the bread, and he had a Penny Farthing, it was chucked in the shed. And I said "Go in the Carnival." He said, "'There's no tyre on it." I said, "Well if I put a tyre on it, of some sort, will you ride it?" He said, 'Yes I can ride it." So I took it down to the bakehouse, and we found some rope, the right size for the rim, and we wired it on. It made it not a bad job, but I couldn't ride the thing! It was quite funny really because he got an old vicar's outfit, with the flat top hat, and the long tail-coat, and he rode it in the procession.'

Another notable float around that time was the "Mother's Sit-Down Strike". Doris Carter remembers that her sister Ivy Wallis made all the costumes for this and many other floats over the years. This particular year, the men were seen doing all the household chores while the women were on strike. They had a working stove on the float and were throwing out cakes (made by Cyril Gray) as they went round. They won second prize that year. The float was built on a lorry used to collect the milk from the farms in the evening, which meant some hasty dismantling of the float at end of the procession.

The entries were frequently topical, 'I remember we did a float with the W.I. once.' recalled Jean Kent. 'You know all that trouble with Idi Amin, we did a skit on that, and I dressed up as Idi Amin. Of course I had the time of try life because I had this big black mask on, nobody knew who it was. I was calling out to people and they were saying "Who's that? Who's behind that mask?" Nobody found out.'

Jean remembers another notable incident, 'This chap put afloat in for the Carnival as Steptoe and Son, and he had a lovely big white horse. We all assembled up at the Recreation ground for the prize giving and suddenly there was a terrible kerfuffle and this horse broke away from the cart and the shafts were still on him. He galloped all round the field.' Pam Smith recalls, 'There was this almighty bang, one of the floats had a space rocket and something was fired off.' Jean says, 'I leapt out to try to stop it and other people were trying to do the

same. And it went down that narrow way by the entrance to the Hall, it galloped down there. How it didn't kill anybody I don't know because there were people milling about trying to come up to the field. It went all the way down the High Street, and they managed to get it into Jack Smith's field. The poor chap was in a terrible state, he nearly passed out, because he was trying to hang onto it, but he just had to let go.' Jack Smith remembers that it wasn't the only incident that day, 'Mr. Sanderson's pony broke the shafts on the trap the same day.'

Through it's history there have been many notable individuals associated with the Show. Some have already been mentioned. Other names include Ernie Quickenden who ran the Flower Show for many years, and Jack Lovelock who was the commentator every year for a long time. And Rupert Ogbourne: 'He started the procession with his horse and cart and he always drove the Carnival Queen,' said Pam Smith. 'He used to have a special horse and cart he kept for the Carnival Queen, and he was responsible for the brasses and cleaning.' He had another claim to fame too as Jean Kent told me, 'Rupert Ogbourne used to have a big pot with this huge maidenhair fern. He didn't have a car so he used to take it up to the Hall in his wheelbarrow. He used to grow a lot of vegetables too.'

Jean also remembered Mrs Horton, 'She always used to do the raffles for years. Everybody knew her. Even people corning to the Show from out of the village looked for Mrs Horton to buy their raffle tickets. She loved it, absolutely adored it.'

By the 1970's the show was being held at the Church Meadow where it has remained ever since. The Horticultural Show, Fancy Dress, Horse Show, Gymkhana, Dog Show, Cookery, Children's classes, Crafts and of course the Tug-of-War have continued to be well supported, and though the Carnival was abandoned for a while, it was revived in a smaller more manageable format for the millenium and continues to this day.

The following extracts are from the North Wilts Herald and tell us of the beginnings of the modern show

SEPTEMBER 1, 1902.
WANBOROUGH FEAST SPORTS
A SUCCESSFUL GATHERING

Few villages can boast of inhabitants who live in greater harmony than our friends at this pretty spot under the hill. Whether engaged in an undertaking for the permanent benefit of the whole village - rich and poor alike - or in arranging a day's pleasure they throw aside all little differences and work with an honest ardour which might well be taken as a pattern by many other rural communities.

Early on Saturday morning, although rain was falling heavily, the committee formed to carry out the day's festivities in conjunction with the members of the Pioneer Benefit Society were astir and bent on facing adversity with a good spirit. At ten o'clock the members of the society and friends assembled at the Harrow Inn, and, headed by the Stratton St. Margaret Band, proceeded to make a perambulation of the village, calling at the residences of many of the principal inhabitants.

Prizes were offered for decorated cars and single horses with riders in fancy costumes. The judges were Messrs J.Hinton, F.Horne and C. A. Atkinson, and their awards were as follows:- Open to Wanborough only - 1st, Mr J. Garland; 2nd, Mr T. Parsons. A special prize of 10s was given by Mr James Hinton and awarded to the hospital car, arranged by Mr T. Sheppard. Open to Wanborough and Stratton - 1st, decorated car, with the title of "Under the same old flag," arranged by Mr S. Smith and Mr A. Bugg; 2nd, twins in a perambulator, Mr W.Harris; 3rd, a decorated donkey, Mr J. Goddard?s. These three prize winners came from Stratton.

At 12.30 an adjournment was made to the scene of the afternoon's entertainment, where a cold luncheon was served by Mr L. B. Rees, of the Mason's Arms Hotel, Swindon, over 100 did ample justice to a substantial repast.

MONDAY AUGUST 31, 1903.
WANBOROUGH FEAST SPORTS.
ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL MEETING

Wanborough Feast Sports, held on Saturday, provided a day of pleasure to the villagers and a large number of visitors, and although the sports take place a month after the feast proper they partake of all the importance of the old village festival.

Two years ago a committee of local gentlemen took upon themselves the duty of providing something to replace the fetes of former days, and their success is due not only to the excellent manner in which they filled a blank in Wanborough social life, but to the philanthrophic motives which were behind their endeavours. The Swindon Victoria Hospital was intended to benefit by the undertaking, and each year a balance of £10 has been handed over to that deserving institution.

Favoured with ideal weather, Saturday's fixture was as successful as its predecessors, alike in the interesting nature of the events and the patronage which it evoked. The proceedings began with a "character" procession in which a large number of gaily costumed personalities participated. Some were mounted but most were on foot, and the variety of colour and originality of costume elicited expressions of commendation as the procession, headed by the Stratton St. Margaret Brass Band, started from the Harrow Inn and paraded the whole of the village.

Prizes were awarded for the best costumes, and the work of adjudication was discharged by Messrs Fred Hinton, J. Holyoak and F. Arman, whose decisions were as follows:- Confined to Wanborough - 1 and 2 (equal), J. Vaine (coster) and J. Herring (equestrienne); 3,G. Gosling (charioteer); 4, J. Bizley (clown and dog); 5, J. Kent (mounted clown); 6 (equal), A. Eaton (mounted juvenile Forester) and Miss Queenie Stratford (lady jockey on donkey); 7 (equal), John Brittain (monk) and Albert Richens (walking clown); consolation, Albert Stratford (Georgian costume).

The medal (presented by Mr Patterson, of Swindon), was won by Mark Keen for a mounted old English soldier's costume. Open - 1, E.Hill, Swindon (Roman warrior); 2, Jabez Nutland, Salthrop (mounted character).