That Village Feast
WELL, WE DID PUSH OUR LUCK to the limit this year and only got away with it because of our strength of character and "because we're worth it". There was racing at Newmarket, there was the F.A. Cup Final, there was the Test Match, and the weather forecast was full of doom and gloom. We couldn't do anything about the many people who chose not to come to the Feast. But we could do something about the weather Ðand the plan worked. There were deluges in Reach, Burwell, and Newmarket, heavy rain in Bottisham, a few drops in Bulbeck, but not one drop touched Swaffham Prior. We are contacting the national events above to ensure they do not clash with us next year.
Initially there was a little nervous tension because of the weather, but once the Feast started it was a great buzz to the sound of Glenn Miller and Dave Brubeck. All the stalls and the helpers were superb, the crowd was great, and we made £840 for the Village Hall Funds. Once again Dominic Bowers and Paul Latchford won the egg throwing contest.
There was one poignant moment when Jane Bulleid bought for her step grandson a jigsaw puzzle with a picture of one of his grandfather's famous railway engines. His grandfather, Oliver Bulleid, was one the great names in railway engineering and created the powerful "Battle of Britain" class of locomotive, amongst many other achievements. His son Michael Bullied, Jane's husband, fought in the Battle of Britain, was a notable architect and restored the working windmill in Swaffham Prior. The grandchild will have much to remember from the Feast.
Swaffham Prior has another great railway engineering connection. Dr Margaret Stanier is the niece of Sir William Arthur Stanier whose locomotive designs included the 1937 4-6-2 "Coronation" class. Oliver Bulleid died in 1970 at the age of 88, and Sir William died in 1965 at the age of 89. For a long life take up engineering!