Whatever happened to the local May Fayre?

Every year in May, we have a fayre held in the biggest park of our little town. It's on Saturday, usually the last Saturday of May. But this year, we have nothing. For some reason, it stopped. No explanation has been given, as far as I know. My wife and I checked on social media, in the local news, nothing has been said about this cancellation. They just haven't advertised it this year. I was already seriously down that the autumn fair has been cancelled this year (and maybe permanently), this is getting worse, adding salt to the wounds. It's just really depressing how special events I look forward to all year just disappear.

Le gâteau aux carottes idéal

Tout d'abord, une triste nouvelle: je ne crois pas qu'on aura une foire au mois de mai, même si on en avait chaque année, sauf lors de la pandémie. J'adorais m'y rendre, c'était vraiment un bel évènement annuel. Enfin bref... J'ai pris cette photo l'an dernier à la foire de mai, justement. J'adore les gâteaux aux carottes. Je ne me rappelle plus du goût, j'imagine qu'il était très bon, mais avouez que pour la présentation, c'est le gâteau aux carottes idéal.

Farewell to the local autumn fayre

 I learned some sad news recently, which I wanted to blog about: as you may know, there is a local carnival held every year in September, the third or fourth Saturday of the month, in the biggest park in town. I blogged about it often before, like here. To me, it's like an officious autumn fayre. Sadly, for whatever reason (not sure if they were made public) the organisers cannot organise it this year, so there will be no local September carnival. No autumn fayre. This is one of the public event in our community I look forward to the most in the year. I'm really gutted.

The Grim Raker

For today's countdown to Halloween post, first, a bit of news: the annual Scarecrow Festival will start again soon, so get ready to see a lot of scarecrow pictures on Vraie Fiction. I took this picture last year at the very Scarecrow Festival. A Grim Reaper that truly is a Rake Reaper. I found it deliciously scary and perfectly autumnal, even if the rake gives it a comical touch. A lot of the scarecrows featured at the festival are funny, many are scary, some are both. I would love to write a story about this Reaper. Well, I'd probably change the rake for a scythe, but I would keep the white shroud and the pumpkin.

Bat House

We went to a local fayre about two weeks ago, one of my favourite ones because it's in my favourite time of the year. In one of the stands, they were selling various bird houses as well as bat houses. I love bats, for many reasons, one of them is that they eat insects. And I know we have them around here, I oftens ee them flying in the evening. I don't see them much, they are very elusive. But I considered buyingone house for them. The only problem is that I don't think I would be able to install the house properly. So I decided not to buy it. But I regret it now.

Night Terrors

You must think I'm obsessing about Halloween already and you are right. But we are in Augtober after all. And sometimes, chance or fate seems to confirm it. Like when my son and I went to a small fayre last weekend. There were toys and books on sale, including this E.F. Benson's anthology, aptly titled Night Terrors. I'm going to surprise you: I did not buy it. Oh, not because I decided to behave: I already have it, this very edition in fact, with the spider and all. I even have started reading it, one of my many books of classic ghost stories I tend to read this time of year. But I thought it was funny that it showed up like this. I hope it found a buyer.

Snake and Ladders?

Sometimes, you find strange things second handed. So anyway, we went to a sort of very small, neighbourgood's local fayre, people selling tea, cakes and, well, second hand stuff. Mostly toys, games ans books. And this game of  Snakes and Ladders, which I did not buy, even though I love that game since childhood. Because we have one set already, which really looks much nicer (see here), but also because, well... Have you noticed it? Pretty obvious when you see it, isn't it? No wonder it's on sale.

Tombola

There was a school fayre this afternoon at Wolfie's school, I went there right after work, for the last thirty minutes or so. I had time to enter a tombola: you buy tickets and you could buy a bottle of wine, of beer or of whatever drink, alcoholic or not. It was £2.00 for five tickets. At first, I only found a pound, so I asked: "Can I have two tickets and a half?" I think it deserves to be a great unknown line. Not my best, but it's been a while since I shared one funny line. Anyway, I found another pound in my pocket, so I got my five tickets, then I bought some more. In the end, we got a bottle of red wine, a soft drink and a bottle of non alcoholic coktail. Not bad.

Holy Cow Tea

As you may know, I am always on the lookout for new tea companies. I have also been trying to increase my intake of loose leaf tea, because it tastes better and I think is healthier. Not to mention fancier. So I recently discovered at a local fayre a new tea company, Holy Cow Tea. The very nice staff were giving samples to try, so I promised to stop by their stand and I did. Their range is a bit pricey, but I indulged myself because I needed something of quality and I love to support small local businesses. I use their Emporium Breakfast when I need a solid brew to start the day, which is always at the moment. So that's my new breakfast tea for now.

Missed Harvest Fair

 Is it too early to think of autumn? Is it? I hope not, because I am always in an autumnal mood, even in June. And I'm not the only one, according to what I gleamon social media. Anyway, I discovered yesterday, through my Facebook memories, that last year, the Finnings Wood Community Group (never heard of them before) were advertising a Harvest Fair and Treasure Hunt for the 15th of September 2024 in the village of Lane End. Not sure if their advertisement has been featured a lot since June 2024, because I did not remember it one bit when September came. Maybe we had other engagements, maybe I did not see the advertisement closer to that time, be that as it may, we did not go. And that is very sad, because I love all things harvest and Wolfie loves all things treasure hunts. And such event done in a quaint and pretty English village in the middle of September, well, it just adds to the charm. I hope the Harvest Fair was a success and that they will organise another one this year.

First Pimm's

Earlier this month, we went to a local fayre. It was a fairly hot day, and a sunny one at that, so my wife felt like drinking Pimm's. She doesn't like alcohol much, she doesn't drink much, if at all. I often end up finishing her drinks. But there are a few drinks she sometimes enjoy the taste of, once in a blue moon, and Pimm's is one of them. Probably because it tastes like fruit juice. We were with a friend, so I ordered two pints of Pimm's for the ladies and one beer for me, which I carried over our table thanks to some cardboard cup holders. Getting the drinks from the stand was a short but epic journey. So yeah, first Pimm's of the year.

Times with friends

We went to the local May Fayre yesterday as a family. We met some friends there, like we do every year, it is a sort of tradition, every year an impromptu one we follow. Wolfie also bumped into some friends from school, including his bestie, so we spent some time with them too. And then, leaving the fayre, I bumped into a friend of mine I hadn't seen in years. We had a short chat as we were both going somewhere, but it was nice seeing her. I might blog more about this specific encounter, actually, as I made some observations that warrant another post. Anyway, and today we are going to the birthday party of one of Wolfie's friends, so we will spend more time busy. Moral of the story (stories?): being a parent sometimes gives you a busy social life.

Course de canards

Aujourd'hui, à la foire locale, petit loup et moi avons assisté à une course de canards de bain sur la Tamise. Il voulait y assister avec ses amis de l'école. Une course d'escargots plutôt, c'était très lent. Mais bon, c'était assez cute, dans le genre gentiment nono.

Coming Fayre

I just saw some great news on social media: our little town will have its local May Fayre this coming weekend in the local park. I had almost forgotten that we have a fayre in May. I love all fayres, obviously the autumn ones I love the most, but this month's fayre is always nice, a way to forget little worries and enjoy good food, good company, (sometimes) good music and the atmosphere of a lovely park. It's just a nice community event.

Camel Trophy Jeep

 I took this picture last year, during a fayre in the local park (a sort of autumn festival, but I digress). There were lots of army vehicles on display. I know nothing about Camel Trophy, but I find jeeps and army vehicles kind of cool. I mean jeeps look cool, but from the few trips I had in them, they are utterly uncomfortable. So it's kind of fitting to label one a camel: they both go in difficult terrains, they both are tough, they both are uncomfy. Well, I can only assume camels are not comfortable, I must confess I have never traveled on one. Tell me if you experienced either this particular Land Rover or a camel.

A druid for scarecrow?

 We went to the annual Scarecrow Festival held in a nearby village recently. You know that I love scarecrows, especially round Halloween: they represent autumn, harvest and they do have a sinister side too. Read this post from 2009 to see what I mean. So they are fitting for Halloween and for horror stories. I was happily surprised that some of the scarecrows we saw were thus properly scary. This one in paritcular. I might get it wrong, but I believe it is supposed to be a druid, with the bottom of his white robe bloodied. It might be a direct allusion to a horror movie, but having not seen them all, I cannot be sure. Tell me in the comments. In any case, Halloween being at its origins a Pagan and Celtic holiday, it is all the more fitting.

Scarecow Jack

I saw this Jack O'Lantern on the window of a local business. It was fairly small and well hidden, but I have an eye for it. I love it, it is all shadowy and it is also a scarecrow. The mix of Jack O'Lantern and scarecrow always work, IMO. A perfect image of the season and the Season. It is autumnal, it is Halloweeny and it also represents harvest. Oh and by the way, the Scarecrow Festival will start soon, so you will see more of these critters.

"El Jeepo"

 Last time we went to the yearly September fayre, we saw a number of army behicles on display. Mostly British, but some were American. Many of them had personal nicknames. Among them, a jeep aptly named "El Jeepo". With a strange critter meant to represent some animal, real or unreal. I thought it was funny anyway. Somebody has any idea what animal is this El Jeepo? I guess it's American, maybe Mexican? A wildcat, perhaps? A cryptid? An obscure cartoon character? For those who are into vintage army vehicles, army stuff, please let me know in the comments.

Tank Trivia

 So we went to the local fayre yesterday, something we love to do since we have been living in this town. There is a section with old army vehicles, mostly but not exclusively from the British armed forces. There is always a tank there, which we can visit. Wolfie loved it. We learned a few things about this tank. It was meant for six men, fully armed, it was the fastest tank in service, and it was stocked with tea. It even had a kettle with water bottle and everything. Because you cannot go to war without tea.

Officious Autumn Fayre

 Today, if everything goes well, we will go to the local carnival. It's officially called a carnival, but it truly is a fayre and, as it is set in the middle of September, generally in or around the equinox, I consider it an autumn fayre (well of course). It is in a park and, when the weather is right, like it should be today, it feels so perfectly autumnal. We have been going there every September since we started living here. I think the only exceptions were when we were invited at the birthday of one of Wolfie's friends. Thankflly, not this year. Today, we will go with some friends, as we often do. I love going there, it is one of my favourite activities in September, a special event that marks the arrival of my favourite season.