Little Shelford Fun week-end

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Well, what a fun weekend!

See what happens when it gets postponed for a year!

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The Little Shelford fun weekend came and went in a blaze of late summer sunshine. With it came the crowds too, and it was so nice to see so many people make it out for the weekend.  Having felt somewhat like a village in hibernation for the last year and a half, there was a great showing of people throughout the weekend, whether it be the Friday night disco and dance, the Saturday fete, the real ale and craft beer festival, the Sunday service, history walk or the picnic. Well done for making it out and making it feel like things were ‘normal’ again. If only for a while…

Friday night’s format was more informal than usual – a disco, no fancy dress, and food vans instead of the formal, sit down affair.  With about 200 attendees, this seemed to be the best turnout for several years. No doubt helped by the warm weather, the knockdown ticket price, a fallow year under lockdown, and the more mix and mingle approach. But whatever it was, it seemed that people enjoyed themselves, and this is likely to be the format for next time. As ever, Simon Mackinder and his colleagues put on a great performance for Friday evening in terms of lights, sounds and video, and helped make it a special occasion. People were strewn in and out of the large marquee and Steak & Honour, and the Wandering Yak both seemed busy serving up to a happy crowd of party goers.  Mark and Barry were also busy with a large selection of ales and craft beers throughout Friday evening and into Saturday.  David Munro kept supplies of wine available for intravenous purposes until well into the night. But then midnight came, and we all turned into pumpkins; such a pity the Saturday village fete did not have a prize category for that one. I can think of a few people who would have contended for that prize.

As it was, the fete did roll around, and we had a robust set of entries for many of the categories on Saturday.  The scarecrows in particular made a good impression, perched as they were against the playground wall, looking like they were waiting for the revolution to come.  The beavers eventually won a tightly judged competition (I think), but there were many great entries we had seen round the streets for a couple of weeks beforehand.  Other scarecrows never made it to the Rec, but lingered around the village either to remain there or leave for earth orbit.

Not that there was much space on the Rec by early afternoon.  It seemed that most of the village and surrounding parts had made it down in the warm and sunny weather to see the (new) artificial cricket strip and fete opened by our local MP, Anthony Browne, and see the mini animal farm including micropig (I missed it…it must have been small).  Many thanks to REDMAYNE ARNOLD & HARRIS in particular for sponsoring that slot. There was a full set of stalls and events reflecting a truly wide variety of interests, clubs and activities that happens in the village.  It felt almost normal, all apart from the absence of the Covid unfriendly bouncy castles and assault course, which we felt we could not have this year for the obvious reason.

Saturday afternoon was only marred by one scandal and that was in the final tug o’war.  As you will all know, Little Shelford has always won the ‘Little Shelford vs the Rest of the World’ battle of the century (said without exaggeration every year).  However, with the road closed to Great Shelford, a substitute rope was found. (No way through to collect the usual rope. This reminds me of the Times Headline a hundred years ago, ‘Fog in Channel, Continent cut off’. The continent was Great Shelford, and the Channel the shallow ford). However, the substitute rope was found wanting.  In fact, it was found to have snapped under the extraordinary pulling power of those two battling sides. I had to declare the competition a dead heat (even if the Little Shelford side did retain more of the rope, I am not sure this important piece of information had made it into the royal and ancient rulebook).  A couple of plasters were placed on the scorched knees of brave warriors (mostly under 10 years old – amazing what a plaster does for bravery at that age), and we got up and dusted ourselves down. Nonetheless, the village is still undefeated and we can hold our heads up high.  Which some did well into Saturday night, as the beer festival continued on to live music and foggy heads, with the burbling sound of burgers and hotdogs being munched fading into the background of the band. David Jones looked a happy and satisfied Master Burgermaker.

There were of course no foggy heads, nor fog indeed, present for the litter pick up and general clearance before the Sunday Service, which always attracts a great turnout. But let’s be honest, there were not many people with the stomach and heart for clearing up the Rec that morning.  Following on from the well attended Service, a goodly group of the hardy and curious paraded round the village and church to share tales of historical interest, covering such diverse topics as the background to Camping Close, through the history of football, to famous and Nobel prize winning residents of our village.  As well as 900 years of history in our church!

Thank you to our sponsors especially REDMAYNE ARNOLD & HARRIS and THE NAVIGATOR, the organising committee, an anonymous donor, prize donors for the silent auction, and the many people who helped out with the most precious of all commodities, time and enthusiasm, to make the weekend a real community event. 

Until next time!

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Little Shelford Entertainments Committee

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Posted Oct 2 2021

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Scarecrow competition winners

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Scarecrow 

1st Beavers

2nd Munro’s recycled

Joint 3rd Super Kid Twins and Flying Harry Potter and Snitch