Carnival that lent warmth to cold and cruel winters

• Frank Farr

Eighty-eight–year-old Frank Farr is a familiar face in East Budleigh. Apart from 1939-45, when he was in the army, he has lived and worked in the village all his life. Over the years, Frank has jotted down memories of what village life was like during the past century, and over the coming months he will be writing about his recollections for your Journal .

When I was a youngster. the winters seemed much harder than they are now.
In the building trade, for example, many men were frequently out of work until the thaw set in.

In the lanes and woods one would see the womenfolk loading sticks into an old pram to take home for their fires.

In this way they helped, to some extent, to keep the countryside tidy.
About December time we used to gather hazel nuts and chestnuts for the winter months.

These would be put into glass or stone jars and buried in the garden to keep for Christmas, when the chestnuts were roasted in front of a good log fire.

When I was attending Drakes School we were invited every third year to a Christmas party at Lord and Lady Clinton’s. They would both be there to greet us and we had a splendid time, everyone being given sweets, oranges and apples as well as some useful new item of clothing.

The Clintons were dear, good people and we appreciated their kindness to us very much.

In November we used to have a village fair and carnival, attracting many people from miles around.

The fair was held on the land where the village hall stands today, then later in Mr Pyne’s field in Frogsmore Lane. Mr Jones was the owner of the travelling fair and he ran it with side-shows, roundabouts and various attractions.

The carnival procession went up through the village, up Vicarage Road and down Jackson’s Lane – Middletown Lane as it’s known today.

It was led by the East Budleigh village band with Mr Charles Bolt, dressed as a Marshall, on his horse “Colorado”.

The fair continued some years after World War Two.

It was always a memorable event and everyone had a good time.

• STRIKE UP THE BAND: East Budleigh Silver Band in 1935 in Jackson Lane (now Middletown Lane). Frank Farr’s dad is in the back row, second from the left. In the late 1800s the village had two bands, Bill Clatworthy’s Beer and Baccy Band, and Trooks Temperance Band.

Have your say in the forums! >>

• Back to Devon history >>