The Village Hall, not too exciting from the outside but warm and welcoming within

On a fairly rainy day we kept our agreement with ourselves to go along to Stanton Drew for their annual fair, it so happens its 20th anniversary. These fayres and fetes are a custom in country places. I have written many times about the stones in the field and the timelessness of it.

The population of Stanton Drew is recorded as being 781 in 2021 so let’s make a wild guess and say it is ow 850. A good 25% of the population turned up to this jolly event, although we were ducking the showers most of the time. It was clear that most of the people knew each other or at least were on good speaking terms. One man of senior years who had been born here said he remembers a time when everyone knew everybody else, but this time has passed, and now he does not recognize many people.

Come with me on a visit

I will take you through the afternoon. We arrived at about 1:15 for an event of four hours duration, so we had plenty of time to go around the rather small area devoted to this, but in addition to the outside area, you have to include the hall itself and the church, situated 100 m away. 

Obviously a thriving society run by enthusiasts. Long may these traditions survive.

an unexpected find

So this car is 102 years old. I wonder how many of today’s cars will last 100 years.

This is an old steam engine adapted to taking visitors for a ride. Funny how being ‘taken for a ride’ means being cheated or conned in some way.

This lady married into this family, as she liked the name ‘De Milles’. Of all reasons for marriage, this has got to be one of the most original.

This is a great lesson to me that behind someone who is selling soap or anything, come to that. There is an interesting story and in this case she is married to Dennis DeMille who is a jazz singer. Who can be found on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. He was on Britain’s Got Talent. I asked her what her client base was and she said that she has males in their thirties using my muscle bomb, my CBD muscle bomb that rubs on the skin.

I used to be a social worker, so I made sure my client list is ‘everyone’. She turned out to be a fellow covid sceptic and did not get the injection although I worked for the National Health.

Brian :This is obviously a person of character who knows her own mind. I told her that I’d been keeping a record of covid activity since March 2020. We talked about the new smallpox vaccine being linked with the MRAA vaccine and I said that they were going to try it on to get as many people as they can. Typical of the obedient BBC to give it prime time on the morning news.  

She had also refused to wear a mask during the Covid time from which she thinks people are still recovering. ‘My husband was not allowed to work in any old people’s homes and we were short of money so I decided to start a business for soap that did not include any chemicals’ 

Brian: I really love to hear stories like this; it restores my faith in human nature and people’s inventiveness. 

I also talked with a lady who was a tour guide at Glastonbury Abbey.

Guide;  It has been a good summer. I think it was the effect. It was very, very dry, and everyone is beginning to mentally recover from lockdown. Still. It’s taken a few years, because the first year after lockdown, nobody had any money, because everyone had been furloughed and lost jobs and all that sort of thing. So it’s taken a few years, I think, but I think we’re starting to get back

Brian – yes we are in the swing of things before the next ‘pandemic’ hits us. But you see, what they can’t control is the consciousness, no, and it’s like the tide. 

Guide: We live just up the hill there.

Brian:  And how do you find it? What makes it the place it is? What makes it strong and true?

Guide: I grew up here. So it’s hard for me to be able to say that, because it’s a bit like asking a fish what water feels like. I’ve always lived here. People would have me believe that there are families who’ve been here for generations and generations, but I think it’s just a sort of the best bits of the British neighbourliness and things, because the acuity amongst the people is quite high.

Brian: Oh yeah. They’re not just tittle-tattle. They’re talking meaningful stuff.

Guide – my parents, they moved here from Bristol in the 80s. They’re both very creative, artistic people, and that’s how we got brought up. And there’s definitely a lot of that around in the village. And I think what it is, is probably something to do with wealth as well. People are quite well off, and when you’ve got the money, you’ve got time and space to think and be creative.

Brian: It’s not a survivalist economy like midsummer, not where we come from. Its like Bridport. It’s not snobby, they are simply just articulate people, and they are choosy, and there’s something on every night.

Guide:  I think snobbery is a state of mind. Anyone can be a snob.

Brian. Well, if you want that (snobbishness), then go to Wells (Someerset), Bristol as well. Then that’s the state of mind. You don’t have to be in any particular economic bracket, to have that going on. So how did you become a guide?

Guide:  I started volunteering for them, and I volunteered for a couple of months, and they said, we’ve got a job going. Do you want to interview for it? And I did, and they offered me the job. So it was good luck in a way.

Brian: I’ll tell you why. Because you have got a ‘wont stand any nonsense’ voice,

Guide: try, yeah, I’ve done a bit of teaching assistance in my time as well.

Brian: It not a schoolma’am voice; it’s control, and that’s very good. That’s why you are good for the part.

Guide: I’ve won that. I won hard. I won that through waitressing in bars and things.

Brian (reflecting)  So you’re as a guide. You’re used to asking to listen to completely stupid questions, including, “Which country am I in? You know, from Americans, they don’t know where they are. Bless them, but most people are interested and will learn something

Guide:  People are a bit shy to ask questions. And they say, Oh, is this a silly question?” I say, No, it’s fine. Ask whatever you want. That’s how you learn. You’re either going to ask me, or you can ask Google,

Brian: And sometimes you just need one link in the chain of thought that you hadn’t got, and all the rest doesn’t make any sense. So you enable the eureka moment; that’s wonderful.

Guide:  I got a big woolly dress for winter. So it’s not too bad. It’s quite, quite snug, really. In the winter we have more school groups, so we run activities for schools and things like that, and that’s more what we do in the winter and autumn. But yeah, in the summer, it’s mostly tourists.

Brian: Do you get so many Japanese these days?

Guide: They don’t tend to necessarily come on the tours. I’d say, of that demographic, the ones who do are usually students at Bristol who come for the day, and their English is obviously still a second language for them. There can be a bit of a language barrier, but mostly, they’re learning, they’re improving,

Brian:  okay should we do it now speak loud and slow..   That’s what the Brits do,

Guide: yes, and gesticulate a lot.

Brian: They’ll nod out of sheer politeness.

……………………………………………..

Report from Francoise
I met Gladys, who has been making lace on the traditional cushion with pins for 30 years. Her work is fine, beautiful, and highly technical. She belongs to a group of lace makers who meet regularly. Some of her bobbins are ancient, others modern, each decorated with 5–7 beads to help with thread tension.

On the piece she showed me, she was using about 25 colorful, varied bobbins. Although no one in her family practised the craft, she enjoys it deeply and has produced many intricate works. She also loves explaining the process, and I found learning from her fascinating.

Visit to the church

a lovely, cared-for sign

The distinguished list of vicars speaks for itself. nearly 800 years old.

drawn by a child

An informal group of singers

And now to the competitions

from the heart

made entirely of lego

a child is lost in wonder

the best 3D animal

flowers a-plenty

winners cups in all their glory

very sweet and innocent

A wonderful old (no its not) bike

built by a genius in 2017 You could have fooled me.

On the notice Board

I have to say that the smaller the cohort or conurbation, the more friendly the people, and I wonder if this is how mankind was naturally designed to be, like a family. I found them bright and active, and I just wish that there could be more of them nearer to where I am.

Mind you its only 20 minutes by car so I could give it a go.

Midsomer is an old mining town. Stanton Drew is different. Of course we will make the best of where we are, but if a population of 800 can produce 200 at an event, this shows a considerable amount of community spirit which we can only try to emulate.

I believe the local pub serves one of the best Sunday lunches around, almost an all-you-can-eat event for about 16 pounds a head which these days is quite good. Anyone thinking of moving in to the area needs deep pockets but … you never know…

PS I forgot to mention that the vicar who seems an affable ‘people’ person who cares about his flock, so that would be another reason for considering this place.