The Village Fete has been a fixture in the village for many years. It might be regarded as a successor to either the May Parade or the Village Flower and Produce show, with perhaps the latter being the most appropriate root.
The King’s Newnham and Church Lawford Triennial Show began in 1900, known as the “Flower Show and Industrial Exhibition” and as the name suggests it was to be held every three years, and featured village crafts as well as garden produce. A report on the 1900 show is here. The report on the 1909 show has been transcribed here for those using devices without a facility to zoom into the small print on the 1900 report.
The Rugby Advertiser ran this advert for the 1903 show – the second such show. The report on the show was tremendously detailed, going into two closely typed columns, and also appearing in sister papers such as the Kenilworth Advertiser. That report can be viewed via this link.
A report on the 1906 show is here.
A report on the 1909 show is here.
A report on the 1914 show is here.
This show was to continue through to the 1930s, becoming an annual horticultural show, moving to the Reading Room in Church Lawford in later years. There was also competition from the Potato Show, organised by the owners of the White Lion – detailed here, After the Second World War the gathering became known as the Church Fete or the Village Garden Fete, and was initially held in the gardens of the Rectory, before being held on the Glebe Field at the top of King’s Newnham Road in Church Lawford on many occasions.
A report on the annual flower show in 1935 is here.
A Report on Potato Shows during the inter-war period is here.
Such shows were suspended during the period of the Second World War, and after that war the Flower Show was not restarted, with the balance of funds being used to help fund the provision of a bus shelter. confirmed in the Parish Council Minutes in 1948.
A Report on the 1951 Fete is here, and the 1955 Fete is here.
A report on the 1948 Fete is below.
