THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE —   created by Valerie Martin, contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.

LET'S PUT "GREAT" BACK INTO THE FINDON SHEEP FAIR OF 2010

Copyright Valerie Martin 2009

Let us make an early start and think about next year's Sheep Fair and put the "Great" back into the Great Findon Sheep Fair.

Important question:   What happens each September?    Yes, that's right, you are really clever today.... it's the Findon Sheep Fair (called the Great Findon Sheep Fair in the past).

Let's pretend you are wandering through the Sheep Fair on a lovely sunny Saturday and one of the old shepherds clad in traditional smock (sadly no longer seen) comes unsteadily across to you,   He asks in a Sussex drawl if you will mind his sheep while he goes over to the Beer Tent for another lemonade (it is thirsty work looking after sheep).    

You have always been quite fond of sheep and they look a docile bunch standing with bits of grass hanging out of their mouths....so you willingly accept and feel quite proud of being selected for the job.... click on the link to find out more about your task while he is gone..... he's sure not to be long.....

Remember that sheep can be tricky customers some times and they do try to make a break for it.    The average car driver's reaction time is .75 seconds.... or one car length for every 10 mph.   Test your average reaction time with the sheep.    Click on the blue link and good luck....

Reaction Test   

Please note that no sheep came to any harm in Findon during the making of this.

Have you ever stopped to think what the Sheep Fairs of years ago were like?   I will transport you back some 70 years to Septembers of the past.....

For 1938 click on http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=20696

For the event of 1939 .....  http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=24763

The Sheep Fair was affected by the war years.   The regional Commission for the War Office telegraphed that the venue was too close to the coast. During the dark days of the war, Nepcote Green was considered to be a prime risk for bombing.

Word spread like wildfire around the Harris family's fun fair and to the other stall holders. Another site was swiftly sought from Alfred Pankhurst, the landlord of "The Tabby Cat" at West Grinstead, for the use of two fields adjoining his public house. The area was conveniently closes to the railway line and station, (at that time operational), and there were plenty of quiet meadows for laying up the farmers' flocks before and after the Fair.

The Fairground equipment and wattles on Nepcote Green were promptly transported to West Grinstead. Nearly everything went on trailers drawn by traction engines belonging to the Harris family.

As a result of a "ploughing up policy" ordered by the Agricultural Committee, many flocks of sheep were dispersed that year. It resulted in a record entry of 17,000 ewes and lambs and 340 rams during West Grinstead's first year of housing the Findon sheep Fair. (it was still named the Findon Sheep Fair in spite of the new location).

On the 19th September 1947, the Findon Sheep Fair eventually returned to its birthplace after an exile of seven years and took up its slot as the late summer event on Nepcote Green.

THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life around Findon.