Oaksmere 1978

Oaksmere 78The first Albion Fair.

Oaksmere was a lovely site. An avenue of mature lime trees led up to the hall itself. On the left was a flat field and on the right a contoured field level only beside the trees, climbing gently to the back left and to the right  dipping to form a large wide bowl, a natural amphitheatre, with a stand of trees on a mound at bottom centre. A high stage was built backed on to the mound. The bowl was actually a dry lake and heavy rains the following winter meant for the 1979 fair the stage was surrounded with water.

RB 32 AL79

 

The Elizabethan theme was comprehensively ignored.

A group of people from Colchester area came along, their first fair. Their enthusiasm was the seed which grew to become the  first Stour Valley fair held in East Bergholt.

 

 

Was this the first fair Forkbeard Fantasy attended?UK Press cutting forkbeards