The history of May Fayre at Petts Wood Hall

Introduction

The May Fayre began as a Round Table event in the early nineteen eighties. Station Square was chosen as the venue which provided an ideal backdrop for the medieval themes that were chosen at the time. Later, responsibility for the event passed to the then Ways and Means committee of the Petts Wood War Memorial Trust, a local charity that operates the Memorial Hall. The event moved to the Memorial Hall and gardens and has remained there since the present organisers took over at the begining of 2007. The event has since grown with each passing year, bringing many people together for a great, fun-filled day each year.

Round Table

by Chris Harris, ex member of Petts Wood Round Table No. 881

At one time, Petts Wood had a fairly strong and active Round Table No. 881 which ran three main local fund raising activities each year to help local charities. One of these events was a fairly typical and conventional summer fete held in the recreation ground at Eynsford Close. However, somewhere around 1979/1980 members of the Round Table felt that their summer event could be a bit more ambitious, making use of the character of the Station Square and bringing the event right to the centre of Petts Wood. An organising sub-committee was set up within the Round Table which then spent most of two years developing and bringing the idea to fruition. It was decided that the "Tudor-bethan" architectural style of the square and Daylight Inn would lend itself to a medieval theme. The May Day bank holiday was chosen as the best date for a number of reasons. First, it was a traditionally festive date. Second, it was feasible to close the square (including that part of Fairway) to traffic as the bus services which used the square did not run on Sundays or bank holidays at that time. And finally, by selecting a bank holiday rather than a Sunday, local traders who may have wanted actively to participate in the event were not restricted by the Sunday trading regulations which were then in place. So a May Fayre in Petts Wood was born and first held, I think, in 1981.

The organisation required obtaining the agreement of numerous authorities such as: Bromley Council, Police, British Railways, London Transport etc. Also, as the cost of staging such an event for the first time and its likely success were unknown, it was decided to seek advance sponsorship. Harris Carpets and Dunstonian Garage agreed generous sponsorship and joined the Round Table's organising committee. However, there was mixed response generally from local traders with some enthusiastically joining with its spirit, while others feared trouble, riots and damage to their premises. However, a number of those who protested were quick to change their minds and open up their shops for business once they saw the crowds of happy families.

The event attracted a good mix of stalls and sideshows from participating organisations most of whom attended in medieval costume to add appropriate atmosphere. This was supplemented by a visiting troop of medieval players who performed small period playlets throughout, the local May Queens, and children's rides, set up in the station car park, which were all hand operated by costumed Round Tablers. As I recall, the event was officially opened by, Geoff Capes, the celebrated strongman and shot-put champion.

The Round Table continued to organise the Fayre in Station Square for a number of subsequent years, albeit with different themes as time went on, with the Memorial Hall always involved providing much needed toilet, refreshment, and undercover facilities.

Unfortunately, Petts Wood Round Table along with many others, and indeed most in the local area, suffered a steady decline in membership in later years and no longer had the manpower to continue with the May Fayre event, and the Table eventually wound up completely.

But a May Fayre event was continued, though on a smaller scale, by the Memorial Hall committee and held within the Hall and its own grounds, so the residents of Petts Wood still have a May Day event which in recent years has begun to expand again.

Petts Wood residents may also recall the other popular events run by its local Round Table, such as the annual fireworks display on Crofton Heath and Santa's Christmas Sleigh which toured the local roads during the December each year, though the latter still continues courtesy of Crofton Rotarians.