Holybrook Festival Saturday 2nd June 2007

We glumly watched the incessant rain over Spring Bank Holiday weekend and wondered what we would do if it did the same on June 2^nd, the date chosen a year ago for the Holybrook Festival. We imagined a year’s worth of work going literally down the drain.

But once again the English weather did another of its U-turns after several indifferent forecasts, and the morning of 2^nd June dawned in crystal clear perfection. The dew sparkled across the Linear Park in the sunlight under a clear blue sky and the day was beautifully sunny and warm, with a light breeze and fluffy white clouds – just perfect.

The day started for some at 6.30am with the arrival of the tents and as the morning progressed there was a hive of activity as more help arrived and the vendors started to put up their tents and stalls. The stage was assembled, the bar erected, bouncy castles blown up, roundabouts and swings put in place, and by noon the stage was set with a good selection of activities for all ages ranged on the park outside the Beansheaf Centre.

Numbers built up in the afternoon and children enjoyed the rides, parents enjoyed the beer, others had ice cream and candy floss and visited the many stalls. Several of them were on ‘green’ themes to coincide with the Festival which celebrated the 55^th (emerald) anniversary of the Queen’s accession to the throne, and was held on the 54^th anniversary of the coronation.

Inside the hall were exhibitions of 1950s memorabilia, with young boys looking in amazement at Meccano and heavy metal toys which boys of their age played with in the 1950s! No Nintendos or Play stations then! There was also an exhibition of beautiful Japanese embroidery, a display of martial arts and children’s disco.

Outside we were entertained by the Pangbourne Silver Band, Theale Green School dancers, Bollywood Dancers from Reading’s Hindu temple, and Mo’s Dance school. The police, neighbourhood wardens, mobile library (doing 1950s reminiscences), and community bus were all on the scene explaining what they did, and the fire brigade also turned up to give children the thrill of sitting in the cab and wearing a fireman’s helmet!

The stalls varied from Southcote Gardening Society to Traidcraft, Encouraging Cycling to the Lions club selling soft toys, various charities, cakes, recycling and many others.

Numbers thinned out after the draw had been made and then everyone set about packing everything away. By 7pm you would not have known a Festival of that size had been held on the park that afternoon.

We owe an immense debt of gratitude to Cllr. Tony Ward who worked tirelessly and selflessly to make the event what it was. The hours he spent throughout the last year, since the Parish Plan Steering group decided on the event in response to requests from parishioners, are too many to record. But one thing we can and do record is an immense ‘thank you’ to Tony for his energy and leadership, without which there would have been no festival. Others helped too, humping staging, beer barrels, heavy amplifiers, providing refreshments, watching over the car park and sale of programmes, organising the PA system and in many other ways. They know who they are – thank you to all of you.

The Parish Plan Steering Group will now discuss what we did right and what we did wrong, or what we didn’t do but should have done and vice versa, and whether to stage something like it again, and how frequently. Everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves, in whatever capacity, so please watch this space about what happens next!

If YOU have any comments to make about the Festival, please let the parish office know. We’d like your views, please, as it’s a community event and we want to make it better in future.