1979 Village Day

Click Village Day for list of occasions

Advert in Hallmark for Village Day 1979

Here we are then, as promised, a Village Day edition. It seems impossible that it is two years since our last great day but that is how time flies by. Before you write to tell us we know that the cover drawing is the same as we used two years ago, except of course the date, note that July 1st. But we use it purposely to remind readers that the winner of the floats in the Grand Parade was the Loosley Row Baptist Chapel with ‘The Old Women in a Shoe’ mounted on a donkey and cart - simple but effective. So are you ready with your float, there is still time, individuals as well as organisations can enter, and it doesn't even have to be mechanised or even your car or bike decorated, anything to swell the Grand Parade that assembles at 'The Whip' at 10.30 am. In this edition you will find the events, times and venues of all the day long activity but first a word from the Village Day Committee, Chairman Mike Piercy:

"This year is the third time that Lacey Green and Loosley Row has celebrated its biennial village day - let's hope that the weather makes us third time lucky! We have built on the successes of the previous years and we have concentrated particularly on providing attractions for the children. There are traditional events such as Punch and Judy, magic shows and a roundabout for smaller kids, though to the modern rough and tumble of the inflatable ball crawl. Kiln Lane has been closed off to provide an area for childrens activities such as face painting and games: and to finish off the afternoon there's a mystery treasure hunt around Church Lane.

We have, of course, catered for the grown ups too, and you'll find a range of stalls and sideshows throughout the village and the more intrepid amongst us can take a hot air balloon ride to see Lacey Green from on hight. I imagine that this will be a spectacular sight from on high. There are also a number of itinerant sellers wandering the village and you may be accosted by a French onion seller or a newsboy selling the school's special village day newspaper.

Parking for visitors will be available in the small field on the main road near the windmill and at the Palmer & Harvey site in Church Lane. We would obviously be grateful if residents could avoid parking their own cars in the centre of the village during the festivities.

We have planned that the major events will flow from one end of the village to the other, starting at 'The Whip', moving down to the school, back to The Whip after lunch and then finishing up back in the centre. Hopefully this plan will involve the whole village without requiring you to walk too far to see everything.

This will, of course, mean that you have plenty of energy left for the dance in the evening. We have a live band who specialise in good time music that will get all ages dancing - we're hoping to get everybody onto the dance floor at some time or another, from teenagers through to their parents and grandparents! There's a meal included in the very reasonable price of £5 a head, and we are running a cash bar with beer and wines.

Finally, an appeal for helpers. We still need lots of people to assist us with the preparations on the Friday evening and with some events on the Saturday. So if you have frequently said to yourself "I must get more involved with the village" there has never been a better chance. So if you can spare a few hours to put up bunting or help run a stall - then please give me a ring on Princes Risborough 4021 and meet a few more people"!

Editor's Note

When we look back on the last two Village Days as memorable, enjoyable days, but for a small handful of workers they were sheer hell and physical exhaustion; many hands make light work.