Gary's views

Gary's weekly views

Each week an article by Gary has appeared in the Plympton Plymstock and Ivybridge News in South West Devon. The articles are published here

THE VILLAGE FAIR

Over the weekend I had to undertake one of the most difficult duties asked of any politician. TV interview? Press conference? Prime Minister’s Question Time? No, all those are a piece of cake in comparison. Our challenge was far greater. My wife and I had been asked to judge the children’s fancy dress at Sparkwell village annual fair.

Picture the scene. Thirty young faces looking up at you, dripping with eager anticipation, silently begging you to make their day. Each one looked magnificent in costumes that ranged from creative to spectacular, many of them self made. They were all winners in my book, but I knew that I was there not to bring joy to the few but disappointment to the many.

But the children are not the trouble, they will have forgotten by Sunday morning. No, it was the parents I feared. They stood beyond the lines of feathers and breeches and smiled knowingly at us as we strolled up and down the impressive column. But was it just me, or was there more than a hint of steely-eyed determination behind those relaxed faces? After all, they had poured hours of their lives into producing this magnificent display, and here we were about to ruin everything. We skilfully drifted further into the field to finalise our decision, hoping that not many could not lip read.

I turned to the organisers and tentatively enquired whether they had thirty prizes. No, only three, came the firm response. Make a decision.
It was the only troublesome moment in an otherwise enjoyable afternoon. The whole village had turned out for their annual shindig and even the weather behaved itself. The school children did a traditional dance around the Maypole, and the animals carved out of vegetables by local youngsters were truly impressive. The community constable was there, but there was no trouble.

It was a welcome reminder of the success of village life. All ages, all shapes, all backgrounds, mucking in together, having fun, whilst supporting good causes. Every place has its own challenges, but Sparkwell has a pub, a church, a school and a hall that all help to foster a great community atmosphere. Designers of neighbourhoods of the future should take note: small communities work best.

In the end, the pirate, the panda and the birthday cake were deserved winners, and Jan and I escaped without injury.

posted by Nigel on Tuesday, June 17, 2003