Anyway; the forecast was absolutely dreadful for the Feast this year, but during the week it gradually improved, and this was the scene outside my bedroom window at 8:45 this morning: little train duly installed and people trying to hold down bits of awning in a stiff breeze...
There were two parades this year. The 39 Engineer Regiment are moving to the north of Scotland soon as part of MOD reorganisation and the base is to be closed; so they had a separate march through the village...
... preceded by the Royal Engineers regimental band who were tremendous.
There was a lot of applause...
We'll miss them. There have been a lot of jokes at the army's expense about the chip shop and Chinese takeaway closing; but there's more than a grain of truth! When they're not deployed, they also provide great support at this sort of community event.
Their attitude to a coconut shy is obviously slightly different from the average civilian's, for example.
Between the parades, there was wood-roasted pizza, and then knitting; Jackie, Frances and I knitted along to Waterbeach Brass... There's very little more civilised than knitting while listening to a good brass band on a mostly sunny summer afternoon.
So, then, for the second half of the parading festivities: Majorettes! In this case, the Soham Fenlander Majorettes, celebrating their 25th year.
The parade and stalls theme this year was Something beginning with F. Whoever started that series was genius; they can just sit back for at least another 15 years, even if they need to combine some letters!
So we had France - no stereotypes there, obviously.
The child in the cardboard Eiffel Tower reminds me of Scout in To kill a mockingbird dressed as a ham for her school pageant. Hopefully she had a happier end to the day.
Then we had Farms
Flowers
Fireworks - I was rooting for this one to win best float (it didn't)
more Flowers - and waves at friend Chris with little Robert on his shoulders!
Flags - any flags, although obviously with the JubiEuroLympic summer, there were a lot of Union flags around.
And then Family - the army families in particular. Lots of them; many in T-shirts with their serving family member's name embroidered on them, which is a great alternative to scribbling your mobile no. on the back of your kid's festival wristband...
The lady with the sash was saying "Goodbye; thanks for having us"; the banner behind her just says "goodbye"... the Feast procession is usually quite emotional, but this year particularly so.
However, to cheer us up, the local chapter of the Society for Creative Anachronism - I see these guys fighting on the Green on Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons sometimes...
Let's have another view; yes, the guy at the back is in a full metal breastplate on a summer afternoon.
And then finally; before Waterbeach Brass resumed their set, the Royal Engineers band was back to play us a selection of disco classics, including YMCA, Staying alive and How deep is your love.
As ever at the Feast, surreality, we haz it. Things not depicted: synchronised beating-people-up the army PT way, Jazzercise, belly-dancing and more majorettes (purple-clad, this time...)
And it didn't rain...
4 comments:
Looks amazing and so pleased about the "no rain" bit.
It all looks fabulous and (almost) makes me wish I still lived in a village!
This is the sort of thing I miss in London. We get all the parades but there's so many people you can't see unless you get there 12 hours early. Adore the coconut shy!
Just the most charming day, captured beautifully. Thanks for having me (as an interloper from Cambridge).
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