Newton Jubilee Day

Newton Jubilee Day

Newton’s big day began with a service which saw every seat filled in the old and beautiful village church.

After which we moved to the village park where many tents had been erected in order to provide shelter for the fun on what looked to be a grey and stormy day.

I was asked to officially open the event by cutting a decorative cake, giving a short speech and then judging a series of competitions.  My colleague Cllr. Jonathan Farmer once astutely told me: “Never judge anything,” and I probably should have listened!  When you have a dozen anxious young faces hoping their cake is the best, or their royal-decorated bike, or their fancy dress competition, and you have to choose between them that is tough!

Unfortunately, the rain was pretty much relentless throughout the day. It stopped for an hour in which the children (and the adults on some occasions) enjoyed a sport’s day series of races; from straight sprints, to sack, to egg-and-spoon.  Lots of fun was had.  We even managed a tug-of-war which I was roped into (excuse the pun) despite knowing that tugs-of-war always leave me aching for days.  I am still aching now, two days later.

(That’s my son who came first in the sprint. Proud as punch Dad, me.)

Into the night and as the Hog began to Roast, the villagers moved their tents into a defensive Custer-like circle against the weather.  It worked.  The wine and beer began to flow, huge amounts of hot food were shared and the party got into full swing.

Though the rain did its abject best to drown the festivities out, it succeeded only in making the people merrier as they produced blankets to ward off the chill.  As the moon rose and it continued to pour, they (well, we, actually) danced rebelliously into the night.  And a great time was had by all.

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