Features
and Reviews
A fine weathered
Fair for the Gooseberry Pie
Any threatening heavy
showers were totally blown away as the veteran Paignton to Dartmouth
train steamed into Churston bringing the large Gooseberry Pie
made in Paignton by Halletts the Bakers. |
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| Waiting crowds watched as Cadets Luke,
Andrew, Chris and Paul from the Britannia Naval College collected
the Pie ready to parade down to the village of Galmpton in glorious
sunshine. |
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| Leading the procession members of the
City of Exeter Pipe and Drums were followed by Town Crier Les
Ellis with this year's Galmpton Stars Coral and James on either
side. Lieutenant Jim Correia escorted the Gooseberry Pie into
the village until it came to rest at the Manor Inn; where he cut
the Pie and declared the Fair officially open. |
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Just before the Pie was cut the Rev Ian Blyde arrived after
a busy morning in Kingswear to bless the Pie and once again had
personally written a poem for 2008: |
Oh
Lord enthroned in Highest Heaven,
Bless
us here in Galmpton Devon,
Bless
this Pie with Thy great favour,
That
we may praise Thee as we savour,
Fruit
and pastry and clotted cream,
Not
as in a wondrous dream,
But
in Thy presence at this time
May
we know that all good is Thine.
Amen |
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| Lieutenant Correia also presented the
Galmpton Stars with their silver salver gifts to celebrate being
apart of the occasion, whilst the lieutenant received Champaign,
as he and his wife ad just celebrated their wedding anniversary.
The little Gooseberries from the local Galmpton Primary School
were dressed for the occasion and followed the pie from the station
with parents who watched the opening and then joined the line
of people keen to test the Pie! |
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| The Fair was well underway as the Pie
was sampled by Les, Rev Ian and the cadets who carried it, with
many stalls including the Brixham and Paignton Lions, Punch and
Judy and Brixham Army Cadets encouraging anyone to have ago on
their dunking stool. Around the village others provided activities
with the Barn Church offering musical interludes, an art exhibition
in the village Hall and small steam engines on display for enthusiasts. |
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| Celtic Band ‘The Barnacles' offered
live music while everyone enjoyed the Pie and the Rev Ian Blyde
said afterwards, “I am just thankful that it was such a glorious
day after setting out in the heavy rain this morning in my coat!” |
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| Town Crier Les Ellis who welcomed everyone
to the village of Galmpton said that it was once known as Galmptona,
which is the name recorded in the Doomsday Book. Indeed the first
known Fair can be traced back to an old a rhyme, “In eighteen
hundred and seventy three, the people of Galmpton did agree, to
hold a Gooseberry Pie Fair.” |
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However records show it is probably a much older
event. With the Fair held sporadically throughout the 20th century,
the present street fair began in 1995, offering an ‘afternoon
of fun for the village' and allowing fund raising activities for
local charities, yet to this day, no one seems to know, why gooseberries
were the chosen fare? |
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Features
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