In the early 1950s a funfair was an annual three or four day event on the village green. There were roundabouts, swing-boats, coconut shies, shooting booths and a helter-skelter. The two copper beeches which now dominate the green were still quite small 58 years ago and the various amusements were grouped around the stocks with the showpeople's caravans and lorries behind. This was quite a major event in the village and it was not unknown for young men to use it as an excuse for a Saturday lunchtime drink or two more than was usual. The challenge thereafter was to keep pulling vigorously on the swingboat ropes to prevent the showman bringing the "boat" to rest with the long bar that rested on his shoulder!
Ann and Olivia Wootton pushed by their mother Margaret.
Olivia Wootton
L to R ? Broughton, Ann Wootton, Barbara Goodwin,
Olivia Wootton, Patricia Golby
Ann Wootton on the tricycle with Ronnie Wintersgill behind.
These pictures are amongst a personal collection kindly loaned by Ann Argent and Olivia Davies. Ann and Olivia are the daughters of Bill and Margaret Wootton who lived in Spinners' Cottages opposite the village green. The two girls were married in the village and left in the late sixties. Bill and Margaret moved to Milton Keynes in 1976. Bill died in 1982 and Margaret in 2000. Bill's love of flying led him to join the RAFVR just before the outbreak of the Second World War. He crash landed during a bombing raid over Germany in 1940 and spent five years as a prisoner-of-war. His life was a remarkable one and his daughters have provided some wonderful photos and accounts which will form a future article on this website.
Ann (on the right) and Olivia at Spinners' Cottages
Ann Wootton and father Bill on the occasion of her wedding
at Sulgrave Church to Graham Argent of
The Thatched House,
Sulgrave - 18th March 1967
Olivia Wootton and her father Bill on the occasion of her
wedding at Sulgrave Church to Chuck Turner
21st February 1970
Some more photographs of Graham and Ann's wedding....
L to R, Mrs Argent, Tony Parker (best man), Jennifer Argent, Harry Argent,
Graham and Ann, Olivia Wootton, Margaret Wootton, Bill Wootton.
L to R, Jennifer Argent, Graham and Ann, Olivia Wootton,
Tony Parker (best man).
Reception at The Thatched House Hotel, Sulgrave
A few school photographs....
Back row L to R, Barbara Goodwin, Jennifer Cohen, Sheila Goodwin,
Carol Munro, Anne Belcher. Front row L to R, Doreen Belcher, Ann
Wootton, Patricia Golby, Pamela Somerton, Julie Somerton.
Maypole dancing in the Vicarage gardens, early fifties.
Country dancing at the School, early fifties. Head teacher
Miss Victoria Cave (later Mrs Stirrat) on the left. Olivia Wootton on
right of the arch with Patricia Golby behind her. Ann Wootton (l)
and Barbara Goodwin (r) about to go through the arch.
Seated (in hat) Miss Cartwright of "Threeways" with Muriel Salisbury to her
left.
One of a series of photographs of a British Legion children's Christmas party
in the early fifties.
The next few very rare photographs are of the children sitting down to eat in the School at one of the British Legion's famous Christmas parties in the early fifties....
Jennifer Cohen and Sheila Goodwin in centre of picture.
Barbara Goodwin and Carol Munro
Olivia takes a donkey ride led by Mark Moore and watched by sister Ann.
The Grafton Hunt in Sulgrave in the early fifties.
These images will ultimately be added to the webpages devoted to "Sulgrave - 130 Years in Photographs".