Events Around the Village
2026
Many thanks to contributors Ian Brooks, Ellen Chamberlain, Orla Jones, Jane Orchiston
2025 passed and 2026 strode manfully into view at the Royal Oak Reggae Reggae Caribbean Party, including some dodgy costumes and enthusiastic karaoke.
April's quiz in the hall raised money for the Recreation Association
A very good turnout at the fete enjoyed perfect weather, although it was too hot for the sheep
From Beccy Brown:
🌼 Winsford Fete 2026 – A Huge, Happy Thank You! 🌼
What a day! Once again, the wonderful people of Winsford rolled up their sleeves, worked their magic, and turned the recreation field into the perfect stage for our village fete. Under Sue’s expert guidance everything came together beautifully — on time and with plenty of laughs along the way.
Winsford really is a wonderfully generous village. So many of you gave your time, energy, and talents to make this year’s fete such a success — donating gifts, baking cakes, putting up and taking down marquees and gazebos, selling raffle and duck tickets, creating posters, and generally helping the whole event run with real charm and enthusiasm.
Visitors were full of praise too. One family, visiting from Blackpool and staying in Dulverton, described it as “a great afternoon in the most wonderful surroundings with a lovely atmosphere.” Local people echoed those sentiments, delighted by the traditional feel of the fete and its relaxed, friendly vibe and a couple from Watchet said it reminded them of the tv programme - Vicar of Dibley!
The fete truly caters for all generations. Children had a whale of a time with face painting, pop‑the‑balloon, duck racing and more, while adults enjoyed the chance to catch up, browse the stalls, pick up a bargain and soak up the sunshine over tea (or Pimms).
And the results speak for themselves: £5,700 raised for the village hall (note: this figure may alter slightly when everything is accounted for) and it just beat the 2025 record of £5620. Absolutely fantastic!
🎉 A Big Round of Applause for…
Richmond, Ian Brookes & Tony – our ever‑cheerful gate team. • Annalise & Sharon – for a cake stall almost too beautiful to touch. • Frazer and John – keeping the music, announcements and general flow perfectly on track. • Jane O & Karen – masters of the Pimms. • Orla & Martin – skittles experts. • Beverley, Amanda, Bryce & James – heroic tea and treat servers in the pavilion rush. • Jan & Tony – keeping stallholders topped up and smiling. • Penny – queen of the plant stall. • John & Chris – book stall maestros. • Zara, Chalie and Pauline – bric‑a‑brac battlers. • Catherine & Kirsty – fabulous fashion stall hosts. • Roy, Derek & Debbie (“Burnit & Singe”) – comedy legends of the barbecue. • Karen & friends – brilliant organisers and judges of the dog show. • Tim – ice cream hero. • Sue – creator of the wonderful treasure hunt. • Teresa & Paul – Tombola triumph. • Mike – poke‑a‑prize powerhouse. • Sammy and Charles – balloon‑popping and toy stall wizard. • Beau & Alex – break‑the‑china champions. • Anna & Suzy – face‑painting artists extraordinaire. • Sarah, Katherine & John – raffle stall stars. • Ellen & Hilary – ringmasters of the children’s races, bringing fun and laughter once again. • Ian & Lorna – brave souls of the duck race. • Bernard & Richmond – auctioneers with flair. • Tracey, Brenda & Jemima – hosts of the Church flower and produce tent. • Annalise, Callum & Debbie – heavy‑box haulers with hearts of gold.
And of course…
💪 The Three Muscleteers: Tom, Josh & Charles
Thank you for all the lifting, shifting, trailer‑towing and humour. You made the heavy work look easy.
Finally, a huge thank you to everyone who helped erect and dismantle the marquees and tents — truly no mean feat!