Stowupland Flower Show and Fete at Stowupland Hall
The fete started in the 1880’s, being originally termed Stowupland Cottagers’ Show. The second year of he show, 1887, Mr H.F. Harwood gave permission for it to be held in the grounds of Stowupland Hall, and he opened up the hall gardens and orchards for the villagers to enjoy. It was usually held on a Tuesday in late July or early August and local employers gave their workers a 1/2 day off to enjoy the show. Although we don’t have a date for the 1887 show it may have been a few weeks after Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee (20th June, 1887).
In the mid 1960s the decsion was taken to hold the fete in Stowupland Village Hall, instead of in the grounds of Stowupland Hall.
Part of the press report on the first Stowupland Cottager’s show which was held 1886. It was held in the local school and credit for organising it was given to Mr Howard from Grange Farm. (Suffolk Mercury: 13 August 1886}.
In 1893 a concert was held in the school to raise funds towards the costs of putting on The Cottager’s Show. The report concluded that a sum of between £3 and £4 had been raised. {1893 Bury Free Press}
Between the 1890s and 1960s the show was held in the grounds of Stowupland Hall.
The show had began as a fruit, vegetable and flower show. Then in 1889, traveling show people added entertainments to the displays of local produce. The first was Mrs Jarley’s Wax works.
It had a break for a few years during WW2 before resuming in the late 1940s. And then in the 1960’s it moved along the road to the Village Hall.
After 1903 there was a break for several years until 1912 when a working committee was formed chaired by the local elementary school’s head teacher, Mr A. Bramhall.
Barkers are still going. They started with steam powered rides, progressing to electric powered rides and ‘electric leaping horses.
In this 1914 image Stowupland Hall can be seen behind the crowd waiting behind the roped off arena.
Newspaper report on the 1914 Stowupland Flower Show {Evening Star: 22 July 1914}.
For many years the show was very successful. Many local people, including school children, competed in the myriad of produce and craft sections as well as participating in the sports events. In addition each year the organising committee booked diverse entertainments for people to see.
However in 1935 the committee decided not to hold the show because the previous year had seen a poor turn out. But it was held again in 1936 and was deemed a success.
Intriguingly the SFSF minute book shows the organising committee held regular meetings up to July 6th, 1939 but then there is a gap in the record till April 1950.
There was a break following the outbreak of WW2 but it resumed by 1948, which was deemed a very successful fete.
However by the 1960’s the show was struggling to be profitable and the decision was made in 1965 to scale down and move along the road to the Village Hall.
Read a A brief history of Stowupland Flower Show and fete (Neil Langridge 2018).
Read Eric Noy ‘s memories of the fete.
Pictured here is the fancy dress parade he took part in on his donkey called ‘Libby’ after the Liberator bombers. Stowupland Hall can be seen in the background.
As the programme says in 1939 the 46th Flower Show was combined with the 57th Annual Stowmarket and Central Suffolk Farmers Club Show on Saturday 15th July
In 2020 Roger Lark (son of Rev Lark) shared his memories by email of the fete, “another fond memory is helping to run the clay pigeon shoot at the flower show as run by a farmer think it was Barker he has a collection of vintage tractors. Was paid £1 10s a bottle of tolly brown ale and fish and chips for tea, Happy days.“
A much reduced Flower and Craft fair still takes place in Holy Trinity Church and the Village Hall.
