It is not everyday that a minor disaster, in a small church, in a small village, barely three miles south of Chester, starts a tradition that has been going strong now for 138 years. On Sunday January 1873 part of the roof of the brick building of the 1736 church in Christleton collapsed and some of the congregation were covered with snow. Canon Garnett used the opportunity and his influence to ha
ve a substantial rebuild of the nave and chancel. He instigated many fund raising and social activities in the village and by 1875 held the first Fête in the large gardens of the Old Rectory. Money raised was to fund the repair of the church and whatever other good ‘cause’ he thought fit – and so the Fête started. Held almost every year since, the basic formula has barely been tampered with. The Parade from the Village Green has started at 1pm on the last Saturday in June for as long as anybody can remember. Villagers of all ages walk dressed in a fine array of fancy dress, to the Primary School Playing Fields. Virtually every local organisation and voluntary group in the area man a series of gazeboes encircling the central arena with a stage at one end for those acts that cannot work on grass! Burgers, beer, ice cream, sweets, arts and crafts, tug of war, music, games, book stalls, raffles, donkey rides, local displays; exotic foods, there's almost too much to mention. The arena holds a series of events, alternating with those on the stage and it all builds to a final crescendo when the multi prize raffle is drawn at 4-30 pm. Money raised is ploughed straight back into the community. Over twenty local groups receive sums ranging from £50 to over £300 every year. Playgroups have built shelters, Scouts have bought tents, Brownies have been sent camping, tools have been purchased to make the village look neater, the Pit Group (it's a big pond) have turned the pit’s unsightly wild area into a haven of peace and tranquillity, a children’s’ playground has been built, kit for footballers and cricketers have all been purchased, and countless other projects have benefited.
