I remember when we first moved here from our respective towns and were walking by the Village Green, people actually smiled and said Hello! I was shocked that just 6 years ago there were no yellow lines (sadly they have made an appearance). We have no less than 4 pubs, each one with a distinct identity... I love the village atmosphere, the pride people take in their gardens. We have a Horticultural Society, A Rural Preservation Society and various other committees.. Not bad for somewhere inside the M25 with a tube station.
One thing the village is well known for is its Scouts Annual Donkey Derby. People come from all over Essex and beyond to enjoy a great family day out. For the past couple of years we have headed over to the village green for some good old fashioned fun. This year was the 24th Donkey Derby and after the rain showers we have had all week we breathed a huge sigh of relief as the sun shone down.
There was plenty to do and eat - The coconut shy, smashing plates and lots, lots more. Homemade cakes for sale, BBQ food and the obligatory candy floss. Glamorous families descended on the green, looking like they had just stepped out of a The White Company brochure. Lots of designer handbags and sunglasses on display made this an event to rival The Essex Polo Cup held the day before.
Having written yesterday about being risk averse this event was a real challenge for me, I had to watch Aaron (3 years and 2 months!) having a go on bouncy castles, trampolines, bouncy obstacle courses and giant inflatable slides. He of course loved every minute, although he confessed that he had been scared at the top of the slide!
I thought it would be nice to share a few photos of the day
The Coconut Shy
He won!
The big slides - eeek!
The main event - Donkey Derby
Well done Aaron on your win! Sounds like a lovely village, and great day
ReplyDeleteGood shot Aaron. Keep it up.
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