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The Chertsey Chamber of Commerce Linking Local Business |
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GOOSE FAIR |
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Chertsey's Goose Fair
Saturday 8th December 2011 10am to 3pm Guildford Street, Chertsey KT16 9AL
Some Photos of our 2011 & 2010 Events
To book: Please fill in the booking form and send with a copy of your public liability insurance, a copy of your charities permission letter, food hygiene certificate, if applicable, etc, and payment. Please note that all information must be provided on application and stalls applications will not be accepted unless this is done. All information about your stall allocation and the fair will be sent out a few days prior to the event.
Stall applications: Charities: Please note that the charity fee is for stalls that are fundraising solely for the given charity. It is not for those who give a percentage of their profit to charity. Young Enterprise can also book at the charitable rate. Also, please accept our apologies but we will only allow a couple of tombola stalls and would encourage all charities to think of another way to fund raise on the day, as we wish to provide a great Christmas community event for the town. If you wish to have a tombola stall please email the organisers prior to booking. Traders: All those who sell locally produced art, crafts, food gifts, etc, no hot food sellers. Please email the Chertsey Chamber of Commerce if you are not sure whether or not you will be allowed to apply. Provision: You are provided with a 3m x 3m space on Guildford Street, this is enough space for one standard gazebo, if you need more space please book multiple spaces. You will have to provide your own gazebo, adequate gazebo weights, tables and equipment. I am sorry but there is no electricity available at this time. Bookings for our 2012 event will be taken from March. Please click here for the booking form.
Short History of the Goose Fair The tradition of Chertsey's Goose Fair dates back many years in the town and was one of the oldest fairs in the country. The Abbot of Chertsey was granted the right by Henry III to hold an annual Goose Fair as long ago as 1249 and this was held for almost 700 years, right up to the start of the Second World War. Over that time, the fair would play an important part in the local community. In the early days geese would be driven through the town before being sold and one would be cooked to feed the revelers at the fair. In 1794 it took a slightly darker turn when the fair became a 'place for the hiring of servants of both sexes and also for the sale of geese, onions, hogs, horses and toys,' according to records from the period. By 1804 it was known as The Onion Fair, with the vegetables being brought mainly from Reading to be sold at the market. It was mentioned in Kelly's Directory of 1938 as being for 'general purposes'. The fair was revived around 20 years ago but was scrapped in the 1990s. It is now being revived once again!
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