May 2019

It’s about 1910 and a parade is moving up Church Lane. People are standing at their doors and gates to watch as a large troop of children accompany this float. Looking carefully we see that it carries a “Punch & Judy” booth and Punch is already in the booth with his stick (see insert lower left). Punch and Judy shows have a long history and were very popular until about 50 years ago. However, the high level of violence between the puppets would not suit modern tastes! Parades like this were an important part of village life both during Feast week and for hospital fundraising events.