Page 13 - Phonebox Magazine June 2006

Stoke Goldington Steam Rally and Country Fayre
Out and about with Geoff Baccus
There is an immense amount of fun to be had out of doors at this time of year and Olney is looking forward to Fiesta week at the end of the month. Now this year’s Fiesta has had to be a little truncated for want of man-power. An unfortunately small and diminishing committee simply could not muster sufficient forces to ensure a safe operation for the usual parade. I was myself among the season’s casualties and frankly feel I badly let the side down.
Now Fiesta is not the property of a small number of people, Fiesta belongs to you, the whole people of Olney. If you don’t take care of your own you will lose it altogether. Please everybody, please get along and take note of the life quality of the town’s ‘Biggest Annual Event’. Fiesta is Olney on show and it is up to you to ensure the show is worth showing, the quality of Fiesta has long shown Olney as a place apart from the rest. Once you have enjoyed yourselves then please determine to get along to this year’s AGM, join the committee and help next season’s events become grander than ever before. Service on the committee is immensely rewarding but it does call for a degree of commitment and after a few years an individual may find it necessary to withdraw to spend time doing other things. But it would be good if a few of the ‘old timers’ might rejoin fetching their expertise and experience.
One local event has just come and gone again until next year. The Stoke Goldington Steam Rally and Country Fayre has built a solid place in the local calendar. I wrote rather critically of the management of Steam Rally a couple of years ago because the event tended to attract two different view- points within the village. The southern half got most of the dirt and traffic jam while the committee mostly lived and held their meetings ‘up the other end’. But these differences are being addressed. Steam Rally is a whole lot more than just ancient coal munchers. Yes I’ve a picture of some steamers for you, the smaller ones are interesting because they show so much more than just road rollers; but also the country craft activities are always interesting and of course the youngsters enjoy the fun fair. The traders who set up stall for the rally weekend contrive to display a thousand thoroughly useful things which might be very hard to find elsewhere. And to please the villagers we also had a firework show and a battle of Britain fly past .
Back in Olney I had the good fortune to be among Mr Soul’s guests as he party-ed to mark the restoration of an incredible greenhouse which was built in 1904. The Olney Advertiser of 1908 carried a photograph of the craftsman, Mr W.T. Revitt and also carried his illustrative
advertisement. Here are two more up-to- date pictures for you. One quite naturally shows the excellent formidable construction and the other finds us looking at our own Walter (Mike) Revitt along with his Diane. So we have two Mr Revitts, yes they are father and son! Once rooted in Olney some clans have the good taste to stay put. d
W. T. Revitt
Mr & Mrs Revitt
Phonebox Magazine 13