FROM RURAL VILLAGE to MODERN SUBURB Eastcote and Ruislip Reflected in Festivities and Celebrations by Susan Toms
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
FROM RURAL VILLAGE TO MODERN SUBURB Eastcote and Ruislip reflected in Festivities and Celebrations by Susan Toms Throughout the centuries communities have The day finished with dancing, and a good celebrated communal events, whether they time was had by all, which was no doubt were local or national in origin. But the way helped by the barrel of beer donated by Mr these events were celebrated represented a Ewer. The total cost of this event was £56 mirror on that place. During the twentieth 16s., all of which was raised locally and century our part of Middlesex underwent an represented a huge effort for a small farming enormous transformation when small rural community where the population in 1901 villages like Ruislip and Eastcote became was approximately a thousand. bustling suburbs with all the modern Celebrations for the coronations of 1902 and amenities. By looking at how some national 1911 followed a similar pattern of assembling and local events were celebrated during the on the Manor Farm fields for a substantial first half of that century we have a snapshot tea, to be followed by games and races and of how our area has changed so dramatically. dancing. The reminiscences of James Frewin Although before the twentieth century, I shall of Sharps Lane recall the children grabbing start with Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee the cakes as soon as they sat down since they of 1897. The celebrations on the actual were unused to such large amounts of food. date of the Jubilee on the 20 June were very Two very popular games were chasing and low key locally. There was a special service catching a greased piglet and trying to reach at St Martin’s Church which was gaily a leg of mutton on a greased pole suspended decorated with flags both inside and over the Manor Farm Pond. Needless to say outside but nothing else was arranged. This most of the contestants ended up falling in was because in a predominately farming the water especially as some were the worst community the priority in the summer was the wear for drink from the barrel of beer the harvest, so the main celebrations for which was customarily donated. the majority of villagers were held several The opening of Ruislip Station in 1904 saw months later on the 9 September. the slow start of some limited housing On that day school children marched from development and more importantly the the Ruislip Church of England School in advent of day trippers from central London Eastcote Road to a cricket field ‘gaily seeking the delights of the countryside. They decorated with flags and Chinese lanterns’ possibly came to enjoy watching the Ruislip which was lent by H.J. Ewer. This field Sports Day, an annual event held between adjoined Manor Farm and is now St Martins 1906 and the 1920s, on the same Manor Farm Approach. There all the children and fields for a small admission price. The sports parishioners were served a free tea consisting included an egg and spoon race, climbing a of boiled and roast beef, mutton, ham, bread slippery pole and catching a greased pig. and butter with cakes and jam for the Although the sports were a light-hearted children. The food would have been a huge affair, contemporary photographs show treat for most families who were unable to formally dressed women looking very afford meat on a regular basis. This feast was serious as they participated in events like the followed by sports and games including egg and spoon race, and determined races where wives had to wheel their marathon runners (see Fig. 1) waiting to start husbands in a wheel barrow, and obstacle their race. The afternoon commenced with a races. Mrs H. Ewer distributed Jubilee mugs fancy dress parade and a procession through and fruit to the school children and prizes for the village so that all the community could the sports competitors. participate. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Ruislip, Northwood & Eastcote 36 Journal 2011 Local History Society Ruislip Day was commemorated every year until 1951. The programmes for 1950 and 1951 give an indication of how much time and effort the Ruislip Association must have spent on organising all the events. A special event in 1950 was the Miss Ruislip beauty contest which was held over five nights Monday to Friday at the Astoria Cinema, with the winner of each evening being chosen by the loudness of the applause of the audience. These winners went through to the Fig. 1 final competition and ultimate crowning on Ruislip Sports Day Marathon 1908 Ruislip Day at Manor Farm. In fact Manor Farm was the focal point for all the other Ruislip Day originates from the celebrations organised activities of folk dancing, variety to mark the handing over of Park Wood and concerts, dog show and old time dancing the Manor Farm site from King’s College to which reinforced its importance as a centre RNUDC on the 23 July 1932. This marked the for the community. culmination of a long campaign by the Ruislip Association to secure these areas for The 1951 events for Ruislip Day were more the benefit of all the residents before they ambitious because they were incorporated were swamped by the wave of development into the local Festival of Britain celebrations, across northwest London. A few far sighted although this project was certainly not people realised that this unregulated embraced with enthusiasm by everyone development would destroy the very when it was first suggested. This is indicated character of Ruislip which had attracted when the Advertiser and Gazette of the 23 residents to move there in the first place, and February 1951 bemoaned the fact that no active steps had to be taken to preserve it. local organisations had ‘made any This sentiment was echoed in The Journal of arrangements public’. A letter to the paper in the Royal Society of Arts which praised ‘the March from a disgruntled season ticket people of Ruislip, Eastcote and Northwood holder expressed concern that ‘in order to who have given a lead which might well be window dress the Inner Circle line for the followed all over the country’. The tone of the Festival of Britain – that flagrant waste of day was of a high minded public spirit with building material and public money,’ many the Advertiser and Gazette waxing lyrical ‘that Metropolitan line trains have been this ancient fairyland is to be retained by the transferred there and replaced by older people for ever.’ The celebrations included an rolling stock ‘fit only for a museum’. official handing over ceremony in Park Wood In contrast little opposition was expressed to attended by the Earl of Crawford and the face lift given to Northolt Airport for the Balcarres and Maynard Keynes, Bursar of Festival ‘to give visitors an agreeable first King’s College, followed by a tea in the Great impression of England’. In fact during the Barn at Manor Farm. There was Morris Festival the public enclosure at Northolt dancing, a production of the comedy Over the Airport was open every day for visitors to Garden Wall by the Ruislip Dramatic Society watch aircraft landing and taking off for the and, to finish the day, a campfire with princely sum of 6d for adults and 3d for community singing. Although some of these children. By May, when the local programme celebrations may seem homely and low key of events had started, the Advertiser and to us, they demonstrate that Ruislip was Gazette could report ‘in this area there is no certainly no longer a sleepy village but an lack of enthusiasm and support for the many expanding suburb where some residents activities with which every district is recognised the importance of preserving this identifying itself. This is in marked contrast village heritage. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Ruislip, Northwood & Eastcote 37 Journal 2011 Local History Society to a few localities where nothing is being have come to us in Festival year; sometimes done.’ we wonder what we have to be festive about’. Despite this pessimism the matches The first local Festival event, held on the were a great success and at the farewell party 27 April, was a public speaking contest the Chairman of the Amsterdam Cricket Club organised by the Ruislip Branch of the spoke of the ‘warmth of friendship and National Council of Women, at Ruislip hospitality, the generosity and the welcome’ Methodist Church. This was well attended that the team had experienced. and a wide range of topics were debated including ‘Psychology in Advertising’, The Ruislip and Eastcote scout groups ‘Cinema going restricts Freedom of Thought’ decided to revive their annual Sports Day on and ‘Women’s place in the Home’. the 16 June at King’s College Playing Fields (Incidentally, one of the members of the with a wide variety of events. The most winning team from St Martin’s Mothers challenging was a hike through the woods Union was Helen Hoare, who later while carrying 30lbs. of kit. Another scout bequeathed her local history scrapbooks to group in Northwood was very inventive the Society). when they erected a replica model of the famous skylon at over 50 ft. high at their fete This was followed the next day by a concert in Potter Street. of British music where the school hall was specially decorated with bunting and floral Another event was the Road Safety Gala and arrangements. Altogether throughout the Fun Fair in July which had the aim of trying Festival there were six musical events, all to reverse the increasing local accident rate. performed by different local groups, which With unfortunate timing on the same day as indicates the enthusiasm of the community to the gala there was an accident when the top be involved.