The harvest supper at the Coronation Hall, c.1980.
Local farmers Joe Spencer, Bob Spencer and Harry Smith had the honour of
carving the meat.
Harvest is the culmination of the agricultural year and its successful end has been celebrated for millennia. A celebratory harvest
supper, comprising boiled beef and plum pudding, was at one time given by each
farmer for their workers, after the back-breaking slog of harvest was completed.
The prevalence of the harvest supper had declined by the 20th
century. Harvest was now more mechanised, thanks to the Industrial Revolution,
and a large and willing labour force was no longer necessary.
In the 1960s, perhaps inspired by the memories of intermittent
suppers recalled by the older folk, the Village Hall Committee arranged a harvest supper for
the village. The traditional fare of cold roast meat and puddings was cooked in
the villagers' kitchens. The local farmers had the honour of carving the meat.
The harvest supper is still an
annual event today, and its format has not changed.
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