In preparation for this years festival, senior pupils at Chaddleworth and Shefford federated primary schools, had the chance to gain first hand experience in the art of bread making. This was an inter-parish project as pupils were from Chaddleworth, Shefford and East Garston.They first learned about growing and harvesting wheat from local farmer, Anthony Liddiard. Then former Shefford Master Baker, John Brittain, whose family baked bread for the Lambourn Valley and surrounding villages, for several generations, tutored the children on aspects of bread making. They learned about the importance of a successful harvest and its impact on plentiful supplies of bread, as well as the importance of bread to a healthy diet..

John recalled as a boy, helping to deliver on a bicycle, 7,000 loaves of bread a week to the Downland Villages, including the Lambourn Valley. His grandfather and great grandfather made deliveries in horse drawn carts. John and a colleague from bakery college days,Terry Alford, had baked Harvest Sheaves, a Harvest Plaque, Cottage Loaves and Hedgehogs, to illustrate the now, largely forgotten crafts of the bakery trade.

The children then, to their delight, in teams of three, wearing white aprons, and chefs hats, were taught to make harvest plait loaves. This was a competition and John presented a cup to the winners. The afternoon finished with a short service led by the Vicars of the three parishes – The Revds Nigel Sands, John Townend and Tony Cumberlidge to bless the bread. The cup was presented to the winners and the children went home, happily sampling the bread they had made. The sheaves, plaque and loaves were preserved to form part of Harvest Festival decorations at East Garston, Shefford, Chaddleworth, Leckhampstead and Fawley Churches.

Sunday the 21st of October and around a hundred adults and children in attendance for the annual Harvest Festival service, followed by a buffet lunch in the church, and a chance to take a good look at the wonderful decorations/displays that had been created within.

During the  final hymn, a collection was taken with the proceeds going to RABI - The Royal Agriculteral Benevolent Institute.

Seeing all this wonderful produce I am reminded of a section of verse from the John Betjeman poem about a lowly church mouse, it reads:- Christmas and Easter may be feasts For congregations and for priests, And so may Whitsun - All the same, They do not fill my meagre frame. For me the only feast at all Is Autumn's Harvest Festival. I sincerely hope our church mice enjoyed their time here as much as we did.

 

photos : Ken Tarbox
Text : Sally Wright : Ken Tarbox