Borden Fete is revived 2013
After an absent of 40 years, the sun shone and the wind blew!

Borden proved that the Fete is back, more than sixty stalls and activities drew the crowds who were entertained by ‘Wicked Belly Morris’, Medway model flying club, a children’s fancy Dress completion, a Knobbly knees completion, Face Values Band and Swale dog training.

Fete Chairman Councillor Nicholas Hampshire welcomed Alf and Pat Tilbee who met fifty two years ago at Borden Fete and will celebrate fifty years of marriage in a service at Borden Church in August.
Traditional stalls, included candy floss, cakes, hook a duck, hoopla, plants, tombola, crafts , guess the weight of a cake, name the teddy and count the sweets in a jar, books and ‘Bric a brac’.

A variety of refreshments was supplied including a hog roast, traditional beers, Caribbean chicken and rice, hot and iced drinks.

Exotic animals, a falcon and small steam engines were on display.
Have ‘a go’ activities included: go carts, a carousel and bouncy castle, cricket, badminton, and football, bowls, flower arranging, face and nail painting and tattoos.
Local business showcased their wares such as window and carpet cleaning, crafted pens, fishing tackle, children’s toys, pickles and honey.

Charities and organisations who who benefited from the day include: PDSA, Friends of Borden Church, Friends of Borden School, Macmillan Cancer Care, Cancer Research, Borden Heritage Group, Borden Church, Borden Cricket club, Borden Football club and Sittingbourne Christmas Lights association, Borden Horticultural Association, Borden WI, MS society, Crohn’s and Colitis, Scouting, Guiding in Uganda, Borden Pre School, Swale Lions, Shane Alderman Trust, Demelza, and Borden Fete committee. 

Marjorie Barratt nee Sherlock’s Memories of the fete.

I remember Fetes in the 1930’s.

In the 1950’s Borden Fete was held annually on a Saturday in August in Hinges field and the whole village turned out.There were various races and competitions, bowling for a pig, wonky bike rides, coconut shy, egg and spoon race, three legged race, sack race, men’s and women’s races and a game of rounders. For the wild flower competition we collected a bunch of wild flowers the day before and put them in a jam jar.One year my daughter Anne and her friend Marion won the children’s fancy dress competition dressed as the ‘Bisto Kids’.The ‘Dagenham Girl Pipers’ played some years and we also had swing boats.The highlight of the afternoon was the maypole dancing, usually two performances. The girls wore white dresses with red or blue sashes tied in a large bow at the back. The boys wore smocks and red kerchiefs. The music was provided by a windup gramophone with a large horn. The maypole was decorated with a large bunch of flowers on the top. In the early years Mr. Bishop, who lived in Wises Lane, gave each boy and girl who danced, a shilling and a glass of lemonade with a biscuit. One year my son David won a dinner service in the raffle.

The Fete was held on the Playstool when Hinges field was taken over for housing.
It was something to look forward to every year and enjoyed by all.

Happy days. 

Below are photos from past fetes.