59. St. Winnold's Fair Parade

For many centuries the horse fair was held. This started on St. Winnold's day and was one of the two largest horse fairs in Europe. Horses were brought and sold and some Continental Armies purchased some of their horses in Downham Market at St. Winnold's Fair. Many of the horses had been bred and reared on the Fens to the west of Downham Market. Every year for the last five years a Parade and Breakfast in the Town Hall is held to commemorate this event started in 1046. Douglas was one of the guests invited to attend this year. I dropped him off at the council rooms and then found a good spot to watch the parade. All the children from the local school had made horse shoes which they had decorated and as they lined the pavements on the route of the parade these horse shoes were waved in salute. Some of the members of the parade were dressed in period costume and all was very festive and happy. The local police stopped the traffic and as the dignitaries passed the children they stopped to chat to them and take a closer look at the decorated horse shoes.