Did you know that the town's market and trading area was once in front of The Chequers Inn on the upper part of Tonbridge High Street, and did you also know that it was here the annual Town Fair was held.
It made sense as the road was at it's widest at this point, and this could accommodate a good sized crowd.
After the Town Taster day I threw myself into a little research on previous fairs and market trading in Tonbridge, and I came across this piece from Neve's 'The Tonbridge of Yesterday' describing the town fair c1873, and the abolishment of the annual celebration by who we would now call the town council.
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| Shared by Tonbridge Historical Society Pictorial Collection No. 14B.104 |
I've copied it out below and it makes really interesting reading. Not quite sure why a Zulu came to Tonbridge though:-
'On the day of the Fair cheap toys, hokey-pokey, gingerbread, sweets (especially big peppermint humbugs) and other fairings were exposed on the stalls which made their appearance, chiefly on the west side of the High Street, between Mr L.M. Wibner (now Clarke and Coleman), and a point just below the Chequers, and also in the open space below the Town Hall (now Nat West Bank).
One or two stalls may occasionally have been seen on the east side, between the Charlton Cafe (now The Slug & Lettuce) and Swan Lane (East Street), and a shooting gallery and a primitive form of camera obscura near the Town Hall. Castle Square was given up to swings, roundabouts, Aunt Sallies, and similar attractions.
In later years the side shows diminished in number and deteriorated in quality: a fat woman and a Zulu with particularly repulsive habits, are specimens of what was good enough for those who patronized the Tonbridge Fair.
Some of the local tradesmen no doubt took a little extra money on Fair Day. Mr. Dutnall, for instance, used to clear his confectioners window of all his ordinary stock and exhibit a huge mountain of gingerbread biscuits which were regularly cleared out before evening.
The local justices resolved that the abolition of the Annual Fair would be for the convenience and advantage of the public.'
I still do wonder about that Zulu!!!!!!!
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