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Leisure Activities

	Arts and Crafts
	Fun and Games
	The Flower Show

Arts and Crafts

St Mary Bourne is living proof that creativity does not depend on a hot-house urban environment but can flourish & thrive in the countryside. Drama, music, dance, visual arts and original design are all features of life in the parish demonstrated by regular performances by Priors Players theatre group, annual art exhibitions at Derry Down, concerts, and other musical entertainments. Craftwork which can be commissioned locally ranges from wrought ironwork by F B Mew & Sons, the St Mary Bourne blacksmith, to more fragile confections of pottery, glass engraving, and couture hats made professionally by local craftsmen. During the 1990s, members of the parish - male and female - joined together in a project to replace the worn out kneelers in St Peter's Church by embroidering new ones. The range of designs executed shows the diversity of interests and creative talents in the area.

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Fun and Games

A variety of organised and disorganised fun & games happens in St Mary Bourne. Whilst some events, such as the bloodthirsty Shinty match which used to be played on the road between Stoke and St Mary Bourne on Boxing Day, have passed into legend, others have emerged - Volley Ball tournaments, Half Marathons, Tennis Tournaments, etc - with participants keen to display their competitive talents. Challenging inter- village activities such as Tugs of War and Beer Races still attract local enthusiasts but the strenuous training and lengthy recovery periods involved means these are usually limited to Jubilees or special fund-raising events. The married v singles football match has now a regular Boxing Day place in the calendar and duck races are a regular summer occurrence when the Bourne flows.

Youth cricket training sessions were started in summer 2001 to train new talent for village cricket teams in the future. The St Mary Bourne club runs both a Saturday and Sunday side. St Mary Bourne football team starts its new season in September restricted to local residents only.

In 2004 the long-awaited plan to develop the Old Bowling Green into a new sports and leisure area took a step forward and the new Games Area with tennis court, teen shelter and under cover picnic table opened in December that year.

In the local pubs, drinking remains a popular leisure pursuit which is sometimes interrupted by quizzes, theme nights, darts, and games of pool. Eating out has developed during the last 50 years so sometimes space in pubs has been turned into dining areas or function rooms to replace skittle alleys, or corners where cribbage, nine pins or dominoes could be played. The closure of the Hurdlers Arms at Binley was an occasion of great sadness for many local sporting enthusiasts.

Traditional country sports such as shooting, hunting and fishing are appreciated by many people in the Parish alongside other outdoor pursuits such as walking, riding, and bird watching. Clay pigeon shoots also disturb the peace, usually in aid of good causes.

The area also seems to attract racing enthusiasts. Some intrepid Formula 3 drivers compete on local tracks. Runners and bicyclists are regularly seen puffing and pedalling along local roads. Racehorses and greyhounds are owned by some residents and, on the last Saturday in July, tortoise racing is a special attraction at the Flower Show & Fête.

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The Flower Show

The St Mary Bourne and District Horticultural Show, to give it its full title, is held usually on the last Saturday in July on the Recreation Ground. It is often blessed with good weather, too good on occasions, for if you wish to see the horticultural exhibition in the marquee you must be prepared for a hot time.

Sadly, the number of exhibits is not as great as in earlier years. 1952 saw a show with 637 exhibits. However, the competition remains fierce, and the auction of exhibits at the end of the afternoon not only raises more funds for local charities but also adds to the enjoyment of the day.

An observer at the show will see groups of friends greeting each other, after having had their cars carefully parked by the army cadets. Stalls do good business, the temptation on some stalls to sell goods before the official start time being hard to resist.

The Flower Show remains so popular because it still retains its original aim: A happy day out at a modest cost.

Very sadly Lt Col GFP Williams, the 'Voice of St Mary Bourne', died suddenly and unexpectedly in April 2002. Freddie was the Flower Show Announcer for decades, and his voice, 'Spend, spend, spend...', and his unforgettable tortoise race commentary will be greatly missed by all.

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This page was last edited on 15 Jul 2009