Church Fete at St Lawrence Parish Church Eastcote

St Lawrence Parish Church, Bridle Road c1955
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Morris dancers were often asked to provide entertainment at church fetes in the Harrow area in the 1980's. On one occasion the Whitethorn Morris dancers and their Whitethorn Band were booked to entertain at a fete run by St Lawrence Church in Eastcote. I remember this occasion well as at that time I was the band leader and our noisy drumming spooked the pony and trap rides at their fete.

Every summer we would have half a dozen or so village or church fete bookings but this particular event at St Lawrence Church was one of the best attended. Usually fete organisers made a donation to cover our expenses but on this occasion the lovely people at the church also provided our dancers and musicians with a strawberry and cream tea!  

I remember playing my 48 button red Hohner piano accordian and really enjoyed performing lively dance tunes including jigs and polkas for the Whitethorn Morris dancers.

Back in the 1950's I went to the nearby Pinner Grammar School and the irony is that I was not considered bright enough to do "GCE O Level" music but yet here I was playing in public all these years later just a mile from my old school. It would have been so lovely if my old music school teacher Mr Stoupe could have seen and heard me. He would have been truly surprised!