History
In the 1920's and right up to the war years Aston had a annual get together known as the Aston Feast held in the field at the top of Aston Hill now the Town End Shops.
The feast was a time when families would get together visiting the family home which would have had it's second spring clean of the year.
The family pig would have been killed, pork pies made and cakes baked for the coming event.
The feast was celebrated in late September to coincide with Harvest Festival and the school would be closed for the Feast's 3 day event and as one entered the field they would be met by the sweet & coconut stall with a huge pile of coconuts. Then rows of brandy snaps, large squares of pink and white coconut and huge coloured jellies coated in sugar all ran by Mrs Smith who also kept an eye on the swings which had been put up earlier.
Next came the Rifle Ranger and Coconut Shies, followed by the Darts & Peep Show and possibly a Fire Eater or Boxing Midgets, a Juggler or Snake Charmer.
The food stall would have been the PEA - STALL where you could get a basin of mushy peas and vinegarfor 2nd, (tupence old money). All these stalls where arrange around the travelling fair with it's roundabouts and hoop-la stalls.
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The lady who lived at that time at the corner of Aughton Lane would do teas for people visiting the Feast and if they came by bicycle she would allow them to park them in her yard for safety, and of course a small fee. Others would arrive by bus which turned round at the terminus at Aston Town End, in front of her house.
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Happy carefree days all came to an end with the start of the war because of the lack of manpower, rationing of oil & petrol and the BLACKOUT was in force.
