For over 20 years we have been running a village Funday, pitting areas of the village against each other in various challenges involving water, eggs, flour, tractor inner tubes, dressing up in silly costumes and all loosely themed around a topical event of the time e.g. World Cups, Royal weddings, Olympics etc
The list of teams can be found below and is organised by street/colour. Around June each year the community becomes very passionate, patriotic and competitive rallying around their team colour with their neighbours, and extended families making up the teams.
Games are devised by the playing fields trustees and the sillier and more absurd the better, especially if the kids (and adults) get wet or covered in flour or eggs!
To keep order we have a Funday referee, who for many years was our very own Geoff "the Ref” Smith, until his recent retirement and now we have guest referees to manage the chaos and follow in Geoff’s footsteps.
There is a lot of cheating, some very strange sights, and lots of laughs, as teams charge about the playing field, tackling challenges to gain points towards achieving the status of Funday champions!
One of the highlights of Funday, and a right of passage for many village youngsters, is the annual Kiddy Kurling Cup! This involves a lot of water, loads of washing up liquid, a slippy tarpaulin and a gaggle of excited children who compete for the most sought after trophy of our community. Competition is fierce and only the brave and most fearless take home the accolades and bragging rights to school on the following Monday as Kiddy Kurling Cup champion!
Funday Teams
Red – Backlands Hill
Chapel Hill, St Peters Close, Water Lane, Laurel Close, Wayside, Dairymede, Monkton Way
Green – Parslows
Flowers Bottom Lane, Highwood Bottom, Grubbins Lane, Hill Side, Turnip End, Slad Lane
Yellow – Around the Village
Archway, Moses Plat Lane, Studridge Lane, Cherry Tree Close
Blue – Hampden Road
Hampden Road, Cornerways, Woodview Drive, Hampden Gate
White – Abbotswood
Coleheath Bottom, Abbotswood, Cottage Farm Way, Spring Coppice Lane
Orange – North Dean
North Dean Village