Bazaars and Garden Parties
Bazaars, garden parties, together with sales of work were an important, largely middle class, female activity, usually associated with church and chapel. The belief that all recreational activity should be of a moral and improving nature focused their time, dedication and energy towards charitable work and fundraising for missionaries or their church; however, some activities were not solely related to church and chapel: many raised funds for local causes or organisations.
In Tickhill, the Castle grounds, Sandrock House and The Friary were popular venues for such events, which offered an enjoyable day for all.
Bazaar at Tickhill Castle: July 8, 1909
On a glorious summer’s day in 1909, the grounds of Tickhill Castle were the venue for a bazaar to raise funds for the restoration of the exterior of St Mary’s Church. The Foljambe family of Osberton Hall in Nottinghamshire had been connected with the living of St Mary’s for many years, and it was, therefore appropriate that Lady Gertrude Foljambe, accompanied by her husband, the Hon. Francis Foljambe, perform the opening ceremony.
Tickhill ladies manned a variety of stalls including fancy goods, flowers, china, cakes, toys, sweets and refreshments, and entertainment was provided by Tickhill Choral Society, a quartet party from Doncaster and Deakin’s String Band, together with recitations and duologues.
The following year, the January issue of the Church Magazine reported that the money raised had paid towards the restoration of the South Porch.
Tickhill Conservative Club Bazaar & Garden Fete: July 7, 1910
Electioneering during the January 1910 General Election campaign had left a huge deficit in the funds of Tickhill Conservative Club: it was £40 in debt and money had to be raised ‘to place the Club on a sound financial basis’.
Several months later, a fund raising bazaar was held in the grounds of Tickhill Castle, the home of the Club Chairman, Sir Archibald White, and was opened by Mr Charles Whitworth, the recently defeated Conservative candidate for the Doncaster Division of the West Riding.
The event was well supported by the local gentry, together with Mrs G.H. Peake of Bawtry Hall, Mrs Skipworth of Loversall Hall and the Misses France-Hayhurst of Wilsic Hall, and attracted a large number of visitors. Lady members manned the stalls selling crockery, sweets, plain and fancy goods, toys, refreshments and ices. Mr Dyson and his concert party from Doncaster provided the musical entertainment, augmented by Tickhill Jubilee Brass Band and a drum and fife band; children under the direction of Mrs C Flowitt and Miss C West of Doncaster also entertained with songs and dances. The event proved to be very successful, raising between £80-£90 for Conservative Club funds.
Tickhill Cricket Club Bazaar & Garden Fete: July 7, 1921
By the end of the First World War, Tickhill Cricket Club was a well respected and celebrated club in the Doncaster area; however if it was to maintain this status, improvements needed to be made at its ground. The Club proposed to strengthen surrounding fences, and renovate and extend the pavilion, or – if finances allowed – rebuild it, to help raise funds for these improvements, a bazaar and garden fete was held in the grounds of The Friary on Thursday, July 7, 1921.
Admission to the event, which was extremely well attended, was one shilling and threepence; visitors arriving by car, motorcycle or bicycle could park their vehicles at nearby Friars Farm.
There were numerous attractions including a variety of stalls, a bran tub, decorated pram and cycle parades, skittles, croquet and fortune telling by palmist, Madame Jeannette Girondi. Cheese guessing and hat trimming were amongst 16 competitions on offer and a tennis tournament attracted competitors from miles away. Girls from The Grove School at Maltby gave a display of country dancing under the watchful eye of their teachers, the Misses Ellis. Musical entertainment was provided by Messrs Deakin & Son’s String Band, a pianolo and a gramophone. In the Tea Café, pastries, pies, custard, cream and ices were all on offer to tempt the appetite.
Sandrock Church Garden Fete
From the 1920s until the early post-war years, the beautiful gardens at Sandrock, the home of Mr & Mrs Hugh Brooksbank, provided the perfect setting for St Mary’s annual summer garden fete; local gentry mingled with villagers to raise money towards the upkeep and maintenance of the Church. As well as the attraction of the usual stalls, pupils from Tickhill Infants’ School entertained visitors with songs, dancing displays’ and dramatisations of playlets; however the highlight of the event for the children was the crowning of the Queen of Summer.