Steph at the Audlem Fete

Rain, Revelry and Very Wet Firemen

If there’s one thing you can say about the good people of Audlem, it’s that we are a hardy bunch. Give us a summer fete, a few stalls, a dog show, an ice cream and, naturally, several hours of intermittent but relentless rain—and we’ll still turn up.
And turn up we did.
The heavens opened over Audlem Fete, but nobody was going to let a little thing like torrential rain spoil the fun. Coats were donned, umbrellas were deployed and the occasional soggy bottom was cheerfully accepted as part of the experience.

The Dog Show

The dog show went down a storm—quite literally. Our four-legged friends appeared remarkably unfazed by the weather, with tails wagging and owners doing their best to keep both themselves and their precious pooches reasonably dry. It was a great success, proving once again that a bit of rain is no match for a determined dog (or its equally determined owner).
There were waggy tails, proud poses, impressive tricks and, naturally, a few dogs who appeared to be wondering why on earth their humans had brought them along for this nonsense. The final results were;

• Waggiest Tail went to Dotty the Jack Russell, with Leanne.
• The Prettiest Girl was Molly the German Shepherd Cross, with Leanne.
• Prince Charming was Reggie the Rhodesian Ridgeback, with Rachel.
• Best Pup went to the gorgeous Milo, the Fox Red Labrador, with Ellie.
• Our Young Handler award went to Theo with Darcy the Whippet.
• Best Oldie went to Molly the Crossbred, with Cath.
• Best Trick went to Molly the German Shepherd Cross, with Leanne — because apparently being pretty wasn’t enough; Molly had to show off her talents too!
• And finally… the big one…roll of drums…. BEST IN SHOW went to Milo, the Fox Red Labrador Pup, with Ellie!

Whether they won a rosette, stole the show, stole someone’s sausage, or simply enjoyed being admired, they were all absolute stars!

Then there were the ice creams.

Because apparently, there are certain principles that must be upheld regardless of the weather. If you’ve come to a summer fete, you eat an ice cream. Whether the sun is blazing or rain is bouncing off your head, the ice cream van waits for no one—and Audlem’s residents were not going to be defeated by a few clouds.

The Firemen

But the undisputed stars of the fete, apart from the dogs, were our brave local firemen.
For the bargain price of just £2, members of the public were given three chances to throw a saturated bean bag at a target. And should they actually manage to hit the centre, a brave volunteer fireman, perched precariously on a chair high above the ground, would plunge spectacularly into a pool of cold water below.
It was, without question, the most popular side attraction of the day.
There was something particularly satisfying about watching the crowd take aim whilst a firefighter sat nervously above the pool, wondering quite why he had agreed to this in the first place.
And as if our brave firemen haven’t already had enough to deal with this summer, they were then voluntarily subjected to repeated dunkings in freezing cold water—all in the name of charity and community spirit.
The crowd loved it. The bean bags flew. The firemen fell. The water splashed. And the laughter could probably be heard several villages away.

Brilliant success

So, despite the rain, Audlem Fete was a brilliant success. It takes more than a soggy August afternoon to dampen the spirits of this community. We may have gone home wet, muddy and slightly colder than when we arrived—but we also went home smiling.
After all, we’re Audlem.
We’re a hardy group.
And next year, the organisers, who deserve a big thank you, are putting in a request for sunshine.