Midsummer Fayre 2024: D-Day veteran Bill was star of the show

A huge thank you to everyone who helped to make this year’s Wellington Midsummer Fayre such a success – we had a fantastic day and even got some sunshine. What really made the day special for many people was the appearance of Mr Bill Humphries who, at 99, must be one of Wellington’s last surviving D-Day veterans.

Brought along by his daughter and son-in-law, Bill received a public show of thanks from Rev Tim Carter and Marc Feugere, deputy-mayor of our visiting twin town Chataney-Malabry. This element was all arranged in the last couple of weeks before the event when I was wondering how we could appropriately reference the D-Day anniversary that week – especially as we would have our French friends in attendance. I didn’t want to go in for some sort of wartime knees-up – this was the anniversary of D-Day, after all, not VE Day, and in any case we don’t have the right costumes. But if we could find someone who actually took part and say a big public thank you – perhaps the last chance we’ll get to do so – then that would be worth doing.

After a bit of googling I came across Bill – who had recently been interviewed for a national press article – then set out to find him. Fortunately, some staff at a care centre in Newport (which Bill attends) heard me on Radio Shropshire asking for information about him, and they contacted his lovely daughter Sue. We then spoke on the phone and made the arrangements.

I know that Sue had several requests for Bill to take part in D-Day related events which she had turned down because she didn’t want to overwhelm him, so I was very grateful that she said yes to ours. We wanted to make the experience as easy and enjoyable as possible for him, so simply having him there was enough. When, on the day, he was also able to take part in our costumed procession (courtesy of Jim Percival driving a rickshaw – thanks Jim) that was a bonus. Flanked by ‘land girls’ Adrienne and Paola from the town council and former mayor Phil Morris-Jones as Winston Churchill, he was the star attraction as we toured the centre of Wellington – including a trip through the Market Hall. Sue has since been in touch to say what a lovely day he had, waving and shaking hands, and that it’s a memory she’ll treasure for ever. We’re glad we could make his day and that he could make ours.

As every year, scores of people helped to make the event happen. First, our funders and sponsors mean we can pay for it all – Wellington Town Partnership, DB Roberts, Rowton Brewery and Anthony’s of Wellington, plus a lovely retired couple who quietly donate £250 EACH YEAR (if you’d like to join them in supporting the event, message me). Second, our performers – some paid but many not – who filled the town with music and merriment. Third, All Saints Church, our main organising partners, whose small army of volunteers made sure the event ran smoothly, from running the PA system to putting out tables and chairs to staffing the ever-busy refreshments stall inside the church. Next, Dave from Saturday Cycles who very kindly allowed us to use his upstairs room as a wardrobe for our 40 costume-wearers and his son Tom who busied away all day behind the scenes getting people into and out of their costumes with minimal fuss (in the days when I had to do this myself it made the day twice as tough!). Then there’s the twinning committee who really beefed up our procession with the addition of 20-30 French guests – some in full costumes, some in their revolutionary Phyrigian caps – and who also filled our evening ceilidh at Belmont Hall. Numerous friends responded to the call to don costumes (including some at the last minute), as did members of the Belfrey Theatre, together making this the longest procession we’ve ever had – thank you to all of them. And then there’s Gareth Bellamy who took some fantastic photos of the whole thing (see gallery below).

And finally, the gang from Anthony’s of Wellington (Tony, Stephanie, Brodie and Hope) who after a long day at work came and catered for over 80 ceilidh guests!

We’ll see in in June 2025 for more of the same!

MIDSUMMER FAYRE 2O24 – HIGHLIGHTS GALLERY (photos: Gareth Bellamy & Rob Francis)