Actually, I think these advertising features tell us more about the village than any number of historical anecdotes. It’s always fascinating to see what enterprises were active when, isn’t it?
Of course, the features used images from previous fairs to remind readers of the fun in earlier years, while the good wishes from advertisers offered a glimpse of the great times ahead.
Clearly, the Baynes enterprise was working within the zeitgeist as the Baynes Factor Karaoke Competition was launched at the height of the X Factor television talent show.
But the ads show that it takes all kinds of effort to engender a vibrant village community, and it’s wonderful to remember the times when we were able to take a full page feature in the Hexham Courant and expect to be seen by everyone. Social media had not yet taken over from print media.
And the fairs rolled on.