Rob Forsyth
As can be see from this contemporary newspaper report, the fair was in aid of rasing funds for a Coronation Village Hall to be located in the Market Place
Thomas van Oss and his family, who lived in The Hermitage on Horsefair, were very instrumental in the concept and conduct of this prestigious event held in the grounds of Deddington House. They made a short film of the event (6.5mins) which is followed by some shots of the family. The colour is poor and the musical sound track is not original!
More photographs of the event can be seen in its album in the Gallery
There is no record now of how much money was raised and there are no pictures of the model or plans for the hall. The July 1978 issue of The Deddington News carried a piece by Mary Robinson about the Fair. She asked... "And what became of the hard-earned Coronation Hall fund? The Hall model and plans which the visitors no doubt inspected enthusiastically, were never to achieve reality. The site (on the south side of the Co-op in the Market Place) had been donated by Dr. G. H. Jones, but he was to die before formalities could be completed, and the site was sold eventually by his son. An ideal site had been lost, and as we all know, 40 years later Deddington is still trying to decide if it wants a village hall, and where it should be. The funds are still there, administered by the Parish Council, accruing interest and waiting for the big decision."
That big decision did not come until 1986 when the Windmill Community Centre opened thanks in no small measure to Mary Robinson who was Parish Council Chair at the time
In 2007 the Deddington & District History Society Magazine 224 contained an article about the Fair