2022 Gala Day: Saturday 4th June
Cuddington and Sandiway Gala
June 4th, which coincided with the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Celebrations, saw the return of our village gala after a two year absence due to covid restrictions. The sun shone and hundreds of people came out to celebrate. The stars of the show were two donkeys, Geoffrey and Danny, who came to spend the afternoon with us from Duster’s Ark animal sanctuary in Hartford. They didn’t realize they were lucky to be alive, they just enjoyed the grass on the playing field and placidly observed their many visitors. Chugging along the railway line we had a miniature steam train this year, somehow always more exciting than their diesel cousins.
In the arena the wow factor came from 2 spectacular displays by Barnton Circus. This was their first time at the gala and they performed a spirited musical comedy number and an aerial display for which they are famous and which had the crowd gasping.
There was, of course, the crowning of our very own Community Queen, Freya Whittaker, by a former queen, Val Miller. All this was rounded off by items showing local talent from Sandiway Pantomime Group and JIMS, a music group from St John’s church. Our village gala is well and truly back.
Freya attends Sandiway Primary School and enjoys everything sporty. She plays football for Cuddington & Sandiwayand also does gymnastics and roller skating as well as walking her pug. No surprise then that she will be fundraising for the Youth Sport Trust.
The 2022 Scarecrow competition took place during the Spring Bank Holiday and the village was once again populated with many scarecrows The theme this year was 'Influential Women'.
