Corby Borough Council Archives

Corby Pole Fair crowds in the Old Village 1982 ©Northants Telegraph 7th January 2021 Corby Pole Fair 2022 date announced The next Corby Pole Fair has been added to the town’s social calendar on Friday 3rd June 2022. This date links the original granting of the Royal Charter to Corby by Queen Elizabeth I in 1568 with the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday weekend, created to celebrate the long years of service by Queen Elizabeth II. This unique tradition comes around every 20 years, with the last Pole Fair last taking place in May 2002 on the Charter Field in Corby Old Village, attracting crowds of 30,000 to enjoy outdoor attractions, entertainment and of course, the reading of the Royal Charter at the three entrances to the village. In preparation for the next Pole Fair, a small group of volunteers joined together in 2019, and have since been working with Made With Many, HD Media CIC, Corby Borough Council, and more recently ArtReach, to make plans. Together, we aim to gather input and involvement from local residents, community groups, schools and businesses to develop an inspiring funding proposal and plan for June 2022. Even with government restrictions in place, in November and December 2020, we managed to conduct online focus groups to gather local people’s hopes and dreams for the next event. Paper surveys were also distributed to older people in supported housing and to Old Village residents, aiming to gather memories from past events as well as opinions and ideas of what the 2022 event should look like. An online survey is still open for submissions until the end of January, where you can share your reminiscences about previous fairs and future ideas. Local residents who are not confident with using technology, or do not have online access are invited to call our Community Engagement Co-ordinator, Tom Briggs, or text to request a call back, so he can take you through the survey questions via an informal phone chat. Our Programme Director, Helen Willmott, commented: “Thanks to National Lottery players, we’ve been able to expand our efforts in planning for the next Corby Pole Fair. We encourage all members of the community to get involved, and help ensure that the event in 2022 becomes an auspicious and enjoyable event that the whole community will remember for years to come.” To take part in the phone survey contact Tom on 07923 221759 and for updates, sign up to our newsletter below or follow the Corby Pole Fair Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CorbyPoleFair. Read more in the Northants Telegraph Media https://twitter.com/NTelegraph/status/1347152017895137280 Keep in Touch For future updates on news, events and opportunities please sign up to the e-newsletter or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn – or Get Inspired on our website.