The Car Park John Elsworth
In the mid 1970's, I was deputised to help Trevor Young with managing the Car Park. Traditionally the bell-ringers had for many years been entrusted with collecting the one shilling (5p) fee and this required at least four persons to collect and keep the traffic moving.
The field used for the car park is very kindly provided by Mr Ryder of Castlegate Farm. Even though the field is conveniently situated within 100 yards of Beeston Castle entrance, the one usable gate faces the narrow lane very awkwardly and it helps nobody that the exit is blind in both directions. The gate is shared by pedestrians both coming and going, simultaneously with incoming AND outgoing vehicles. The net result chaos!
Sometime in the 1980’s the Fete Committee decided that it was uneconomic to collect the 5p fees and car parking became free, thus freeing man and woman power for more productive activities. Consequently, for the last few years the car park can be managed by just one person though he/she does appreciate some company. Experience has shown that after the provision of string markers and a large empty area just inside the gate that motorists can be waved in and down the field, and left to sort themselves out. That is the theory, but in practice, each and every driver believes he/she can park in the clear space near the gate and requests to leave the area clear for the inevitable outgoing queue must be made tactfully, we hope. The tactful remarks usually include words suggesting the possibility or probability of damage when many cars are seeking to exit. Some smart Alec does, however, each year manage to park in the danger area, usually when the attendant is busy down the field.
Other duties of the car park attendant are the welcoming, commiserating or merely "chatting-up" the visitors. In this capacity, the writer has been known to use such phrases as: "No sir, there is no charge for the car park, we take your money once you are inside the Castle," and "You get two for the price of one today, the usual Beeston Castle AND Bunbury Church Fete. You WILL enjoy yourself!" Interestingly, many visitors return year after year.
One other event comes to mind, and this concerns the 1982 Beeston Fete which was on the 30 August. The writer conspired with authority to carry a bogus message to Albert Stockton, the Churchwarden, that he was required very urgently within the castle grounds and to report immediately to the Vicar, Rev Timothy Atkins. A similar ruse had been perpetrated on Mrs Gladys Stockton and the Vicar then made a Presentation to Mr & Mrs Stockton in respect of their Golden Wedding which had occurred on 27 August. This presentation at Beeston Fete was reported in the Chronicle, along with a photograph.