During the late 1940’s Mayfield’s children were invited to attend Christmas parties in the hall. One of the parties was organised by the ladies committee of Mayfield British Legion and the other by former members of the disbanded Home Guard. They took place, twelve months apart on Saturdays in late December or early January.
The village children of school age were invited to the parties and in their Sunday best clothes and armed with personal cutlery, of course with an identifying piece of coloured wool or string tightly attached. There was always plenty of excellent food, tables were laden with sandwiches, cake, trifle and jelly along with gallons of tea and plenty of other drinks, all served to the kids seated at their tables.
After the meal the well fed partygoers were entertained by a professional magician/musician. At the British Legion party I was summoned on stage to be the magician’s stooge. Once on the stage the magician kept talking to the audience while quietly whispering to me and secretly planting articles in my pockets and jacket. Eventually yards and yards of paper streamers were pulled out of my mouth, foam balls came from my pockets, coins from behind my ears and the grand finale was a full size rubber chicken from inside my coat. I had no idea how the chicken came to be there or in fact how any of the tricks were done.
The parties ended with group photographs and at 7pm parents came to take their very happy children home. I have copies of the group photographs and can still name most of the children and adults shown.