Early in 1949 Mr. Sawyer of Mayfield Cottage Middle Mayfield, had formed ‘The Mayfield Good Companions Association’. The Association was composed of ten village organisations, the Memorial Hall being one of the ten. The main aim of the ‘MGCA’ was, I believe, to plan and organise a special carnival in Mayfield.
Carnivals must always have a queen. A public election was arranged to decide who would be crowned queen at the carnival. The carnival was planned to take place in mid June. The young girls and ladies of the village had been invited to enter for the honour of being Mayfield’s first Carnival Queen, with many taking up the offer. The actual election was held in the Memorial Hall. On the evening of the election it seemed like the whole village had turned out. My memory of the proceedings are now somewhat hazy, but I can remember how impressive and well presented the whole event was. Mayfield’s young ladies, several in ball gowns and all looking glamorous, had done the village proud. The public vote resulted in Miss Beryl Artless being declared Mayfield’s first Carnival Queen, along with the ladies who would form the queen’s retinue.
Several years ago I was given a photograph, dated 1949 and taken in the Memorial Hall, showing a group of more than thirty people at what I was told was a carnival celebration dance.
All of the group are splendidly dressed, many of the ladies are in ball gowns and a similar number of the men are in black tie evening dress. I can make no personal comments on the event but everyone looked extremely happy. I am able to recognise and name many of the group, one of them being my uncle and also the lady who gave me the photo.