Greetings Cards - Blackheath Fair

Fair at Blackheath, London, (N 51° 28'04"  W 0° 00'21")Card 150x150mm with recycled envelope and biodegradable cello. Detailed caption on the reverse of the card. Card is blank for your own message.

Many fairs in the UK first began in ancient times, from the Anglo Saxon period or earlier, and were called "prescriptive" fairs. They developed from the need to barter and trade goods and due to a cross section of the community attending the fairs, it became a time of festivity and a social gathering. Also, "mop" fairs or hiring fairs can be traced back to the fourteenth century where labourers were hired for work in agriculture. Fairs considered to be of importance were granted a royal charter to secure their future and to confirm their status. These fairs were known as "charter" fairs and between 1199 and 1350, over fifteen hundred charters were issued granting the rights to hold them. "Nottingham Goose Fair" is an example, having been granted a charter in 1284 by Edward I and is still in existence today. Today, fairs are for pleasure. The biggest ones are held in Newcastle, Hull, Nottingham and Cambridge, but all around the country, many smaller fairs like this one at Blackheath in South London takes place for the enjoyment of the local community. Photographs copyright of Jason Hawkes