During the reign of Edward I (1272-1307) a Fair at Shillingstone was granted to Sir Brian de Turbeville “on the Vigil, the Feast and the morrow of St. Barnabas” that is the 10th, 11th and 12th of June. The festivities traditionally started on the 9th of June when sprigs of oak leaves covered with gold tinsel and garlands of flowers were distributed and a band went round the village, playing at various points along the way.
In later times the remains of the old village cross became the focal point and here a may-pole was set up; there would be fair-booths with toys and sweets for the children, shooting galleries and coconut shies for the younger men and their young lady friends. A cacophony of noise would hang over the place; the tooting of tin trumpets, the shrill of penny whistles, the sound of guns and the shouting of peddlers touting their cheap and usually inferior goods.
In the afternoon the villagers, their number swelled by visitors from neighbouring Child Okeford and Okeford Fitzpaine and even some Blandford residents too would dance on the rectory lawn. From the rectory the rector would lead a procession to the may-pole. On the way garlands were distributed, banners raised and drums banged. At the may-pole the villagers joined hands and formed a circle and cheered and danced around the may-pole. Some villagers would repair to the Rectory Barn where there was music – fiddle and flute – to dance to, others would go to the Ox Inn for further revelry until daybreak.
Christmas was another time for festivities. The mummers toured the village acting their plays, clothed in close-fitting red and white with a high mitre-like head-dress. Standing stiffly in a row they ‘slew’ each other with white wands and there was also some play with a ‘bull,’ which was a bull’s head that turned right and left with projecting horns and glass eyes. The identity and body of the manipulator who was supposed to be blind was hidden beneath a long skirt. The Bull was led from house to house and room to room leaving a trail of frightened maidens.
