[Steven Newport This is curious as my father wrote to me (email) back in 2007 with the following detal about Hooe Fair, unyet he did no include anything here: too many other details to cover no doubt! He sent this to me as I have spent many years researching customs and traditions, inc;luding old fairs.]
I came across the following, in my grandfather's book, when looking for any mention of marbles. I know I told you about the fair but I don't know whether I told you about this article or whether you found it.
Hooe Fair
On May 1st, year after year, probably for centuries, a Fair was held at Hooe Common - in some years stretching from Straight Lane to Jarmyn's lane.
Cattle generally were bought and sold, but sheep calves and goats sometimes changed hands.
There were stalls, too, in the neighbourhood of the Red Lion - stalls of delights for the youngsters, particularly toffee apples (on sticks), gingersnaps, cakes and biscuits. Selmes of Heathfield was one stallholder.
There were roundabouts, swings and coker-nut shies, provided by Carter of Cacklebury, Hailsham. Occasionally, too, there were cheap-jacks. Bill Wood, a clarinet player, of Battle, and Sam Waghorn, a comic, are especially remembered.
Probably the Fair originated in the twelfth century, the fees and tolls being paid to the Prior (of Hooe) for permission to bring animals and goods to it and to stand to offer such for sale.
At such fairs merchants displayed their wares and sold them; also various forms of amusement were provided. Travel and transport were chiefly by horse or on foot. The roads were lanes that were beached, bounded by prolific hedgerows and at times impassable in winter.
For a number of years after the Great War there was a gradual decline of business. No fair has been held for several years.
I looked at the spelling of 'Coconut' ('Coker-nut') on the web and found the following, which I found interesting.
'Co.ker.nut n. (Com.) The cocoanut.
Note: A mode of spelling introduced by the London customhouse to distinguish more widely between this and other articles spelt much in the same manner.
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Dad