Bid to rename Stow Fair sparks controversy

THE lord of the Manor has laid down the law to strip Stow Fair of its title.

Stow Town Council now owns the ancient lordship which gives it rights to The Square and to hold two Charter markets a year.

It hopes to revive the markets – and the obvious name for them would be Stow Fair.

And it says the current bi-annual Gypsy and Travellers' gathering is not the proper Charter fair and should be called Stow Horse Fair instead.

Civic leaders have asked Cotswold District Council, Gloucestershire County Council and other bodies which help co-ordinate the gathering, to change the name.

Controversy has raged for years over whether the existing fair, actually held in Maugersbury just outside Stow, was a true Charter event.

Supporters say changing the name now would create "confusion".

But Stow Mayor Robin Jones said: "The Gypsy gathering is nothing to do with the Charter whatsoever. We want to make it quite clear now that it's referred to in the proper way.

"The original Charter fair was a hiring fair where people presented themselves for work, from parlour maids to stable men. It had various Travellers' stalls and they began to call it Stow Fair – but it's not.

"It may come near the Charter's set dates, but the Gypsies never had the Charter and now we do."

He added: "It's possible we will re-institute bi-annual markets and the obvious name for them is Stow Fair. Thus to avoid any misunderstanding as to which event is being referred to it is important the two events are clearly differentiated."

The Abbey of Evesham obtained the Manor of Stow in 714 AD. In 1476 the abbot was granted a Charter for two fairs, on the nearest Thursday to May 12, the feast of Saints Philip and James, and October 24, the feast of St Edward the Confessor.

Former chairman of Stow and Maugersbury Action Group Graham Golby felt the title Stow Fair had been "usurped" by Gypsies.

But Stow Fair staunch supporter Roger George, also a town councillor, said: "To say they've have usurped the title is very unfair. The gypsies have actually continued a tradition.

"This event started off as a Charter Fair and has been one for all these years, the other market traders dropped out and the Gypsies went on.

"It's always been known as Stow Fair. It'll be confusing if a new Stow Fair starts up on the same dates. It's also known internationally as Stow Fair and people come from overseas so a change of name's going to confuse the world"