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Prior to Rimington Sports Day being held in the Coulthurst Jubilee Recreation Field on Rimington Back Lane, it was held for several decades in Albert Eccles' front field opposite the Old Manor House where the footpath leads towards Stopper Lane, all organised by the Sports Committee. It also raised the prize money from an annual whist and domino drive and a raffle held especially for funding the Sports Day.
Marion Howard (Albert's daughter) remembers:
Rimington Sports Day was always one of the highlights of village life. The sports equipment was kept in Spencer’s wood yard across from the Institute. Dad would take the trailer to transport the Greasy pole and stands and maybe there were forms to sit on as well. Rimington children could ride on the trailer to Stopper Lane which would not be allowed now because of Health & Safety, but I never remembered anyone coming to grief. Then it was a race back along to the field foot path to get back to the Sports Field before Dad arrived. We could usually beat him. We had to clear the cow pats off the race track and cover them with sawdust. Dad always kept the pot eggs in a shoe box and we had to sort the potatoes to find even sizes for the potato races, and we used calf buckets for dropping the potatoes into. Every year Dennis Seed won the adult men's sack race. He could run as fast in a sack as without. We had to sell raffle tickets in the village before the Sports Whist and Domino Drive. The Black Bull ladies were always very generous, as was everyone else.
Sports Day was usually held early in June, before the farmers were busy haymaking. Sometimes it had to be put back a week or so because of wet weather, or on rare occasions it was held in the Institute. Races began at 2pm. Family and friends could sit on seats positioned behind the ropes and cheer their children on. Besides the egg and spoon, sack, and potato races, there were three-legged races, fast and slow bicycle races and the obligatory running races, all set at different distances for the numerous age categories involved. The longest was the half mile. Lawrence Silverwood recalls winning that in 1957. (He'd come second the year before.) He won 10 shillings. The high jump and the pole, secured across two stands for the pillow fight knockout competitions – boys, girls and men, were held off to one side. An obstacle course race was also included in later years. A tea of sandwiches and cake was served in the Institute once all the children's races were over – around 4 o'clock. Afterwards everyone returned to the field for the adults' races, including the tug-of-war. Also on the field, under the shade of a couple of big trees, was a flat trailer laden with boxes of crisps and crates of bottles of pop.
The annual Rimington village bonfire was also held in the field. (Newby had one in their hamlet too.)
Marion:
The Bonfire was held up the front field in the Quarry. It was held before on the back road near Barlow’s Red Cottage back entrance . We had a small out barn near and one year the sparks were a bit near as there was hay in it so I think it was moved the next year, for safety, up the front field. Again we had to scrub the potatoes which went into a large salt tin to be roasted on the fire.
Brian Stott March 2021 Additional information from: Marion Howard, Barbara Spencer, Mary H Bairstow and Lawrence Silverwood.
