What a day! On Saturday 9 May Compton Village Fete 2026
drew crowds of visitors, who helped raise funds for many local causes. We are delighted to announce that this year’s Fete made £16,182, beating our previous record of £15,145 in 2022. In addition to record profits, this year’s fete featured:
- A record number of stalls
- A record number of volunteers
- And, quite possibly, a record amount of fun squeezed into one afternoon.
2026 beneficiaries
The Allotments, £2,986 - Compton Club, £2,982 - St Nicholas’ Church, £2,948 - Compton NEWS, £900 - Village Hall, £2,385 - Compton Little Theatre, £1,192. Our chosen charities, Godalming & Villages Community Store and Action for Carers Surrey, will receive £1,596 and £1,193 respectively. Takings from each stall (2026 record profits are highlighted in bold) Grand Draw £2,856, Silent Auction £1,144, Tea Tent £808, BBQ £2,134, Ice Creams £945, Bottle Tombola £1,057, Bric-a-Brac £699, Cakes and homemade £1,125, Plants & Produce £3,588, Pimm’s £603, Beer Tent £1,194, Fizz (Greyfriars) £389, Bouncy Castles £50, Books £445, Face Painting £376, Pick-a-card £180, Bits & Pieces £168, Maggot Racing £190, Teddy Tombola £365, Human Fruit Machine £149, Hook-a-Duck £129, Coconut Shy £23, Stocks £69 — it’s not all about the money, but about the fun had and it certainly was!
The Grand Draw and Silent Auction were phenomenally successful. This is the first year that the Silent Auction has attracted bidding in excess of a thousand pounds — thanks in large part to it going online. But the profitability of both is due to the talent and generosity of our local supporters and residents who donated such a fantastic array of prizes. Compared with previous years, takings across most stalls were up on average, including Human Fruit Machine, Greyfriars, Pimm’s, Ice Creams, Bottle Tombola and the Beer Tent. Stalls were exceptionally busy throughout the afternoon. Most importantly, thank you to everyone who gave their time, energy, skills, equipment, cakes, plants, prizes and muscle power, as well as the many who came on the afternoon. One couple had come from over 15 miles away because they had seen the Fete advertised online and thought it looked like a lovely way to spend the afternoon. Whether you were parking cars, flipping burgers, serving drinks, selling tickets, entertaining crowds, setting up gazebos or clearing up at the end, every contribution mattered. The Fete is run entirely by volunteers and is a fine example of what community spirit can achieve.
Finally, a very special thank you to this year’s wonderful committee: Leni Coleman, James Kent, Sarah Metcalfe, Miriam Morris, Nick Palmer, Danielle Rowe, James Saunders and Sara Verbruggen.
We are already looking forward to doing it all again next year! Please save the date for Compton Village Fete 2027, which will be held on Saturday 8 May. If anyone is keen to get involved next year, please do get in touch. Thank you again and best wishes, Miranda Wells, Chairman, Compton Village Fete Committee.
Here are some the day’s photos with many tanks to Dave Pullinger.
Compton Village Association Subscription
A reminder to those who have yet to pay their 2026 subscriptions to Compton Village Association. £4 per family or £2 for individuals and Senior Citizen couples. Please refer to the February issue of the compton news for details of what your subscription supports.
PAYMENT METHODS - Bank transfer to the Compton Village Association account at Lloyds bank: Sort Code 30-93-49, Account No. 00115047. Business account. Please use the reference 2026 Sub. Use the form below - to send your subscription to the Treasurer, David Hunt, at Poplar Cottage, The Common, Compton, Guildford GU3 1JF. Cheques payable to Compton Village Association.
Compton Village Pack
Compton Village Welcome Pack has been updated and hard copies will be available at the Fete for newcomers to the village to pick up. It’s FREE! An electronic version is also available, which is regularly updated. Contact Jane Turner at janewturner@mac.com if you would like one. Although it’s designed for newcomers, it is full of useful information and facts so even longstanding residents of the village might enjoy it!
Compton Traffic calming
Following the Annual Parish Meeting in the Compton Club in April, Compton Parish Council’s traffic committee has been working on obtaining answers to the questions raised regarding proposed traffic calming measures. The traffic committee is waiting for information from our County Councillor, Matt Furniss (Conservative) Surrey County Council (SCC) and our MP, Jeremy Hunt (Conservative), all of which will be shared with residents once received. Efforts are also being made to ascertain the basis for SCC's decision-making process through Freedom of Information requests. The Parish Council has been advised that the public consultation will open this month and it will hold another public meeting, if deemed necessary.
Compton Village—Past & Present
Compton Village – Past & Present by Fiona Curtis, would make a really special Christmas gift for someone this year. Copies cost £20 each — a veritable bargain for a coffee table book about our unique neighbourhood. Find out more at www.compton-village-history-book. com/.
Collection can be arranged, either with a bank transfer in advance or cash on collection. For mailings, please provide full address and include an additional charge of £5.50 in the bank transfer for tracked postage and packing. Bank transfers should be made to the Compton Village Association account at
Lloyds Bank, Sort Code 30-93-49, Account No. 00115047 and reference Book.
Details for ordering as follows: David Hunt — david.hunt0808@gmail.com/07831 768970 OR
Jane Turner – janewturner@mac.com/07763 146448.
Some copies are available to buy at the Compton Club also for £20. Copies also retail at Watts Gallery for £25. The book launch discount has been made possible through the Compton Village Association.
WELCOME PACK FOR NEWCOMERS TO COMPTON
The Welcome Pack, published by Compton Village Association, has been updated by Jane Turner and over 30 copies have been sent out to people who requested one or who have recently moved into the village.
“Recently” means within the last 5-7 years, or even if you’ve been in the village a long time but would simply like to be reminded of what we offer. It’s full of information about organisations, societies, venues for hire, history and a lot more. The Welcome Pack is FREE. If you would like a copy, contact Jane Turner on 07763 146448, janewturner@mac.com.
Compton Phone Box
Compton Phone Box raised £364 for Save the Children over Christmas 2025. The theme comprised a copy of Giovanni Bellini’s Virgin and Child, painted by Jonathan Moore, which garnered a message of support from the National Gallery, where the painting hangs. The locally grown tree was donated by Hans Christmas Andersen fir tree farm, which sells its trees at Van Arnhem nursery on Priorsfield Road. All local supporters and donations are appreciated for their role in enabling Compton Phone Box installations to raise money for charitable causes at Christmas time.
After the decommissioning of the telephone box by BT, Compton residents wondered what to do with it. It was agreed that it should remain where it was as it was part of the village scene, but sadly it was rusty and the glass was either broken or replaced by plastic.
An anonymous benefactor assisted the Parish Council in covering the costs of repairing the box and Cllr Chris Sharples and another anonymous helper went about restoring the box.
Its central position made it a great place to advertise the village's support for the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. This was followed by Armistice Day when it stood as a prominent act of remembrance.
Later it sported a gold cup for the World Cup and latterly it bore a kilt and matching headwear for Burns Night and beautiful Chinese Lanterns for the Chinese New Year.
Spring saw a beautiful array of purple both inside and outside the box to raise awareness of The Meath and the common, but often stigmatised problem of epilepsy. This was followed by a nod to our Dutch neighbours and friends, one of whom provided initial funding and motivation to cheer up the phone box when it was looking rather derelict.
Compton residents love the various incarnations and Cllr Chris Sharples will hopefully go onto surprise us with future transformations, which not only entertain residents, but also bring a smile to the users of the B3000.
