Hay and district
Victorian school days
  We're all going to the Fair today  
 

The regular Fair Days held in the market towns of country districts were always exciting occasions for the local children.
In Victorian times the entertainments which children take for granted today, such as television, films, videos and computers were not available - so they went to the Fair instead ! And there were plenty of those going on...

 
Painscastle
School
School diary entry
  12th May 1875 - "Painscastle Fair. Attendance small. School closed in the afternoon".  
Llyswen
School
School diary entry
  2nd November 1881 - "Talgarth Fair - diminished attendance in consequence".  
Boughrood
School
School diary entry
  17th May 1888 - "Many children absent - at the fair at Hay".  
Llandeilo
Graban School
School diary entry
 

21st May 1894 - "Fair at Builth. Holiday given as the greater part of the scholars always go to this fair".
As the last of these shows, the schools knew that most of the children (and their parents !) would be going to the fairs whatever the teachers said about it, so they often closed the school on the Fair days ! The teachers probably went as well !

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