The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-09-19
HOLTON FEAST.


that Halton is an important place. It
is, In fact, only village, and the tray
eler who takes the road to York from
the great city near by, and passes
through 1t, as he would when some
three miles on his way, would hardly
give it more than the scantiest notice.
To be sure, he would have Il in view
for some time before he came to it. He
would see the spire of the village church
nigh up, on the top Of Halton Hill pok-
ing up amidst a belt of green trees.
whilst the sign board on the dollhouse
! by the crossroads at the foot would tell
him that Halton was two miles away.
Then, as the hill surmounted he finally
passed through the long, struggling vii
lage street, with its wonderful variety
of inns, telling of the days when Halton
was great coaching place, he would
notice, maybe, the strange admixture of
the old and the new to be seen every
where. He would have something more
thar a suspicion that people from the
great city behind him had discovered
Halton. He would look down side roads,
all too evidently being developed" He
would see villas erected or in course of
erection; whilst, ever and again, new
building, such as the branch of a bank
in the great city, would tell of growing
prosperity.
On the whole, however, he would as
has been said, be inclined to dismiss
Halton with but scant notice And yet,
he would be wrong. The fact is, of
course that Halton was Halton long
before the great city near by was so
much as a village, and it is this fact
that gives 50 much importance to Hal
ton Feast. Halton has had a feast, Just
about now in September, for centuries
For centuries Halton Feast has been
waymark in the life Of the countryside
II has fixed the position Of great hap
penings and Of little happenings. Any.
thing at all that happened within rea-
sonable distance Of September was dat.
ed from its relation TO Halton Feast
so many weeks before or so many weeks
afterwards. And it was not only so in
Halton and the immediate countryside
but in the great city, also. To be sure,
nowadays a new generation has grown
up that knows not Halton; but there are
hundreds and thousands Of people who
still hold Halton Feast as a landmark,
just as they do Christmas, or August
Bank Holiday. "Ah alllus seq to mesell
that { summers over when it coomes ia
Alton Feast Halton is, of course in
Yorkshire.
And so il comes about, when the day
arrives that bills reminding people of
Halton Feast will be displayed in the
great city. The tramways will Law
themselves out to convey as large
number Of people as possible to the
nearest point to the village on the hill
sure that there the strangest variety OF
vehicles will be waiting to convey the
visitors to the village itself. The rail.
way companies will do the same. whilst
midst the hustle and traffic Of the great
city will be seen wagonettes, char.a-
bancs. and, nowadays motor vehicles Of
all kinds, displaying prominently the
legend, "Halton Feast All the Way Is"
And it is harvest time and dahlia time,
AAiN Ail' air even Oh lne great CITY, is
fresh with the special joyousness Of Sep
tember And so, all the day, hundreds
go out all the way for one shilling. All
the day Halton, gay with bunting, is
receiving its visitors. The sound Of
music is in the air; whilst, over at the
fair grounds, Is all the fun Of the fair.
and all its strange medley Of sounds.
II is a great meeting place. NAY.
lad All haven't see tina sin last feast"
or Hey, missus, ere we are again. are
eNclamati0ns often heard. Then in the
evening, when the flower show is over
and the various other attractions have
had their day, come the fireworks. and. !
as the shadows fall and the glare OF the |
great city lights up the sky away to the
west the little village on the hill. by
means Of many rockets cast up into the
darkness and many terrific explosions.
reminds its great neighbor and all the
countryside Of its presence. And then,
as the last rocket gives place to the
stars, and the last wagonette has taken
the road downhill. all the way back
again FOR one shilling Halton settles
down 10 be its old quiet self. once more.
for another year.