Chettle Jam

Dear friends

It is with an extremely heavy heart that we’ve made the decision to cancel this year’s Chettle Village Fete.

As many know it’s been a very difficult time in the events industry, and it is painfully clear to us that in spite of a tremendous effort by us organisers, the villagers and a huge number of other kind helpers, all of it voluntary (as it always has been), it will be next to impossible for us to maintain our standards yet turn a decent profit to raise funds for the important and amazing causes so dear to our hearts.

For over a decade we have massively enjoyed conceiving and creating the craziness that made the fete so original and special: the hairy Miss Chettle beauty pageant, the Alternative Dog Show, pantomime horse racing, the Butty & Soul area, our fabulous compere Raoul and so much more, and in that time we have raised tens of thousands of pounds for local and international causes, from helping families build a life after escaping war and persecution, to local food banks, hospitals and hospices, to improving wildlife habitats by tree and hedge-planting and rewilding.  

We hope you understand our situation and that this gut-wrenching decision has not been made lightly. We want to express our enormous love and thanks to everybody who has supported us, whether rolling up your sleeves, hammering in posts and raising marquees, running stalls, dressing up, undressing, pimping puppies, growing juicy strawberries, jousting on a motorbike, stuffing scones, washing cars in a mankini or just spending your hard-earned cash on cream teas, books, noxious cider and everything else.    We could not have got this far without you, and know that we continue to look for fun and silly ways to evolve harmoniously, sympathetically and joyfully…

Please keep following us as there is still a lot we want to do with you!

Chettle Fete Crew X

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Have you checked out our fantastic fete merchandise yet?  Glorious coffee cups and camping mugs, tea towels, hoodies and funky t-shirts plus much much more – and every penny goes towards our immense costs putting on the greatest show on earth…

In the shop right now!

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It’s no accident that Chettle Village Fete has earned itself the title of Dorset’s Whackiest Fete – it is truly is bonkers.  As well as all the traditional favourites like cream teas & cakes, pets corner, face painting, bouncy castle, tombola, plant sale, book stall and bric-a-brac, there’s also a healthy dose of loopy Chettle humour: the Alternative Dog Show presented by The Brigadier, Miss Chettle Beauty Pageant presented by Raoul Bandana, the amazing Art Auction, the infamous Human Fruit Machine, Cowpat Bingo, Bang the Nail and you can place your bets for the Chettle Derby!

Throw in a wide choice of fantastic, quality food stalls (both meat and veggie), a fully-licensed and widely-stocked bar, plus a Big Prize Raffle with prizes so enviable you’d be mad to miss it: past winners have enjoyed tickets to Wimbledon and West End productions, well-known music festivals, lavish beauty treatments, fine dining and signed items from the likes of Terry Pratchett and Guy Richie. Over its time the fete has raised tens of thousands of pounds for local, national and international charities like Dorset Air Ambulance, local hospices, Marie Curie, Save the Children and many more.

Come and visit what is now widely regarded as Britain’s craziest and most original fete, in the heart of the West Country, where the juiciest strawberries grow, beautifully accompanied by Chettle’s very own dairy cream and all washed down with a pint of Dorset’s finest cider or ale (or a cup of tea, possibly…).

Every year we are bowled over by your generosity in donating wonderful prizes, cakes, clothes, plants and bric-a-brac to raise decent money for our causes. Please help us further by getting in touch in advance to info@chettlefete.co.uk and letting us know what you will be bringing and when. Needless to say it must be QUALITY (ie – please do not use us to offload your unsellable junk!).

Our BIG PRIZE RAFFLE is famous for it’s second-to-none prizes like delicious nights out (in or near Dorset and London), extreme desirables like cases of fine wine or bubbly, tickets to hot events or vouchers for shops or treatments. If you or your workplace are able to offer these kind prizes we’d love you forever.

Are you a budding Rembrandt or an Andy Warhol wanting your 15 minutes of fame? Your art – be it painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, textile, something pimped up or anything – is needed for our famous Art Auction! Watch with pride as your piece, under the heavy gavel of our experienced auctioneer, whips up huge sums for worthy causes! Please bring your piece with you, in whatever form or size, with a small note attached stating the work title and the artist’s name, and help us raise more dosh with your dashes!

You won’t want to miss bidding either – we’ve had some very famous people draw us a picture, including this gorgeous piece last year from none other than Axel Scheffler of The Gruffalo fame…

Over the years we are very proud to have raised tens of thousands of pounds for local, national and international charities such as Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance, Marie Curie, The Three Peas, Weldmar Hospice, Save the Children Fund, Handley Scouts, Diverse Abilities Plus and The Dandelion Trust as well as other causes including youth centres plus medical, learning and play facilities and much much more.

As a huge thank you to the villagers each year we also keep a bit back for Chettle Village itself: this has paid for new trestle tables for the village hall, a new notice board that is outside the shop and a bench in memory of Teddy Bourke, a Dorset legend and one of the custodians of Chettle.

The fete is a massive undertaking but is brimming with free goodwill – we always appreciate helpers during the day, would you like to be involved in some way?  Maybe by running a stall, help park cars, litter pick, collect recycling etc?  Please email info@chettlefete.co.uk

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