Ancient meadow chosen as the site
for a royal picnic

by REX NEEDLE

A Bourne woman has rented an historic meadow for a picnic party to mark the Queen’s 90th birthday this year.

Mrs Brenda Jones paid £340 at auction for a one-year lease of the White Bread Meadow, an ancient tract of land in Meadow Drove, Bourne, that is let out for grazing annually under the terms of an unusual bequest dating from the 18th century.

The field of just over one acre is situated 1½ miles north of the town and ever since it was bequeathed by William Clay in 1742, the pasture has been auctioned annually during a 200-yard race between two schoolboys beside the Queen’s Bridge at the end of Eastgate, an event that has become one of England’s traditional country customs.

The meadow is known as the White Bread because the proceeds of the rental were once used to buy white bread which was distributed to home owners living in the Eastgate area.  The winning bid usually comes from a farmer but there was a surprise this year when the auction was held on Monday (April 25th) because the land went to a woman.

Mrs Jones, of Stephenson Way, Bourne, and her husband Jim, who are well known for their work with the church and community, decided to buy the meadow for a year and hold a “bring your own” picnic for guests on the afternoon of Sunday 5th June to mark the Queen’s birthday.

“I paid a little more than I expected”, she said, “but we decided that it would be money well spent in bringing the people together to mark this special occasion for the sovereign and we are sure that this will be one of those events which will be talked about for many years.”

The Bourne Borderers, our own folk dance group which appears regularly at local functions including the annual White Bread auction, will be in attendance together with several local musicians. "It will be a day to remember", said Mrs Jones. "Let us hope that the weather is fine."

After the picnic, the meadow will be used for its original purpose through an arrangement with a local sheep farmer.

Mrs Jones is also chairman of Bourne Civic Society and husband Jim a committee member although the rental of the White Bread Meadow was a private arrangement and they have used their own money to pay for it. Jim was awarded the MBE in 2009 for services to the community, mainly his work on restoring the wheel at Baldock’s Mill in South Road which is maintained by the society as the town’s Heritage Centre.

Mrs Jones said that renting the meadow had always been one of her ambitions ever since moving to Bourne from Liverpool over 40 years ago and added with a smile: “You might say that it has been one of the items on my bucket list.”

PHOTOGRAPH shows Jim and Brenda Jones at the White Bread meadow.

See also The White Bread meadow