Rowell Fair set to bloom - quite literally - after specially-named daffodil bulbs planted

Front L-R: President of the Rowell Fair Society Paul Johnson and Ray Davis, Mayor of Rothwell. Back L-R Frank York, Bailiff to the Lord of the Manor, Sue Johnson, RFS Secretary, Steve Palmer, RFS committee member, and Don McColl, community volunteer. Picture by Andrew Carpenter.

When you think of things associated with Rowell Fair, 6am scuffles and rum and milk probably come to mind.

It’s likely you’ve never thought of daffodils – until now, that is.

That’s because a special type of bulb was named after the event by Kettering daffodil breeder John Gibson.

The special Rowell Fair daffodil. Picture by Andrew Carpenter

And next spring they’ll be on show for Rothwell to enjoy after the Rowell Fair Society got hold of a supplier’s last 50 before planting them in the town’s memorial garden.

Society secretary Sue Johnson said: "We are delighted to be able to get these bulbs and it’s going to be a lovely display for the town.

"It’s brilliant to have that name right here being planted.”

Since 1204, Rothwell’s annual ancient Royal charter fair and unique charter proclamation ceremony have been an important part of the town’s heritage.

Paul Johnson and Ray Davis. Picture by Andrew Carpenter

Hundreds gather in the street at the crack of dawn on Proclamation Monday to see the bailiff ride through the town on a horse, reading the charter out at the site of current and former pubs, before locals try to disarm his ‘bodyguards’ the halberdiers in playful scuffles.

Next year sees the 820th anniversary of the fair and, during research for the Rowell Fair Society’s website, committee member Steve Palmer made the daffodil discovery. Mr Gibson, who has been growing daffodils for more than 40 years, had named a number of types of special bulbs after local links including the Corby Candle and Wakerley Wood.

The Rowell Fair bulbs are not readily commercially available but were tracked down to the Netherlands before the society bought them to contribute to the inception of Rothwell’s memorial garden.

The society’s president, committee members, the current bailiff and Rothwell Town Council representatives, including the mayor, then joined forces to prepare and plant the bulbs carefully into the garden.

Sue added: “John was telling me that when he was breeding new varieties he called them local things and one happened to be Rowell Fair.

"We had no idea until we discovered it on Google.”