Cllr Barnett, who is the final Swindon mayor to have been employed at Swindon Works, then officially opened the event. It is based on the traditional GWR Children's Fete, which was the highlight of young Swindonians' calendars until the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, and was revived in 2003.

And just to make our involvement in the fete even more appropriate, it was at that 1939 fete that society secretary Caroline Ockwell's parents first met.

It was the first time the society had mounted a stand at an event, and marks the beginning of a promotional campaign aimed at spreading the word about Alfred in general and our November festival in particular.

Vice-chair Graham Carter said: "About two thirds of the people who came up to see what our stand was all about had never heard of Alfred before, which tells a story, and is really the main reason the society was formed. We had leaflets to give away, explaining about Alfred's life and achievements, and small posters advertising the festival, so hopefully we have inspired a few people to find out more.

"And those who already knew about Alfred but not our society were really glad that we were trying to give him the recognition they thought he deserved."

There is no record that the young Alfred visited the GWR Children's Fete, although it is probable. Huge crowds used to fill the park, where the attractions included a free slice of cake for every child - a tradition that prevails in its modern incarnation.

The pictures above and below show the Mayor and Mayoress with our life-size picture of Alfred and society secretary Caroline Ockwell, who is also pictured with one of the paintings produced by Active Art, which was part of our display.

How Active Art put us in the picture

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