All the fun of the fair at Easter in Derby

The excellent photograph above shows the traditional Easter Fair held on the Morledge, Derby, in April 1913.

The shot tower and the colour works (right) both lasted until the area was cleared for the Central Improvement Plan in 1931.

Can anyone throw any light on when the fair was first held and when it finished?

Some Easter traditions have fallen by the wayside but a lot still continue. Do you recall any from your childhood, like rolling eggs down a hill or painting eggs?

Of course, before the egg became entwined with the Christian Easter, it was part of many pagan Spring festivals. The Romans, Gauls, Chinese, Egyptians and Persians all cherished the egg as a symbol of the universe. From ancient times, eggs have been dyed, exchanged and shown reverence.

The egg represented the rebirth of the earth when the long, hard winter was over and the earth was reborn.

Many believed the egg to have special powers. It was buried under the foundations of buildings to ward off evil. Pregnant young Roman women carried an egg on their persons to foretell the sex of their unborn children. French brides stepped upon an egg before crossing the threshold of their new homes.

With the advent of Christianity, the symbolism of the egg changed to represent, not nature’s rebirth but the rebirth of man.

Christians embraced the egg symbol and likened it to the tomb from which Christ rose.

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