title Stourbridge Fair at the Leper Chapel, Cambridge - 8th September 2007 intro The Stourbridge Fair, which commenced in 1211 following a charter from King John, was once one of the most important in Europe. It had visitors such as Daniel Defoe and Isaac Newton, who purchased a copy of Euclid's "Elements" from which he learnt mathematics. The fair, however, faded away as Midsummer Fair, with its central location, became more popular, until it was finally abolished in the 1930s. This, though, is the 4th annual re-creation of the Stourbridge Fair, which Nosher and Isobel's sister Evelyn happen upon whilst cycling over to meet the "Blackrock Massive" at the dragon boat races in Fen Ditton. It's also a chance to finally have a look inside the chapel, which isn't open very often, as it it on the route to work, and it's always interesting to poke around in buildings, especially one that may be the oldest surviving building in Cambridge, dating as it does from about 1125. imgp9800 The proctor of the University mills around imgp9804 There's a bric-a-brac stall outside imgp9806 The deputy mayor of Cambridge says a few words imgp9809 Mediaeval dress from the fair's 1300's heyday imgp9811 The University proctor introduces assay equipment imgp9813 A reader looks satisfied imgp9817 Cool pointy stick imgp9821 A book-on-a-chain imgp9825 There's an active bee hive at the bee gazebo imgp9830 Visitors get a photo imgp9831 The speech from the Proctor continues imgp9833 The fair and the Proctor's speech is well attended imgp0238 Inside the Leper Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene imgp0243 A couple of people chat imgp0245 Mediaeval walls and windows, c. 13th Century imgp0248 More period dress imgp0249 There's a good turnout imgp0251 At Taptu, there's some sort of meeting imgp0252 Nick and Paul eat bananas imgp0253 Celia and Marc are sitting on desks imgp0257 Matt gets a present for his up-coming wedding imgp0260 Taptu's content curators have got a wall up imgp0262 Celia has found a cat imgp0287 A snail has its peepers out imgp0301 A snail slimes around the garden imgp0319 A nice whirled snail shell imgp0328 Some sort of butterfly lands on a leaf