Children are being given a chance to take part in one of Devon's oldest and best known ceremonies.
With fewer children able to attend Honiton's Hot pennies Day last tear the organising committeehave decided to break with the tradition of holding it on 'the first Tuesday on or after the July 19'.
A number of the committee remember 'Hot Pennies' as one of the highlights of their own childhoods and felt it important to re-engage with their modern day counterparts.
In consequence the Ceremony will be a week later this year 0n July 29.
Keeping old customs like 'Hot Pennies' going is increasingly difficult in these ever more constrained times; Health and Safety dictates, Road Closure Orders and Marshalling requirements are but a few of the hurdles along with the declining Pub trade and a longstanding worry that the 'Penny' might one day disappear from our coinage!
As last year, to comply with the Road Closure requirements the Ceremony which marks the beginning of 'Fair Week' will not start in the centre of the town outside the Old Pannier Market.
Instead the Ceremony will start at 12noon outside The Volunteer (with cry) moving to The Holt and then back up the High Street to The Old Pannier Market (with cry) followed by The Three Tuns and finishing at Café 102 with final cry and throwing of pennies by the proprietors accompanied by the Mayor; Peter Halse.
Honiton Fair dates from 1221, originally held on Allhallows Eve and Allhallows Day (1st November), the date was changed in 1247 to the eve and feast of St Margaret (19/20th July) and 766 years on, still commences with the Hot Pennies Ceremony which will take place this year on Tuesday July 29.
Town Cryer – Dave Retter hoists the garlanded pole topped with a gloved hand to start the ceremony with the famous cry …
"Oyez, oyez, oyez. The glove is up, the glove is up, the glove is up. The Fair has begun, the fair has begun, the fair has begun. No man shall be arrested, no man shall be arrested, no man shall be arrested, until the glove is taken down, until the glove is taken down, until the glove is taken down. God save the Queen!".
Pennies will then be thrown from each of the venues with the crowds following the garlanded pole through the High Street to from The Volunteer to Café 102 where after the final 'Cry', the last pennies will be thrown by the landlord assisted by The Mayor Peter Halse. The Pole will remain there for the remainder of the week.
The origins of the ceremony date back to the thirteenth century when Honiton was granted a Royal Charter. The protection from arrest was arranged to ensure that everyone would come to Honiton for the fair that followed the ceremony, without fear of being 'locked up' for their debts; they would otherwise have stayed away.
Originally hot chestnuts would have been thrown and over time these gave way to hot pennies which were thrown by the more affluent inhabitants. Legend has it that these people took great delight in seeing the peasants burn their fingers whilst collecting the pennies. Reassuringly these days the pennies are merely warm
