Two villagers drinking at the Bidford Mop annual fair

Bidford-on-Avon, Warwickshire – England

Raise your mugs to this brilliant snapshot of rural English life! Captured around 1901 at the Bidford Mop Fair, this image shows two elderly villagers—mugs in hand, pipes in mouth, and stories surely flowing as freely as the ale. Behind them, barrels and stone walls hint at a time when every pint was pulled from the heart of the community.

The Mop Fair, originally a hiring fair dating back to medieval times, had by the 1900s evolved into a festive event with food, drink, and laughter filling the streets of Bidford-on-Avon.

🍺 These two characters might look worn by time, but you can almost hear their chuckles and feel their pride in tradition.

📸 Got family memories or old photos from Warwickshire or similar fairs across the UK? Upload them to Oldpik.com and help us preserve these vibrant local histories.