When Bob Ward told the story of his programme of celebrations at Diss Gymkhana on the evening of July 4, 1936 (Diss Express, August 1), it sparked memories for Eric Burroughes.
"I remember it very well, and I knew a lot of the people," he said.
"If you can imagine the size of Rectory Meadow, it was filled with horse racing, it was wonderful.
"One year the horses escaped and ran off down the road."
Mr Burroughes,
who lived in South Lopham at the time, also remembers other events on the day.
"They had motorcycle racing with a 100ft high wire trapeze," he said.
"It wouldn't be allowed nowadays but my sister had a friend who must have been about 12 and she was invited to walk the rope. I will never forget that," he added.
Nanette Catchpole got in touch to say that one of the judges was Mr J K Catchpole, her husband Ken's grandfather.
"He was called James Kenneth," she said.
"Sorry we are unable to tell you anything about the gymkhana as we have no members of the family alive the right age.
"I will be keeping the cutting to put with our family tree research," she said.
Regular Memory Lane contributor Valerie Grose contacted us from her home in London to say: "I do not remember the gymkhanas but was interested to see the officials and judges were some of the local businessmen of half a century or more ago – Messrs Chitty, Apthorpe, Gaze and Denny.
In Mellis lived Mr Christophersson, who was sure no-one had a longer name than his.
"Mr Bassingthwaighte though, manager of the Midland Bank in Eye, had one more letter (16, against 15) which people found amusing and were grateful to have names much shorter.
"Mr Edwards had a butcher's shop in Eye and was the mayor.
"One of my late relatives was paid 2/6d (121/2p) for a week's work there on leaving school aged 14."
The full article contains 335 words and appears in Diss Express newspaper.
