Albion Nights was born from a love of community, creativity and slow living, values that were central to the Albion Fairs, which I was lucky enough to grow up attending. My parents left Essex when I was a child, chasing their dream of building a house and living a simpler life in Suffolk. They were drawn by the back-to-the-land movement that had already taken root in the area. The Albion Fairs wove a vivid thread in the tapestry of my childhood and the inspiration behind Albion Nights.
In the late 1960s and early 70s, as the buzz of London began to fade for some, a wave of young creatives sought refuge in the quiet beauty of North Suffolk and South Norfolk. This landscape of open fields, marshes, and market towns became a haven for those yearning for a slower, more meaningful existence. Out of this vibrant community, the idea of reviving medieval fairs was born. The Barsham Fairs, and later the Albion Fairs, lit up the East Anglian summers with music, community and a truly rebellious spirit.
These fairs weren’t just events; they were experiences that left a mark on everyone who attended. Especially me. As Jill Bruce, one of the organisers, put it: “That field, that place, that fair: the experience was colossal – a jolt into another reality, the one I was supposed to be in.” From 1972 onwards, Rectory Paddock in Barsham hosted five unforgettable summers of creativity and chaos, overseen by the mischievous Spirit of Misrule. When the Barsham Fairs ended, the Albion Fairs continued until the early 1980s, setting a precedent for alternative festivals across the country.
The magic of those fairs still lingers in the air of East Anglia, and it’s always lived deep inside me.
The name ‘Albion’ carries ancient roots, derived from the 14th-century Anglo-Norman poem Des Grantz Geanz, where the exiled princess Albina named this wild, unspoiled land after being washed ashore here.
At Albion Nights, we carry this legacy forward. Our off-grid cabins, built with love and creativity, give guests a chance to unplug, slow down and connect with nature – echoing the ethos of the Albion Fairs. It feels fitting, then, to support the Fairs Archive, a travelling exhibition preserving this unique slice of social history. To help fund their work, Hare and Tabor created a beautiful Albion T-shirt featuring original fair artwork. You can find it here and wear a piece of this history with pride. I often wear mine when I do the cabin changeovers!
As Richard Barnes wrote in his book Sun in the East: “The Fairs belong to everyone, and if there is a story of the Fairs, it is an unfinished one.”
Here’s to keeping the story going.
