Legend has it that if the historic Beaconsfield Charter Fair cannot be held for any reason, it is never allowed to return – so questions have been raised about what is going to happen this year.

With fears over the future of the iconic family fair, the Showmen’s Guild of Great Britain, which runs it every year in Beaconsfield Old Town, has spoken out on how the coronavirus lockdown will affect it.

Every year since 1269, the charter fair takes place on May 10 – except when that date is a Sunday, and then it will be held on the following Monday.

It has never yet missed a date – and legend has it that if it does, it can never return.

To get round this, a much smaller token version of the iconic fair – which is not open to the public – will be “symbolically” placed in the now quiet street today (May 11).

This year’s muted event will be in stark contrast to last year’s 750th anniversary celebrations, which saw crowds line the streets to enjoy the funfair.

Instead of hundreds of happy families enjoying the sun, this year’s tiny fair will be attended only by the Beaconsfield Town Crier Dick Smith and members of the Showmen’s Guild and the Hall Barn Estate.

The Showmen have also raised fears about their livelihood because of the coronavirus outbreak, and has urged the government to support them.

They said that part of today’s symbolic event is to highlight to the government the impact the loss of the £20 million funfair industry will have on those who run it.