| Where: | Guildford,Surrey at the Guildhall |
| When: | Thursday in Mid May |
| Time: | 10am. |
Dicing for Maids Money, as it used to be known, used to be held in January but has now moved to May- don’t be misled by the many books and websites which tell you it still takes place earlier in the year. In 1674 John Howe left a bequest of money to buy land; the profits earned by the land would provide a sum to reward a deserving local maidservant each year. Two maids (which now includes care workers and domestic staff) are short-listed to throw dice and the one with the lowest score gets the cash; another local charity fund is used for the consolation prize and because this charity has performed better in terms of earnings over the years, the runner-up gets more money than the winner!
Helpful Hints
In 2024 it was on Thursday 23rd May- 2025 date is yet to be confirmed.
The public are welcome to attend, though the whole thing lasts only a few minutes followed by refreshments and the AGM of the Guildford Poyle Charities. It’s usually but not invariably on the 3rd Thursday of the month, depending on the availability of the Guildhall and the Trustees; in some years it’s held a week later than usual.
Many thanks to Caroline Hill for all her help!
Click here for the charity website: https://www.guildfordpoylecharities.org
This is a lovely low-key tradition, held in the old Guildhall in the High Street. The actual dicing only takes a few minutes, and then the contestants get a cheque apiece. The loser has £62; the winner £60!