▁But ts . ▁ ▁The ▁date ▁of ▁the ▁East bro ok ▁fair ▁was ▁changed ▁to ▁Michael mas ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 8 th ▁century ▁as ▁it ▁came ▁during ▁har vest ▁time ▁and ▁the ▁far mers ▁were ▁not ▁satisfied . ▁Some ▁accounts ▁for ▁this ▁fair ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁do ▁surv ive ▁and ▁show ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁che ese ▁fair ▁as ▁well ▁the ▁usual ▁mix ▁of ▁trav elling ▁and ▁local ▁people ▁with ▁st alls ▁and ▁stands ▁– ▁people ▁s elling ▁la ce , ▁glo ves , ▁books , ▁g inger b read , ▁bod ices , ▁sugar ▁pl ums , ▁to ys , ▁soap ▁and ▁kn ives , ▁to ▁name ▁but ▁a ▁few . ▁By ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁this ▁fair ▁was ▁said ▁to ▁be ▁mainly ▁for ▁horses , ▁sheep ▁and , ▁occasionally , ▁h ops . ▁Al ton ▁still ▁has ▁an ▁annual ▁fair , ▁but ▁it ▁now ▁takes ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁a ▁car n ival . ▁ ▁Modern ▁period ▁E gg ar ' s ▁School ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 6 4 0 ▁by ▁John ▁E gg ar ▁of ▁Mou ng om eries ▁as ▁the ▁Free ▁Gram mar ▁School . ▁It ▁later ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁E gg ar ' s ▁Gram mar ▁School . ▁It ▁occupied ▁a ▁site ▁in ▁An st ey ▁Road ▁until ▁it ▁moved ▁to ▁a ▁new ▁site ▁in ▁Holy bourne ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 . ▁ ▁A ▁battle ▁was ▁fought ▁in ▁Al ton ▁during ▁the ▁English ▁Civil ▁War