STANWICK LAKES ROUND-UP - JULY 28

Our View from the Deck over the Lakes

I should like to say thank you so much to my stallholders and also the public who visited us at Stanwick Lakes.

We began with a clear blue sky and quite warm, but the wind got up through the day and it did become a little chilly with the double doors open to the Lakes!  It was a case of 'warmer out than in', but we are a hardy lot and only succombed to closing one door!

However, the footfall was really good and the whole day was vibrant and happy.  

Here are the pics of the day with all the stalls looking super as usual.

Margo - Clem's Gems

Carole and Sylvia

Paula

Jane

Rowena - Fat Fairy Jewellery

Wendy - Decollartage

Lesley

Marion

Marion's sisters patchwork quilts 

And I forgot to take a pic of my stall - quite sad as I thought it look rather nice, but however - one of my plant/storage pots !

Thanks again everyone for a great day and don't forget to come and see us on SATURDAY 25 AUGUST - again  AT STANWICK LAKES!

Stanwick Lakes on Saturday

Just a quick note to say I will be on Radio Northampton this evening at about 5.50 p.m. to advertise my Hand-Crafted Home Fair at Stanwick Lakes this Saturday, 28 July.

Nerves kicking in a bit - wish me luck  !!!

The Feast

The Fete on the Green

I  remember when I was young that the time of the Village Fete was always called the Feast, and it has occurred to me that we don't seem to use this expression now, but I must say that our village definitely does have a 'Feast.'

Our population is, I think a little over 2,000, but I believe that our Feast is rather unusual in this day and age as it lasts not a day, or even a weekend, but a whole week.

It begins quite gently with the Fete on the Village Green with the usual stalls and games, this year including a Skittles Marathon - this is table skittles which is quite special to our part of the country, plate smashing - which I can't bear to watch, a roundabout for the little ones and the usual cakes and book stalls, super preserves and bric-a-brac plus the refreshment tent, and a really good band, and after a wander around here, it is really pleasant to walk 'down the lanes' to the church where the Flower Festival is in full swing with this year's theme being 2012 ! featuring all things Jubilee and Olympics.

The Walk to the Church

The Churchyard

The atmosphere is warm and friendly and although most people are clutching umbrellas, we have not had to use them yet and there is tea and (for me) wonderful coffee and walnut cake to sample - although I am spoilt for choice really.  There is a mass of red,white and blue in the floral arrangements interspersed with orange and yellow Olympic 'flames', and my especial favourite, I think because it is so naive, is from the pre-school, where Olympic medals have been made from paper plates sprayed gold, silver and bronze and decorated with rough, childlike stencils of sports people practising their arts.

I leave the Church after some good chatting and realise there are a few spots of rain falling, but I have my umbrella and am confident that it will soon pass.

Well it does soon pass, but not until torrential rain has fallen and I am soaked to the skin, but I have to smile because as I walk back past the Green, the band has stopped playing and everyone is either huddled under various gazebos - or has nipped into the pub, and all is silent, but within a few minutes the rain stops, the band begins to play again and everyone carries on as if nothing has happened - only in England  !!!!!

Outside the House after the Rain!

During the following week there are such joys as a Heritage Walk and a Ghost Walk, a hand bell display, the silver band playing on the Green and lunch in the church.

However, the thing which still gives me a tingle in the tum is on Sunday morning when the Fair begins to arrive.  The huge lorries and caravans clog the road, park around the Green and in a day the centre of the village is transformed, and for three evenings, there is the thud thud of really loud music, lots of people about - children and parents in the early evening and teenagers later and the screams of people on the 'big' ride this year called Oblivion!

Accommodation for the Fair

Shooting

Hi-Energy!

Oblivion at Rest

Oblivion in Full Swing  !!

I think we must be one of the smallest villages to have the Fair visit and pitch in the centre of our village - AND LONG MAY IT CONTINUE !!!

On Sunday morning the Fair packs up, the lorries leave and peace returns for another year!

THE HAND-CRAFTED HOME FAIR - STANWICK LAKES - SATURDAY 28 JULY 2012

The next Hand-Crafted Home Fair will soon be with us. 

Come and visit us at Stanwick Lakes, near Wellingborough 

on Saturday 28 July 

from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The response from Stallholders for this Fair has been amazing and I am really pleased to say that the stalls are all sold.

Some of the super things which will be on sale are:

Original design Hand-Knits for the Home

Hand made cards

Irresistible Textile soft toys, 

Gemstone jewellery

Beautiful little girl's aprons

Crochet hats and flowers

Useful and stylish textile bags

Small gift boxes

Lovable Crocheted toys

Children's mobiles

Patchwork bags and quilts

Unusual Hand knitted scarves and necklaces

Sterling silver jewellery

Cross stitch pictures and cards

Wooden hand-turned products

etc., etc.

Come and find unusual and original gifts for all birthdays, christenings, weddings, anniversaries, get well, and don't forget to treat yourself too!

And finally Stanwick Lakes is a great place to visit - see more details at http://www.stanwicklakes.org.uk/northampton/

Thank you so much for reading and DO SPREAD THE WORD.

Village Life

Parts of our village are very beautiful and other parts are very ordinary, but I have to say it is ALIVE - and today not all villages are!

I popped to the shop yesterday morning to buy a card for little J next door whose 2nd birthday it was, and who did I bump into but J with Mum and Dad, J and R, and they were just off to spend the day at the zoo.

I crossed the road and met up with K, retired landlord of one of the pubs - we are very lucky and still have 2!  He asked how the Fairs are going etc., and then E joined us - she qualified as a butcher and used to work in her Dad's shop in the village and later in her Uncle's shop in a neighbouring village - sadly both are now closed, but she is now in charge of dinners at the school, and she too asked about the Fairs and has suggested I do one at the school - she is going to enquire.

A lady over the road, who I didn't know then called a cheery "Good Morning", and on the way back V was coming the other way having just been into the hairdresser - complete with wet hair and rushing home to wash her hair again to "get rid of the bits."

Later the post lady knocked at the door next door with some presents for J, which I took in and gave to J and R later when they returned home driven back by the rain - to have an indoor picnic!!

It is only a five minute walk there and back to our village shop cum post office, but I have been known to be away for up to an hour, just chatting, or being asked in to a friend's for coffee etc.

I am really thankful that our village has not just become part of the commuter belt, but still has things happening, people about and company to be had.

As I sit here now, with the windows open - (and the sun is shining - shhh!), a couple of cars go by, someone is strimming, pigeons are cooing and the red kites are calling.

I'm off for some lunch now - I wonder who I will see this afternoon!