Showtime

 

Late August is the most popular time for village shows in England. Today Shirley and I drove out to the nearby village of Grindleford in the valley of The River Derwent. It was a small show without animals.

There was a large awning under which the Hathersage Brass Band were seated - including our next door neighbour Tony who plays the french horn. See above. 

There were various stalls representing good causes and village groups. We bought tickets for tombolas and just as we were leaving we managed to win a bottle of mulled wine. There was also a puppet show for small children run by an elderly man called "The Great Davido". It had not started up by the time we left.

In the  main marquee various prizes had been awarded in different categories and they were displayed on tables. The winner in "A Table Centre" display is shown above and below believe it or not is the winner in the "Animal Image" category  for the under fives. No help from mum or dad.

Below is the winner in the "Organically grown vegetables" display category.

There was another marquee where Shirley and I bought lunch with beakers of  tea. Freshly baked items included fresh scones with clotted cream and homemade jam plus rhubarb cake and sausage rolls.

Village shows are, I think, a peculiarly British affair. The weather stayed nice at Grindleford which I am pleased about because the organising committee must have worked hard to pull it all together. 

On the bric-a-brac stall, Shirley spotted a little plastic push-along car occupied  by Peppa Pig, George, Daddy Pig and Mummy Pig.  Phoebe is delighted with it. Below, you can see Tony  blowing his horn, right in the middle of the picture. We often hear him practising and have never been irritated once. He's a lovely man and we admire his dedication to the band.

from Yorkshire Pudding https://ift.tt/1feCTdk

Village Buisness

 I have been a member of the Trelawnyd Community Association for a few years now, but my involvement has been limited due to the fact I have worked full time and worked shifts. 

Going part time, was originally designed for me to start  my counselling course, but just as nature abhors a vacuum a few village bases projects need a pair of hands and I’ve been conscripted back into the fold so to speak. 

This lunchtime I went to a TCA meeting and said my piece on a pressing matter. 

It’s a nice group all told , perhaps a good dozen and a half people with the community’s well being at heart. 

I’m working on a web page relating to the historic well that used to stand on Well Street ( duh) and have taken photographs today of the newly refurbished pond which lies next to its site. 

The velvet Voiced Linda and I are helping to organise an open evening for the pond so that the village can learn of its existence and and perhaps help contribute to its aquatic planting costs

Ma Manly was at the meeting, she has glorious long white hair which twirled around her head in the breeze like a demon as we talked in the street. She is another of the amateur village historians, much more talented than I in unearthing information of note about Trelawnyd . I asked if she would contribute to my history blog and offered her free rein to the website to do so. 

Her daughter , Kelda runs the folk nights in the Hall.

I photographed the pond and the well  then went to Linda & Nick’s cottage for coffee and scones ( with jam) with some of the others where we gossiped for a while.

This part of community life is nice . 

It’s not always so peaceful , as any minor village politician will tell you, 

But it’s home .

from Going Gently https://ift.tt/tyaUrT0