Catching Up...
Jul. 28th, 2012 09:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
londonronnieHome now, and desperately trying to catch up with everything...
So, without further ado, let's carry on from where we left off - now with added picspam!
Ever since breakfast time today there’s been a strange air of anticipation in the village. An electrically charged atmosphere almost, with people scurrying here and there, all with eyes that are far too bright and manic grins on their faces. Surprisingly this has nothing to do with London 2012, but is something far more important. Yes! Today’s the day of the Village Fete!!
The marquees are up, the field is not too muddy, and Tim (the chef in the pub) is making his 200th cheese and pickle baguette... And look! The sun is out! It is hot!!
The proceedings got under way at 2.30pm sharp, the fete was declared open by the vicar, and the Watchet Town Band struck up God Save The Queen. Marvellous!
"I now declare the fete open!"
The vicar then made his way to the Pimms Tent and plopped down on a garden chair which immediately sank about four inches into the ground and threatened to upturn its occupant into the mud. Suffice to say that a swiftly offered glass of Pimms helped to restore the clerical equilibrium. (Some time later I heard a very aristocratic elderly lady asking “Vicar, have you had a cup of tea?” to which his Reverence’s rather giggly reply was “No, but I have had three glasses of Pimms...”).
The Pimms Tent
And so it began – the dog show, the coconut shy, the duck race (of the yellow, plastic variety I should add), chucking wet sponges at James (the pub landlord. I had several goes at that *g*), skittles (also had a few goes and failed miserably. Those balls are bloody heavy!), cake stall, plant stall, jam stall, book stall, Punch and Judy, bottle raffle... Mostly I just sat sipping Pimms, listening to the brass band, chatting to folks, and soaking up the sheer Englishness of it all. I particularly enjoyed the band’s rendition of that well known Olde Englysshe Folke Songe, ‘Baggy Trousers’... It was absolute bloody magic.
The Watchet Town Band
The Dog Show & The Duck Race
Doing my best to land James one in the kisser.........Skittles
Didn’t come away empty handed – bought a couple of jars of jam for MIL, a book for Izzy (‘The Animals of Farthing Wood’ – ok, I know it’s about 25 years old but her Mum used to love it, so no reason why she shouldn’t too!), boxed set of John Wayne dvds for £2 for ‘imself... Oh, and I won a prize on the bottle raffle – only a bottle of orange squash mind you, instead of all the bottles of booze which were up for grabs, but it’s the thought that counts.
We didn’t win anything on the duck race but I’m still hoping for a result on the big prize draw – couldn’t make out the names of the winners when they were announced (I think the chappie concerned had been keeping the vicar company in the Pimms tent...) but no doubt they’ll be posted up around the village. Don’t know what we’ll do if we’ve won the first prize though – it’s a frozen lamb...
At least, I’m assuming that it’s frozen...
(ETA - You'll be relieved to know that we didn't need to find the space for a lamb in the car after all, frozen or otherwise! *g*)
More holiday reports to follow soon...
So, without further ado, let's carry on from where we left off - now with added picspam!
Ever since breakfast time today there’s been a strange air of anticipation in the village. An electrically charged atmosphere almost, with people scurrying here and there, all with eyes that are far too bright and manic grins on their faces. Surprisingly this has nothing to do with London 2012, but is something far more important. Yes! Today’s the day of the Village Fete!!
The marquees are up, the field is not too muddy, and Tim (the chef in the pub) is making his 200th cheese and pickle baguette... And look! The sun is out! It is hot!!
The proceedings got under way at 2.30pm sharp, the fete was declared open by the vicar, and the Watchet Town Band struck up God Save The Queen. Marvellous!
The vicar then made his way to the Pimms Tent and plopped down on a garden chair which immediately sank about four inches into the ground and threatened to upturn its occupant into the mud. Suffice to say that a swiftly offered glass of Pimms helped to restore the clerical equilibrium. (Some time later I heard a very aristocratic elderly lady asking “Vicar, have you had a cup of tea?” to which his Reverence’s rather giggly reply was “No, but I have had three glasses of Pimms...”).
And so it began – the dog show, the coconut shy, the duck race (of the yellow, plastic variety I should add), chucking wet sponges at James (the pub landlord. I had several goes at that *g*), skittles (also had a few goes and failed miserably. Those balls are bloody heavy!), cake stall, plant stall, jam stall, book stall, Punch and Judy, bottle raffle... Mostly I just sat sipping Pimms, listening to the brass band, chatting to folks, and soaking up the sheer Englishness of it all. I particularly enjoyed the band’s rendition of that well known Olde Englysshe Folke Songe, ‘Baggy Trousers’... It was absolute bloody magic.
Didn’t come away empty handed – bought a couple of jars of jam for MIL, a book for Izzy (‘The Animals of Farthing Wood’ – ok, I know it’s about 25 years old but her Mum used to love it, so no reason why she shouldn’t too!), boxed set of John Wayne dvds for £2 for ‘imself... Oh, and I won a prize on the bottle raffle – only a bottle of orange squash mind you, instead of all the bottles of booze which were up for grabs, but it’s the thought that counts.
We didn’t win anything on the duck race but I’m still hoping for a result on the big prize draw – couldn’t make out the names of the winners when they were announced (I think the chappie concerned had been keeping the vicar company in the Pimms tent...) but no doubt they’ll be posted up around the village. Don’t know what we’ll do if we’ve won the first prize though – it’s a frozen lamb...
At least, I’m assuming that it’s frozen...
(ETA - You'll be relieved to know that we didn't need to find the space for a lamb in the car after all, frozen or otherwise! *g*)
More holiday reports to follow soon...
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no subject
Date: 2012-07-28 09:14 pm (UTC)Welcome back and thanks for sharing your photos.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-28 09:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-28 10:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-28 10:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-29 04:51 am (UTC)Thank you so much for sharing. ♥
no subject
Date: 2012-07-29 02:54 pm (UTC)Oh wonderful! You even had a tiddly vicar, and it just doesn't get better than that *g*
Thanks for the pictures, and thank goodness you didn't have to deal with the lamb, in any condition!
no subject
Date: 2012-07-31 05:09 pm (UTC)Glad you got to enjoy a real proper break *bg*