A Parish Fete

This time of year is full of  fetes, parish, village and school fetes all raising money for a multitude of different things. There is something very English about a parish fete, in your mind you think of  sunshine, blue skies, bunting, hay bales, cream teas, homemade cakes and ice-cream, bouncy castles and old fashioned games.  It's the nostalgia I think, something that reminds us of less complicated times. I often find that we seem so busy, working, transporting children to different clubs and activities just constantly on the go and although a fete often means baking lots of cakes and biscuits it also means that for an afternoon we will all kind of stop and spend time with people.

 After the children have emptied my purse, they head off for the school playing field to get their faces painted and their bodies tattooed, (temporary ones of course) as the weather is so amazing the water games are the busiest. Meanwhile my mum, friends and I man the cake stall. The green covered tables were heavily laden with homemade cakes, biscuits and pies donated by members of our community.

I love manning a stall, it's an opportunity to catch up with your fellow stall holders and a chance to see people you've not seen in ages because they are no longer in the playground or haven't been to mass for a while. It's one of those famous five moments, a chapter from a story book from my childhood. A time to be part of something bigger than just yourself and you family.

If you have the opportunity to be involved in your local fete, go and enjoy. It will be worth it.