There's something lovely about country fairs.

Hello! Thank you for all your lovely messages yesterday and today, I'm feeling so much better today, much more bright eyed and bushy tailed, thank you! I wasn't quite up to telling you about our weekend, yesterday, so today I thought I'd show you what we got up to.

We went to a country fair on Saturday. It ended up being a drive of about an hour to get to Dalkeith, in Scotland, where the fair was being held. And it turned out to be a small affair, much too small to be driving all that way to reach it. But we made the most of our time there, or rather, I made the most of the photographic opportunities available. While Hugo and the dogs followed me around, bored as bored can be, poor things.

There's often a tent at these fairs, called the 'industrial tent'. Inside will be displays of competition entries, like baking, jam making, knitting, sewing, floral arrangements, children's art, even photography. I always love the miniature garden section, which they didn't have in this fair's industrial tent.

In this industrial tent, there was a section for kids entries, and the brief was obviously to make an animal out of household things like plastic milk containers, toilet rolls, egg cartons or what-not. This pig had not won first prize, which was a shame, I thought he was the best. I often disagree with the choice of winner of these competitions!

Sometimes I fancy stringing together a load of sweets to make myself a necklace, just like in the photo above. Do you want to see a bigger picture of the knitted scene above? Yes? Okey-dokey..................

Isn't it wonderful?! It was worth going to that fair just to see this! I love the wonky scale of everything. How the houses are so tiny next to the figure and animals. It's absolutely charming, don't you think? This piece got a splendid prize, a very fancy silver cup.

What do you think of the quirky little scene above?!

I tend to wander past the sections with the cakes without paying much attention. The judges have always tasted  them, and left them looking massacred and a bit miserable. And besides, who's interested in looking at slices of cakes you can't eat?  One year, at some other show, Hugo and I studied all the cakes in detail, looking at colour, texture, and presentation. But that's as far as we got, because of course the public aren't allowed to sample them, just look. It's the same with jam.
Then there's sometimes a 'light lunch' section,(!), and you feel like you're looking at the left-overs of someone's salad sandwich or whatever. All quite entertaining in a bizarre kind of way.

As we left the fair, there was a group of girls performing a display of baton twirling. Well, actually, it looked like a display of baton dropping. Those slippery batons, they just could not keep hold of them. And it looked like the leader was doing a routine which she hadn't taught her team. What with all the confusion of noone knowing what they were doing, and their batons flying all over the place, it was absolutely fantastic entertainment. Of course everyone applauded them.

I really want to show you the fabulous open garden we went to on Sunday, but I think that will have to wait till tomorrow now.
So, my dear readers, I hope you're all well? See you tomorrow! Love Vanessa xxx

 

Comments

[jane smallcombe]

Hi Vanessa, I'm so pleased you are feeling better. I love the photograph of the 'flying saucer' sweets! Reminds me of my childhood!!!!!!, Hugs, Jane x

[Jennyff]

Local summer shows are such fun aren't they. We have a small scale one in our village with some rather odd craft items and some lovely ones too, plus delicious home baked teas included in the entrance fee. I just got this years schedule and will definitely be entering a few things through a friend as we shall probably be on holiday. I like these traditions, I hope they go on forever.

[lucy@theantidote]

What a fabulous fair. It looks like a knitting extravaganza with sweeties and a milk bottle pig thrown in for good measure. Love it Vanessa.
Glad you are feeling a bit more chipper!

[Kate Bruning]

What a treat to see an english fair and so different from a New Zealand one where you have to guess on a grid pattern where a cow will go to the toilet and enter gumboot hurling competitions... which is actually really fun. However, the aesthetics are just not the same.

[Laura]

What fun to visit a fair! We used to go to the county fair when we lived in North Carolina.

You should think about entering your Sisterhood Crochet Blanket in a fair when you finish it.

[Menopausalmusing]

Aren't these affairs sooooooooooo very British? Love them. We have one in our local church hall just before Harvest Festival and its a hoot, but equally, I wouldn't miss it for anything. x

[Bobo Bun]

Fantastic - eccentric fairs are what it's all about. Love the thought of the dodgy majorettes dropping their batons. Better than scarily polished. All family Bun would see this as a top day out Vanessa. Thanks for sharing.

Hope all the nasty paperwork is done and can be ignored for ages again.

Lisa x

[Karen]

Your post did make me laugh - I could just imagine all those batons all over the place. Those sweets are my boys favourites and luckily(!)an old-fashioned sweet shop has opened up in our town that sells them in cones. Glad you are feeling better. Karenx

[Moe (Seaweed, Roses & Wool) x]

Hi Vanessa,
Glad you are feeling better, Oh i would Love to go to a good old country fair! I so love the knitted goodies, espically the knitted village and the adorable sheep tea cosy! So Cute! (& no wonder you don't want to do accounts!!) I also love the flying saucer sweeties! Looks like you had a lovely time!
Moe xx

[Pipany]

Glad you're feeling better today Vanessa. Haven't been to a sumemr show like this for years x

[Helen Charlton]

Looks wonderful Vanessa, I love all the entries, soooh cute. Why don't men enjoy such things? x

[Maggie]

Were those real flying saucers in those bags? Heavens, that takes me back to childhood... letting the rice paper dissolve in your mouth and then it exploded with all the fizzy powder. Terribly bad for you of course, but into each life a little badness should fall, now and then. The knitted scene was so sweet, and it must have taken hours of work.
Lovely photos as usual Vanessa.

[melanie galloway]

Oh Vanessa, what an absolutely charming post! I love it, the knitted farm scene is amazing! Looks like you had a wonderful day, I adore fetes. Thank you for sharing your day with us, I really enjoyed it. xxxx

[The Curious Cat]

I want to go!!!

[The Curious Cat]

PS Glad to hear you are feeling better too! xxx

[Julie]

sounds absolutely hilarious! i feel quite sad we're missing our village fun day this year, but have a trip away planned that can't be altered - just think what we might be missing out on though!

[felicity cockcroft]

lovely bright photos, so cheery! we just missed the village fete in cornwall i was gutted! I love the crochet tea pot holder, and the cushion.

oh and love love love the blanket from yesterdays post, its so pretty!
felicity xx

[cathleen]

I really enjoyed my visit here this morning, Vanessa. Looking at your pretty photos was almost like being at the fair with you.