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Very many thanks to June Cox of Cheltenham for this newsy report
The usual good crowd gathered at Haling Dene to enjoy the Summer Fair. This is an excellent venue with its pleasant parkland surroundings, plenty of free parking and a lovely spacious building with room both for the numerous stalls and for enjoying afternoon tea, as always beautifully prepared and served by Dianne and Val. There is also the opportunity to call in at Penkridge market - very good for bargains!
The stalls had plenty to offer in the way of temptation, well set out and labelled and the finish of the items always sends me home intending to look for the Autosol in the garage. There was also a fleeting appearance of Michael Bennett’s new A - Z, copies of which went like snow in summer.
Another pleasurable part of the day for me is meeting interesting people and having time to chat, both during the afternoon and over the meal in the evening. Many shared interests, places and experiences are discovered, not just Old Hall. Each time I come I meet new people from many different parts of the country. Underlying everything is the friendly family atmosphere engendered by Nigel and Dianne, greeting us all as friends, setting out the fascinating display of unusual Old Hall items not often seen and supplying us with those wonderful treats in the tea room.
When everyone had cleared away their stalls, we all assembled at The Bridge House where some members had stayed overnight. The early 6.15pm timing of the meal was much appreciated by those of us who had long journeys home and the reminder of what we had ordered was another efficient piece of organizing; thanks especially to Dianne for the lovely individually made place cards, each one featuring a different item of Old Hall.
After a most enjoyable meal, Nigel drew the proceedings to a close with his final speech, the family atmosphere continuing until the end with the welcome presence of the younger members of the Wiggin family and five year old Adam threatening to outdo Nigel by showing us he is obviously a speaker in the making! We are grateful to all the Wiggin family for their involvement in both the Summer Fair and also in Old Hall Club matters in general and thank them and everyone else involved in making it such a successful day.
Roll on July 2012!
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