Fundraising for cats

Good morning, it's glorious here today. A blue sky, sunshine, makes one feel glad to be alive. Here are the pictures from yesterday at Barton Christmas market. The stalls and entertainments occupy two streets which are closed off to enable people to unload. We arrived just after 10am. They remain closed to traffic until 8pm when traders are allowed to drive on and empty their stalls. I was lucky and found a parking place close by just outside the exclusion zone, which meant that we could dismantle earlier. Trade finally dropped off at about 6.30pm. 

Our stall is the one on the right with the red table cloth. I have a couple of throws for this purpose. Janet is hiding somewhere, she is a bit camera shy. They provided us with a backdrop, so only my clips were needed to fasten it to the metal railings behind us. 

I took a little stroll before the crowds built up. Wow, what an eye catching stall, as you know I like a splash of bright colours.

Hasn't she been busy, all very tempting, but I resisted.

Ten out of ten for presentation. I asked her at the end of the day how she had done, she said, very well.

At the end of our row was the stage. There was entertainment on there for most of the day. There was a lot of singing and dancing, by all ages. It was lovely to see the kids enjoying themselves. I have to say though that at times it was a little too loud for me, made it difficult to chat to our customers. 

A few fairground rides and games were in attendance. More colour. I thought the entrance price was a bit too much at �2 a go, but I suppose they have lots of costs involved in getting the equipment there and paying the ground rent.

In the middle of the afternoon came the parade, they all came past our stall. I'm not keen on the idea of bringing real reindeer into such a noisy and busy environment. I would rather see them in there natural habitat strolling and grazing in woods and parkland. 

The Burmese dogs however looked like they were enjoying it. I have seen these before at various shows, they love to meet and greet people.

Then came a lot of children dressed up, accompanied by their parents.

Dancing troupes.

The view of the stage from our stall.

As darkness fell there was another parade, led by a very loud thunder of steel band drummers.

Aha, I snapped a pic of Janet when she wasn't looking.

At about 6pm everyone was waiting in anticipation of the big Christmas tree light switch on. It was sited just behind our stall in the grounds of the childrens day nursery. A big cheer went up.

I had an email last night from Janet with the total money taken. We did very well, slightly up on last year, so we are well pleased. Although I have to admit I didn't fancy standing around for that length of time, in the end it was worth all the work. It was great to join in with the happy Christmassy atmosphere, and we had lots of laughs.

This is why we do it, an email from Janet.

Some pics of Lucky in his new home a few days after he was adopted.  Isn�t he gorgeous and doesn�t he look happy!!  Sue contacted Lucky�s original owner to let her know he had been homed and sent her the photographs.  She was so pleased and sent Sue a �thank you� card.  The lady had kept in touch with Sue since Lucky came into rescue as she was very upset that she had to give him up.

We need more happy endings like that.

Thank you for reading. I hope you have a lovely Sunday.

Toodle pip.

Read More »

Charity shop bargains

Good morning. A quickie post today, a lovely sunny day and I want to go to town. I mentioned that we browsed the charity shops in Driffield on Tuesday, this is what I bought. I haven't been wearing slippers ever since the last ones dropped to bits and were no longer repairable, but I came across this pair and snapped them up for the winter. They are size 7 mens slippers, too big for my size 5 feet, but with a pair of thick socks they fit snugly. I love the way they come almost up to my ankles, more like bootees than slippers.  

They look brand new, or hardly worn, the soles are clean and show no signs of wear.

The velcro fastening make them easy to slip in and out of, and fully enclose my foot for maximum warmth. A snip at �3.

It was the colour of this tablecloth that caught my eye, a pretty pale lilac with a sheen to it. It's a massive circular cloth, perfect condition, for only �2. Good for a sewing project I think.

And the third item is a lightweight scarf. I like the soft pastel colours, and it can be worn as an accessory rather than something to keep my neck warm. Had to have it at �1.

The Dove Hospice shop in Driffield has some lovely things in it, a big shop, well laid out, no squashing between railings crammed full of clothes. I'm chuffed with my bargains.

Thanks for the interesting comments yesterday, and welcome to the new readers. I'm off out now. Toodle pip.

Read More »

A visit to Bransby, home for rescued horses.

Bransby Horses used to be called Bransby Rest Home for Horses. A bit of a mouthful so they have shortened it to Bransby Horses. It is a horse rescue place between Lincoln and Gainsborough. They take in horses, donkeys, ponies and mules, which have been ill treated and abandoned, some of them through referral from the RSPCA. Some of the animals live out the rest of their lives at Bransby, while others are found new homes, either through adoption or their fostering or 'on loan' schemes. A second centre is now open, in Herefordshire, and between them they cater for 400 rescued animals. 

Yesterday I visited Bransby, they have an open day twice a year, and I like to take my donation and have a look around. 

The centre has greatly expanded since I started coming a few years ago. A new building and yards mean they can take in many more horses.

A new courtyard for al fresco dining. Cafe and toilet facilites are upgraded in the new facility.

I was a bit late getting there, put off leaving the house until it had stopped raining and had brightened up a bit, so I think I missed some of the demonstrations. I like this dinky little pony and trap. It came into the yard after it's trot around the arena. 

Next was to separate the two....

for a photo opportunity.

Birds of prey were on display. They must have had a heavy downpour judging by the waterlogged field. 

What a beauty.

A few pics as I wandered around.

A few horses had been brought inside to give people a chance to get up close to them. Children especially like this. 

These rescued horses look in fine condition now they have received the care and attention from a dedicated team of vets and volunteers.

Hey, that's close enough matey, I can feel your hot breath on my face. Yes, you are gorgeous. 

This is the little pony which was pulling the trap.

I'm glad the weather picked up during the day, though from my visits in previous years I know the rain does not put people off, they still come out to support their charity.
If you want to know more about Bransby Horses you can visit their web site. 

Looks like we're going to be dodging the rain for the rest of the Bank Holiday. I need to get out into the garden and plant out the courgettes and runner beans. When it rains I have a job on the computer to do. A cat has gone missing from up the road, so I will print out some 'Lost Cat' leaflets and posters, so they can be distributed. Must get on with it, the cat has been missing since Wednesday.
Toodle pip.  

Read More »