The fair in Newport Memorial Hall was a great success and starred great food and stalls.
Our Newport fair was packed to the gunnals. I stole time to go round and experience the interactions going on, what a lot of full-on networking and socialising.
The belly-dance class performed their year’s work to the assembled diners at the ‘banquet’ at the end. One man said he was glad the waitresses had covered tummies this year as the flesh put him off his food. Another man with more years said the assembled diners in the utilitarian hall, with bare tables looked like a work house, especially the rows of children waiting for food served from a tin trolley! But these are the amateurish sparkles of laughter on a totally brilliant event.
Before the belly dance dinner was a Twmpath, and after it a showing of Garbage Warrior. Before the dancing was Candle Garden, moments of still magic, darkness and flute music, and children adding their candle in apple to the spiral of dark greenery, after lighting it from Mary’s central candle.
Back in the hall there were stalls of sumptuous home-made everthings, and activities like the apple scratting and juicing, of no end of sacks of apples. The hand machine was worked without cease, people went home with their bottles of juice for freezing or pasteurising.
Apple scratting and juicing with might and main
Outside were a quality burger van, an amazing lady in Stilletos called Dawn Toots who helps people cast works of art from scrap aluminium, she drew the crowd but went home in dismay when her equipment let her down. Beside her the bike doctor diagnosed and advised all day as bikes appeared and went home feeling better. Also Seed Saving and Winter veg wisdom was imparted by Real Seeds Co.
I loved the SERIOUS workshop in the morning on renewable heat and power and government grants. Two experts led it, sitting in a circle with audience. They started this ding dong argument, fascinating, sitting opposite each other all heads turned one way they the other like watching ping pong. They were Brian Marks who advised govt til the recent bonfire of advisors, and our Bob Robarts of Sustainergy who installs wind and solar electric and pulled up Brian something tidy!
The debate started with the overhead electric heating of the hall. Nobody wanted to leave.
A few more photos. Some businesses made their debut here, notably Grace (age about 9) selling her bags of bath flavours, irresistable limes and roses! And Robin who will not be called Robin the Grate, but something more prosaic, installing wood fires and solar hot water.
Stalls totally sold out like the wood-fired bread
Cafe spectacular, for bus-stop prices
Anna, in pinny, is a reformed character since she came to Wales and started carpentry.
The wonderful food was made by me, had to include it, it sold out too.
Jessy, sans pinny worked the longest hours as her shift replacements didn’t turn up, teenagers!
Tools for Self-Reliance remade by Esteam
Paul Cook who runs this workshop with people with learning difficulties says that Africa and Wales end up sort of helping each other, and tools travel both ways as the African workshop makes some which are good for Wales, and vice versa.
Vicky Moller
01239 820971
Hapus i gyfathrebu’n Gymraeg neu yn Saesneg.
Happy to communicate in Welsh or English