Wednesday 11 January 2012

Pre-christmas Publicity for the Cuddlies - plus additional information

This article actually appeared on the Thursday before Christmas week (December 16) and I've been trying to scan it into the computer in a legible form ever since.  I gave up today, because the combination of the newsprint and inks used simply do not provide a good enough result for you good folks to decipher.  A pity, really, because it included a really good picture of all the toys (similar to the my post of December 20) but with the addition of myself as well - and it wasn't a bad one either!  I did promise to post any article that might appear, so true to my word,  here it is - coupled with a repeat of my own photograph of the event, but minus yours truly - have not yet worked out how to self-photograph as yet!
                                                       
Repeating the previously posted picture
                               "HEYTESBURY CHURCH CHRISTMAS FAYRE

"The Heytesbury Church Christmas Fayre took place earlier this month at Saint Peter and Saint Paul Church (December 10, actually).

In spite of a chilly day the event was very well attended with visitors able to browse stalls selling everything from cuddly toys, organic therapy products to novelty clocks and much more.

Organiser, Ali Tebbs said, "I felt that the Christmas Fayre has been a great success today.  We have had everything from home-made produce and craft to exotic olive oil and soft toys.  The tea, coffee and mince pies have been very popular.

Ali's husband Mike added, "The village has pulled together to raise money for the church.  It's great to see the church so full of people."

There was a stall with all kinds of soft and cuddly toys available for visitors to hold, stroke and buy.  Isobel Morrell who was running the stall said, "I've been selling soft toys - rabbits, foxes and bears of all sizes.  I make them all myself and I have been doing it for nearly 50 years;  they are made to last.

I renovate soft toys - not dolls.  Some of those I have restored recently have been up to 85 years old and I give them another 30 or more years of life.

I also run Coldham Cuddlies soft toy clinic and two current patients are 35 plus years old.  I made them and they've come back for re-stuffing and rejuvenation." "

The article then went on to describe and quote some of  the other stall holders' views on their individual successes and views on the event.  However, it is gratifying that my picture was at the top of the three others included.  Apart from the obvious repetitive nature of the report, (I don't think I spoke in that manner!) it's my best publicity yet locally, so I was very pleased.

However, one must not get too excited.  "The Warminster Journal" despite being the local weekly newspaper hereabouts does not have a great reputation within its readership!  Earlier in our sojourn in the vicinity (we've been here over 3 years now), one of my neighbours said that she used it to line the bottom of her budgie's cage!   Hmmm.....  still at least it's some publicity! 

Now, just a further piece of information (as promised in my last post) about Ferdy Fox's Forever Home location.  Mrs.PW kindly telephoned to enquire about Peter's health earlier today - he's suffering the chest bug that is making the rounds in the village and The Hospital of St. John - so I took the opportunity to ask her where Ferdy is going to live.  It is, as I suspected, British Columbia and Vancouver Island specifically.

However - and this blew both Peter and I away - Mrs. PW is actually Victoria, BC born and bred, she knows the location of the acreage on the island to which we originally emigrated to stay with Peter's sister in Metchosin (just outside Victoria itself) and also knows where a couple of our friends currently live.  But, the final co-incidence - believe it or not - is that her father's accountants in Victoria were the same company that I worked for when we first landed in Canada  in 1975.   Now if that doesn't illustrate just how small this world of ours is, I don't know what will!!

On that note, I'll end this post - just two more and the magic centenary post will be upon  me.  Not sure how I'll celebrate that one!  Goodnight .  Isobel