Cherry Lodge Cancer Care held its annual Christmas Fair – this year given the eye-catching new name of ‘Festive Fair’ – on Saturday 26th November 2016. For the second year running, this popular event was held at St James Church in East Barnet. For those who were unaware that it was taking place, a more than life-size Minion, with his guide, stood outside Sainsbury’s to point people in the right direction.
Unlike last year, when we woke up to flurries of snow, the weather was good for the time of year and plenty of people managed to attend. The plant and cake stalls did a roaring trade, as did the marmalade and relish stall. A variety of jewellery was on sale and this gave plenty of people the opportunity to buy presents.
The Fair was opened officially by representatives from the London Pantomimers (see photo 2, below), who from 1st to 10th December will be raising money for Cherry Lodge with their performances of Snow White at the Intimate Theatre in Palmers Green. It was good to have the Pantomimers at our Fair and also good to have Cherry Lodge’s own singers (see photo 11) on stage in the afternoon performing appropriate songs as well as an enthusiastic rendition of ‘On Ilkla Moor Baht ’at’. It has to be said that the Cherry Lodge Singers go from strength to strength and that they always raise people’s spirits.
Stuart Lanning, who can be seen in several of our photos dressed in his pale blue Cherry Lodge shirt, was clearly having fun with the Pantomimers and our one-eyed Minion as well as manning one of the stalls.
Santa managed to sneak into the church without being seen and this was clearly a great excitement for the children who visited him in his grotto. In addition, there was face and biscuit painting for them and the children’s tombola did a roaring trade. Julia, the portrait painter, once again offered her services (see photo 8).
The ‘kitchen staff’ excelled themselves with the preparation of two delicious soups, which, accompanied by chunks of bread, made a good lunch.
Cherry Lodge’s two seasonal fairs, in winter and in summer, are now well established on the calendar and always prove popular, despite facing competition from at least three other major events in Barnet on 26th November.
Once again, thanks to all who cooked, baked, donated items for raffle prizes and the two tombolas, brought plants and helped on the many stalls. Thank you also to everyone who managed to make it to the church and helped raise funds for us by spending their money at the Fair.
