of the
Good Shepherd
The Good Shepherd Parish Christmas Bazaar November 19th 2016
The Good Shepherd Christmas bazaar has been a traditional annual event for as long as I can remember.
Back in the day we had it on a Friday night as well. People would scramble to get the best gifts and the old hall was so
packed you couldn't move to chat to anyone but it was still a must do in the run up to Christmas.
This year the event ran so smoothly with so much support from parishioners, friends and relatives it felt as though something was going to go terribly wrong at any moment. But it didn't! It was a fabulous day and even the setting up (which takes almost a day and a half) was a fun time with people coming and going, bringing donations, offering to help, having a catch up over raffle ticket folding. We even invaded the Friday soup kitchen for a cheeky bowl of soup! It does help when the magic Christmas decoration fairies have already popped in, set up and decorated the hall the day before.
The day itself was no different. Everyone turned up bright and early, sorted out their own little bit and we awaited the crowds! Our very own deputy mayor Viv McCrossen opened the fair for us before rushing off to serve 300 hungry people their lunch in the kitchen. Santa was in full flow in his fantastic grotto mesmerizing the children with his vast knowledge of them. Every year Carolyn Hunt comes in and creates this magic and it is truly beautiful to see. Anne Steele didn't disappoint with the Irish coffee that is now legendary at the Good Shepherd Christmas bazaar. The stalls were doing well: thank you to GSA for the amazing bottles donated for the bottle stall; to Katie Kitching who washed and prepared what looked like thousands of teddies for the teddy tombola; to Catherine Moore and all the uniformed groups for the sweet tombola and to everyone who donated the incredible number of tombola prizes, chocolate, jams and cakes for the various stalls.
But for me the best bit of all was to see people having a catch up. This has to be everyone's favourite part of the bazaar. It brings out the community spirit our parish has. We may be the biggest Parish in the diocese but we come together as an extended family welcoming everyone in at this event, remembering friends who are no longer with us. Outside stallholders always comment on it and always want to re book before the day is even over.
This event wouldn't be possible without the help and support of so many people in the parish. We wouldn't want it to be. The Good Shepherd Christmas Bazaar will always be the parish event we don't miss!
Submitted by Andrea Kelly
This year the event ran so smoothly with so much support from parishioners, friends and relatives it felt as though something was going to go terribly wrong at any moment. But it didn't! It was a fabulous day and even the setting up (which takes almost a day and a half) was a fun time with people coming and going, bringing donations, offering to help, having a catch up over raffle ticket folding. We even invaded the Friday soup kitchen for a cheeky bowl of soup! It does help when the magic Christmas decoration fairies have already popped in, set up and decorated the hall the day before.
The day itself was no different. Everyone turned up bright and early, sorted out their own little bit and we awaited the crowds! Our very own deputy mayor Viv McCrossen opened the fair for us before rushing off to serve 300 hungry people their lunch in the kitchen. Santa was in full flow in his fantastic grotto mesmerizing the children with his vast knowledge of them. Every year Carolyn Hunt comes in and creates this magic and it is truly beautiful to see. Anne Steele didn't disappoint with the Irish coffee that is now legendary at the Good Shepherd Christmas bazaar. The stalls were doing well: thank you to GSA for the amazing bottles donated for the bottle stall; to Katie Kitching who washed and prepared what looked like thousands of teddies for the teddy tombola; to Catherine Moore and all the uniformed groups for the sweet tombola and to everyone who donated the incredible number of tombola prizes, chocolate, jams and cakes for the various stalls.
But for me the best bit of all was to see people having a catch up. This has to be everyone's favourite part of the bazaar. It brings out the community spirit our parish has. We may be the biggest Parish in the diocese but we come together as an extended family welcoming everyone in at this event, remembering friends who are no longer with us. Outside stallholders always comment on it and always want to re book before the day is even over.
This event wouldn't be possible without the help and support of so many people in the parish. We wouldn't want it to be. The Good Shepherd Christmas Bazaar will always be the parish event we don't miss!
Submitted by Andrea Kelly
3 Thackeray's Lane, Woodthorpe, Nottingham, NG5 4HT. Tel: (0115) 926 8288