St. Nicholas Parish Weekend

Refreshment tent

The annual parish weekend was held June 8^th and 9^th.  The theme this year was Memories.  While the weather wasn’t as warm as earlier in the week, it was dry. A barbeque of hamburger, ham, and sausage as well as a salad bar and strawberries and whipped cream.

Putting up the tents on Friday

 The parish can request a fly over by a historic plane and it happens.  This years’ fly over was a Dakota. It made 4 passes. On one of the passes it appeared to come very close to the church’s tower.

Dakota Fly over

The 4 large outside marques were set up. One held refreshments with cakes and tea or coffee.  Lemon or coffee-walnut flavored cakes appeared to be the favorites. The other tents had a vegetable table with plants as well as produce a cake stall, knit wear table, book stall – great bargains at $.20each, a kids’ activity prize table and the Tombola table with 225 prizes. A tombola is a kind of raffle.  All the prizes have numbers.  You pay your pound, draw a number, and that is your prize. A raffle tent was set up at the end of the marques. I won a 20 pound gift certificate!

Veggies, knit wear, books, cakes for sale

 Inside the church, table tops are laid across the pews to make large tables.

Interior of St Nicholas church. displays on the outer sections of pews.

Here different groups had displays relating to the memory theme. One table had items brought by individuals. Pictures, programs, medals, awards are just a few of the items shown. 

Items brought by parish members

                         The impressive regalia of a Haxey Hood Lord was displayed. 

Coat and Hat of the Lord of the Hood festivities. A "hood" leaning against the coat.

           I was asked to display my t-shirt quilt showing John’s travels in the past.

The children were able to participate in a flower arranging competition using a coffee mug. St. Nicholas Mothers Union displayed their old and new banners, scrapbooks of their activities, pictures of members, and the silver cup won in 1967 for the book Adolescence.

Groups of the village were also well represented.  The Women’s Institute had manikins with costumes made by members that had been used in past entertainments.

Costumes from Women's Institute

 The Brownies and Rainbows brightened their area with pictures they had created. The Scouts had a display of badges from the UK as well as international. They have a total of 2800 badges. Haxey’s Drama Society included in their display pictures, and programs from many of their past performances. Haxey and Westwoodside Heritage Society had pictures of the Isle taken in 1890 next to 1997 pictures taken at the same spot. They also added some fun by having a contest. If you had the most correct matches of the baby pictures to the adult members, you won one of the pictures.  The Camera Club displayed fascinating pictures taken by its members. They ranged from polar bears to mice and from local settings to far flung ones.  Everyone’s displays were left in the church all Sat. and Sunday so everyone could come and see them. It was a very English take on the church picnic.