Yard Sale 2013

Today we did the yard sale again.  We did ok, but not brilliantly, certainly not as well as last year.  This could be for a number of reasons.  Firstly there seemed like there were less people, just a few less.  Then I suppose these are not good times for people economically, although that could make people buy more stuff second hand rather than new.  The weather was a bit patchy as well, there was sunny patches and rainy patches.  At about 12.45 there was quite a more persistent shower and quite a few people packed up then, even though it was supposed to finish at 2pm.  In the end I think the main reason I didn't do so well was that I didn't have as much stuff to get rid of as I thought I did.  I looked at it all once I'd got it out and thought "Is this it?"

Later on in the day the sun came out and we went to take the sign back to the organisers.  We spent some of our profits on a swiss roll at Colin's and all was right with the world.

Spring into Jazz (part 2)

After enjoying it so much last year, I was very pleased to get tickets for this years Spring into Jazz.  This time they did a set called Tin Pan Alley in which they played songs and told the stories behind the music.  Tin Pan Alley is a street where all the jazz publishers were in the olden days (I don't rightly remember the exact era its from.  Probably somewhere around the 1920s.  Good job I'm not being tested). After the amount of stories about musicians, publishers and songwriters they told last year, I was surprised that they had any more to tell this time but there was hardly any repetition of stories and not much repetition of tunes either.  The fact I actually remember what they repeated from the previous year says a lot about how good it was as my memory is rubbish.

The band consisted of a singer who also played banjo, a trumpet/ cornet player, a saxophone/ clarinet player, a pianist and a euphonium player who had the most huge instrument ever.  Just lifting it up was a feat in itself, let alone playing it.  Apparently he used to have a metal one which was even heavier, but now he's moved onto a plastic one.  They were all very accomplished musicians.

This time they didn't have a bar, it was bring your own drinks and a fish and chip supper was ordered in from Georges.

Return of the Phantom Blogger

Yesterday someone said to me "you're the phantom blogger aren't you".  Once I'd got over the embarrassment of people knowing it was me who wrote this blog, I quite liked the idea that people were reading my blog and trying to work out who wrote it.  I like a good whodunnit myself.  I suppose if I wanted to write an anonymous blog it's probably not a good idea to write one about the village where I live.  At the end of the day, it just nice to know that people are actually reading it.

After the events at the end of last year, I haven't felt like writing much, but maybe it's time to get back to it.

Big gig

In Weston village hall last Saturday was the big gig and big gig for kids.  The kids were on in the afternoon.  As with any good village event there were tea and cakes on sale, some of which were homemade.  Only 2 acts turned up in the end, a group of girls who dance and one girl who sang a solo.  Brian Dawson did a couple of Beatles songs on the piano then everyone went home.  Apparently there were 4 more acts who didn't turn up, and if they had that would have made a good show.  I don't know why there wasn't a better turnout.  I would have thought a talent show for kids would have been more popular  but maybe it got overshadowed by the adults big gig later on.  Hopefully it won't put the organisers off putting on events like this in the future. Some people say that it wasn't well advertised but I disagree.  There must be people going round the village with their eyes shut.  I just hope they weren't driving.

The big gig itself in the evening was a success.  There was a good turnout for the audience, mainly adults and older children.  They had a group of older guys who played blues type music and they were very accomplished musicians.  Then they had 3 duos of a bloke playing a guitar and a woman singing.  That was the only similarity between the 3 duos, musically they were very different. In the evening the tea and cakes were gone and replaced with a bar and there were little pots of peanuts on the table.  A good time was had by all.

The Pod

Well the pod has finally arrived in Aston.  It seems very popular with the youth in the village and I've seen hardly any of them hanging around at the Lych gate, which was the reason it was built in the first place.  So far, it's achieved it's purpose.

This shelter has speakers and you can blue tooth music from your i-pod to it, and it plays the music.  It is powered by a handle which you wind.  It has lights that work when it gets dark and has lots of entrance/ exits to prevent bullying.  One lad, when his friends told him that there was this shelter which plays music from your i-pod, thought it sounded so good that he didn't believe it was real until he saw it.  Apparently it got covered in graffiti within a week of it being put up, but someone from the parish council went and cleaned it up, and when I went there today there wasn't any.

I have heard a lot less noise from the race track recently.  Maybe they've finally listened to the protests from the residents of Aston and the nearby villages.  Instead I seem to hear a lot of cows mooing, which gives the village a more rural feel.  I wonder if anyone will start up a protest against cow noises?

Ladies Night (and chip van)

As I was on my way to the ladies night at Weston school, I made an amazing discovery.  Aston has a chip van.  It comes to Yates Ave on a Friday night between 7.30 and 8.15.  I had already eaten before I saw it so I didn't buy any, but I will be sure to let you know if they are any good when I do try some.  That's definately a 'when' and not an 'if' as I will be trying them.  Mmm chips.

The Ladies Night was a fundraising event for Weston school and it had lots of stalls selling cards, accessories, jewellery and some foody things.  These was also a bar and various treatments on offer for a fiver such as hot stone massage, facials, nails and eyebrow shaping.  I don't think there were quite as many people  at the ladies night as in previous years, but there were just as many stalls.  Lots of handmade stuff.  There was a stall which did handmade jams, pickles and chocolate and they had loads out at the front to try. I think I must be that kind of stalls worst nightmare as I like to try all the samples but don't very often buy anything.  The chocolate was really good, well most of it anyway.  The rose and bergamot white chocolate was good as was the lemongrass flavour white chocolate, the caramel milk chocolate and the Christmas spice chocolate.  The Christmas tree chocolate was not so good tasted as though it was made with real Christmas trees.  I spent ages talking to the people on the herbalife stall.  It must be hard to sell a weight loss product because it would be quite tactless to go up to someone and say "You look like you need to lose a bit of weight.  Fancy trying our new weight loss product?".  I think they get round this by dropping leaflets through doors and having stalls at events such as this one.  There were a few things I could have bought but I settled on buying a nice handmade headband for my daughter.  As at most events of this sort there was a raffle at the end.  I didn't win though.  Maybe next time eh.

Weston Produce Show

The produce show is one of the most villagy things you can get.  I've lived in towns and visited many towns and cities too but never have I seen a competition for growing fruit and veg anywhere but in a village hall.  The Weston produce show had entries from people in Aston as well as the people from the 2 villages pretty much join in everything the other one does.  As well as classes for fruit and vegetables there were also a few craft and photography classes and also classes for children to enter.  As far as I can tell the competition is friendly; I have heard of some villages where people sneak over the neighbours fence and sabotage the crops in the garden to give themselves a better chance of winning, but I think the competition is friendly in Weston. They don't take it any less seriously though.  Winning the most points in the produce show is a big deal for the folks in Weston, well at least for families in Weston anyway as most of the entries seem to come from them and then a few other people will enter one thing here and there.  I'd love to tell you all who actually won, but I can't remember.  That's what comes of writing about something a month after it happened.

After all the trophies have been handed out they auction off the produce in aid of a good cause.  ( I think this time it was part the air ambulance and the rest to the village hall funds).  Mr Hackett from Shardlow was the auctioneer and he's been doing auctions for as long as I can remember.  I heard quite a few years ago on the grapevine that he wanted to retire, but it seems he hasn't managed to yet.  I can't believe no-one else wants to do it though.  I think it would be fun.  Maybe it's because he is good at it and he'd be a hard act to follow.  Anyway the produce auction is brilliant.  Lots of lovely home grown veg at bargain prices.  The auction was very friendly as well. We just lost out in the bidding on a plate of cakes and the person who won gave us one of them. Others who won something they were bidding on did a similar thing.