News From St Mary’s – May 2022

It’s Open Day & Craft Fair time!

This year’s event is on Saturday 21st May, with a total of 28 stalls and attractions across the whole of St Mary’s site.  Business sponsorship has again been very generous, and we welcome Village Heating and Twisted Toppings pizza as new sponsors.

The Claude Jessett Trust (Tinker’s Park) and its volunteers are once again major partners. We particularly value the time and expertise they put in to help us run the event. This year we will have the Southern Queen showman’s engine on display, together with the fairground organ and steam miniature railway.

The range of craft stalls will be considerably wider this year as we have linked up with the UK Craft Fairs website. This has enabled us to make contact with crafters right across East and West Sussex. New additions this year are a pop up boutique, sculpture from reclaimed metal, and a sale of rustic crafted bird tables. 

Local organisations are well represented, with Buxted C of E Primary School, the WI, Art Club and Horticultural Society all in attendance.

The church will be looking its best, with floral displays and a bric-a-brac and book stall. There is also the opportunity to hear our wonderful organ being played between 2.00 and 3.00.

There will no shortage of food and drink! The ever popular Harvey’s Beer tent will be operating in the Top Field, manned by Tinker’s Park volunteers. There is a BBQ, with Bishop’s burgers and sausages. We like to cater for all tastes, so in the car park area you will find the Vegan Snack Wagon. Just behind, the Woodreed Vineyard from Five Ashes will be selling their English sparkling wine.

Round about 6.00, we will take a short breather to prepare for a sound and light display at dusk, sponsored by local firm Festive Illuminations. The Walsingham chapel stained glass window will be lit up from inside, along with the east elevation of the church, to the accompaniment of stirring music. Finally, there is a flourish of fireworks.

Do come along and be a part of it! Entry and parking are free, but do look out for our volunteers with their donation buckets.

Keith Revoir 

 

   

St Mary’s Open Day & Craft Fair 2022

St Mary’s Open Day & Craft Fair 2022

This year’s event will take place on Saturday 21st May, with a wide range of stalls in both the Church Hall and Garden. The church will be looking its best, with exhibitions by local societies and the church organ providing musical accompaniment.

The Top Field will once again host a live band and the steam miniature railway. Last year it was too wet for a Bouncy Castle, but if fine we hope to have one this year. Last but not least, the Harvey’s Beer Tent and barbecue will be in full swing throughout.

The daytime event is from 12.00 until 6.00, and after a bit of a clear up we will proceed to Round Two!  This is a dusk display of fireworks generously provided and supervised by our local business sponsors Festive Illuminations.

Most of last year’s stallholders have re-booked, but there may be a couple of outside pitches still available. If you are interested, drop me an e-mail at keithrevoir@yahoo.co.uk. The pitch fee is £20, and you will need to provide a table. Also wise to have a pop up gazebo or similar in case of wet weather.

The perfect family day out, on your doorstep!

Keith Revoir 

 St Mary’s Open Day & Craft Fair 2021

 St Mary’s Open Day & Craft Fair 2021

This year’s event was our biggest and best so far, with a total of 25 stalls arranged across the site in the Church itself, the Hall Garden and around the church frontage. Both parish schools were represented with stalls as was the Horticultural Society. Buxted Art Club mounted a mini exhibition in the church.

Outside exhibitors included David Skinner with his working forge, and Pete Holland demonstrating the art of ceramics with his potter’s wheel. Tinker’s Park volunteers were once again heavily involved with all aspects of setting up the event, and providing major attractions such as Wally the Steam Engine and the fairground organ. Guy Osborne’s miniature steam railway rides were in constant demand throughout the afternoon.

Business sponsorship this year surpassed all expectations, and our thanks go to Harvey’s of Lewes, Bishop’s of Uckfield, Waitrose & Partners, Crusader Vans ,Weald Packaging, Festive Illuminations and Pound Green Christmas Trees.

This year we had a five piece band from Chailey called ‘Experiment’. They struck up around 2pm, and an hour or so later the sun came out. Their mixture of pop classics, country and rock was very well received, and we hope to arrange a return visit.

The event was financially very successful, despite the weather, and a total of £2,249 was raised for parish funds. Just as important was the chance for the village to come together again after a very difficult year, and for the church and local organisations to say ‘we are still here’.

We plan to revert to a May event next year, with the addition of a dusk firework display.    

The photo shows Pete Molloy (Rector) and Keith Revoir (Event Organiser) in the Church Hall receiving two generous raffle prizes from Linda Parker of Waitrose & Partners.

Keith Revoir

St Mary’s Open Day & Craft Fair – New Date

St Mary’s Open Day & Craft Fair – New Date

The Rector, Churchwardens and PCC have been looking closely at government guidance with particular reference to our event, which is a mixture of indoor and outdoor activities. On balance, it was felt best not to go ahead with our traditional May event this year, but to proceed in full on a date after all event restrictions are lifted  on 21st June. 

The new date is set for Saturday 10th July, from 12.00 until 6.00

All of our volunteers, exhibitors and sponsors are still very much ‘on board’ despite the 2020 event having to be cancelled. There will be a very wide range of stalls and exhibits both inside and outside the Church Hall, with a theme of crafts and hobbies.

The church itself will be looking its best, with an organ recital planned for the afternoon

The Claude Jessett Trust will once again be our partners, with Wally the Steam Engine coming down from Tinker’s Park, together with the steam miniature railway and a fairground organ.

At the front of the church we will have a working forge and a potter’s wheel, and up in the Top Field the Harvey’s Beer Tent will be assembled, together with a BBQ.  Tea, coffee and cake will as usual be provided in the Church Hall. Our generous local sponsors have provided a range of prizes to be won in the raffle, which will be drawn at 5pm.

As all of the space on site will be taken up with stalls and exhibits, there will be no visitor parking available, but look out for directions to ample free parking further down Church Road.

Keith Revoir

FOR UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN!

FOR UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN!

Begin your Christmas with  glorious candlelit performance of the Christmas Music from Handel’s Messiah.

Bring the whole family and experience the magic of the Christmas Story within the stunning historic Church of St Magarets Buxted . What better place to hear the famous Hallelujah Chorus .
Book soon and be part of this special event .
Refreshments will be provided in the interval.

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