End Of The Fairs?

Facebook post 9 June 2017 at 14:41 

Today being Chocolate Friday Mrs Lasagne and I put more bagfulls of donations into the PTA cupboard.

Then took loads out again searching for the Chocolate Fountain which someone wanted for the Sixth Form Prom.

Only to discover it was actually in the cupboard in the Sixth Form Room.

But at least we got the opportunity to put everything back in tidily - and create more space for the donations that keep coming in.

***

 

Last Sunday teatime I suddenly realised that this was the first June or July in over twenty years that I haven’t been involved in organising a school Summer Fair.

For a couple of years when Ferretfingers and Thunderthighs were in different schools Mrs Bun and I helped organise Fairs at both of them. 

Two Saturdays running, followed by a long gin and tonic.

Of course you’re not just doing stuff on the day of the Fair. 

The whole of the day before is needed to sort out donations and set up tombola, bottle and all the other stalls.

Organising starts in January when you set the date and start contacting people.  There are begging letters to write and deliver to local businesses and shops;

posters to prepare and take around; newsletters to go in home-school bags asking for volunteers and donations. 

We came up with the idea of putting a carrier bag with a label saying “Please fill me up with goodies for the Summer Fair” in each pupil’s bag. 

We also had monthly donation Fridays:  May was Toiletries Friday, and June Chocolate Friday.  We thought Bottle Friday might be a bit awkward so we’d ask people to bring bottles to the Easter events. 

All the donations have to be stored somewhere and that’s where the

PTA cupboard comes in.

People got so used to seeing me fossicking about fitting stuff into the PTA cupboard      Mrs Rose jokingly asked “What are you going to do when Thunderthighs leaves school and you haven’t the PTA cupboard to play in?”

I told her I had plenty of cupboards at home to play in.

I sometimes think some of my ashes should go into the PTA cupboard.

But when Thunderthighs did leave somehow I didn’t.

Even though I retired as Secretary of the PTA the School's Business Manager and other friends I’d made pulled me back. 

A common cause and good company kept me going.

I am proud to say that very few people have got into any of the Summer Fairs without spending at least a pound on raffle tickets from me.

But not this year – which might explain why I’m feeling so lost and out of sorts.

The chain is broken …

But it took a global pandemic to stop us.