ST James’ Church in Bratton held its annual Fete on Saturday 26th June.
The church report, “The fete was a great success, in fine weather and with a large number of people coming along from Bratton and neighbouring areas throughout the afternoon. Many of those attending said that they were so pleased to be able to get out and enjoy an event like this, meeting friends and making some new ones.
“This year’s event was held taking into account Covid-19 restrictions. The 16 stalls were well dispersed either in the large garden of the Institute or outside on the adjacent public area. All those present were checked in either by using a NHS Track and Trace QR code or by taking names and contact details. Sanitiser was widely available and most stallholders coming into fairly close contact with the public wore face masks.
“Due to Covid-19, the fete couldn’t be held last year, so this year a huge number of donated items were sold from many of the stalls. These included books, a tombola, a bottle tombola, bric-a-brac and a Women’s Institute home-made produce stall. There were also lots of games such as knocking down tin cans, golf putting, a bran tub, ‘balance a coin on a floating lemon’, and ‘guess the number of spots on my Dalmatian’. Bratton Guides and Brownies provided an interesting display and Bratton Jubilee Players recruited several new members.
“Perhaps the most impressive stall was run by June Platts, who had spent the past 15 months, from the first Covid-19 lockdown, making delightful craft items such as toys and children’s clothing.
“Refreshments were especially popular. Ice creams almost sold out and the supply of donated cakes for teas was keenly consumed. Fortunately, the weather allowed most people to be able to sit outside at the many tables provided.
“As well as being a great community success, the fete provided a superb income that is much needed for St James’ Church, which has suffered several lead thefts in recent years. After relatively low expenses the profit was about £2,600, well up on recent years.”
