Local Area - Choices
w/e 14 July 2019
All of this week's pictures were
taken with a Kodak DX6490
There are times in the year when organised events
are few and far between. Then there's July when the choices of
places to go and things to see appear endless.
Last Sunday for example, July 7th, we chose to visit the Lakeside
Festival at Kirk Hallam again.
|
Natural history was a prominent feature at the Festival with
stalls raising money for various animal related charities. The
Cats Protection League, the RSPB, Butterfly Conservation, Fudge
& Co (Exotic Animal Encounters) were all there among many
other stalls around the lake. The swans that can usually be found
on the lake seemed unperturbed in the natural habitat but a young
swift was being hand reared ready for its long flight to Africa
and a barn owl found many new friends as it perched on the glove
worn by visitors to the Festival.
|
Entertainment was provided all afternoon around the site and
members of the Derby Serenaders Showband enjoyed a break in the
sunshine between performances.
|
Six days later on Saturday July 13th, the choices were even greater.
This was the day of the Arena Church's Serve Day and several
volunteers at The Hub on Bellfield Street embarked on a litter
picking and weeding project in the surrounding area.
|
More volunteers served cream teas also at The Hub whilst at the
Arena Hope shop on the Lower Market Place (and The Project on
Bath Street), members of the church interacted with the local
community. They also organised and ran a Fun Day with games and
entertainment for children on the Beauvale Drive Play Area at
Cotmanhay. This was all part of the church's commitment to serve
the community and they also had a stall at the League of Friends'
Summer Fayre at the Ilkeston Community Hospital which was taking
place at the same time to raise funds for the Food Bank that
they run from The Hub.
|
We arrived at the hospital shortly before the official opening
time but most of the stalls were occupied and other visitors
had also started to arrive. A selection of classic vehicles including
two tanks offered a foretaste of the Classic and Heritage Vehicle
Show to be held in Ilkeston's Market Place next month. At the
Fayre there were a variety of craft stalls, a cake stall, tombolas
and raffles and not all of the patients were human!. This large
wheelchair confined Teddy Bear was a prize in the League of Friends'
raffle.
|
Some of the classic vehicles can be seen here behind the lady
and gentleman selling homemade jams, lemon curd and honey that
you could taste before you bought - which we did!
|
We left the hospital before the Fayre got into full swing and
headed straight to West Hallam where the Well Dressing Festival
had already been going for over an hour.
|
There were many stalls here too but the Well Dressing Festival
also seemed to be a festival of music with various groups playing
throughout the afternoon. There were at least three choirs performing
almost simultaneously in the Dales Car Park, the School Square
and in St Wifrid's Church and all were very much appreciated.
|
The Well Dressing Festival in conjunction with the Scarecrow
Trail is set to run all week so a return visit is on the cards.
For this Saturday though we called it a day although our choices
of places to go included Holbrook Village Fete, the Sawley Park
Fun Day, the Beach at Nottingham and another at Beeston - well
maybe next year.
|
