'Christmas In My Heart!'

Some of the prizes I won...

It is beginning to start to feel more like Christmas is on the way again to me now following my much loved visit to St Clement's Church Christmas Fair in Hastings Old Town today. I LOVE this fair and HATE it when I miss it but it is always notoriously poorly advertised as far as the Internet and local press is concerned and so I have often missed it in previous years simply because I could not find out when it was on! Thankfully, a friend of mine on Facebook put me straight as to when it was this year and so I made the 'festive pilgrimage' to the church today from my home in Hollington.

Its a fair old walk from where I am in Hollington to the Old Town and few would take on the climb up all of the West Hill steps from the bottom of Queens Rd to make the short cut across the hill to drop back down into High Street that I did! Half way up the steps I was blowing really hard and had to stop for a bit. "Im getting old" I thought to myself. At the very top of the second flight of the steps I had slowed to a feeble walk... "If I carry on doing this I won't get much older," I thought to myself!

I tell you what though all of the huffing and puffing was worth it! My favourite thing over virtually the whole of Christmas is having numerous goes at the '£1 a go - win a prize every time' stall at this fair. I ALWAYS go mad and have about £15 worth each time because every year the organisers make a great effort to do all of the gifts you win up nicely and thus create some wonderfully festive little presents that you can use to display under the Christmas tree or marvel at ( trying to guess whats inside, of course!) between now and the big day. Getting older, I have very few people left these days to give me presents and a lot of those who do give me something like money or something they know I want because we have arranged it that way.

The total haul this year!

 The childish joy I used to get of 'wondering what Santa is going to give me' has therefore gone and I miss it. So, to create a bit of magic for myself and to put some of the money I save up in my Simon charity lighthouse ( a money box) to good use I love to 'let rip' at this fair and buy myself plenty of presents to look forward to opening on Christmas Day.

I usually get quite a lot of other things as well after browsing the bric-a-brac and festive stalls but unusually this year I failed to find much bar 4 Fairport Convention CD's, which I got for £5 along with a double CD of Barclay James Harvest and a Les Baxter CD. As much as I would love to try my luck at the Tombola or go in for the Christmas raffle I rarely do because the £1 a go - win every time stall seems a better bet!

They usually have a drinks raffle as well but I am very wary of those having seen people 'add tickets' into the barrel in the past (not at this venue though). That to me is wrong and fraudulent and definitely NOT in the spirit of Christmas!

I know the organisers have to make enough money from the stall to cover the cost of the drinks but to offer prizes that no-one actually has a fair chance of winning is mean and nasty in my opinion. I would rather lose money on an honest raffle than resort to such tactics but most people don't seem to see it that way...

Anyway, after a long walk and the thrill of being recognised as 'the guy who always buys loads of presents' by the stall holders I spent a good hour or so in the church looking and re-looking at everything and enjoying the atmosphere. I met an old school friend, Paul Bryant at the fair again ( he is often there when I am) and we spent a good while chatting over a cup of tea and a mince pie ( well, I had a peanut cookie instead). I gave Paul's little baby girl one of the prizes I won one year when the event was held at the All Saints Church Hall in All Saints St and was amazed to see that 'Evie' is now 11! Wow! I could not believe it was that long ago! Mind you, it was lovely to be reminded that my gesture then was obviously appreciated as Paul told me that they still have the cuddly toy I gave her indoors...

We talked about the kind of year that we have both had and I was glad that his has been a lot happier than mine. Paul went self employed this year ( he's a painter and decorator - look him up!) and I am glad to say is doing very well. He is a lovely, caring and thoroughly honest chap so if you are reading this and thinking, 'Ooh, I could do with a painter and decorator I can trust!' then you should hire Paul!
All in all I feel much more Christmassy than before now and hope to start getting my usual 'Christmas buzz' coursing through my veins as we go forward!