Happy New Year

Last few days the frosty nights have meant beautiful blue skys to wake up to. Taking it easy, eating bit too much, walking up on the Downs and practising my racing skills on Tom's new scalelextrics. Kenny our black and white cat chases the cars round the track. Maybe he thinks they are a new type of mice.

Christmas Open Houses

The second signed tie by Stephen Fry sold today for about £50.00s and the presents we had left raised another £70.00s. So final amount about £500.00 for Action on Addiction and the Children's Society

My calendars found there way into the Handmade House in Ditchling
http://madeuk.blogspot.com/2008/05/brighton-open-houses-handmade-house.html

Somewhere snowy

My small black cat is keeping me company, he likes to find something soft to sit on, a foot, anything will do..

Wondering what the market will be like tomorrow, being the Cliff Bonfire Society its probably going to be fun. Think i have 6 billion calendars i need to sell before the end of the year.. slightly misjudged the demand for them :o)

Christmas will be here far too soon.. longing to be somewhere snowy

Woolworths - 50% off toys and gifts to generate cash for creditors

Woolies and 25,000 jobs need saving
http://money.uk.msn.com/investing/news/article.aspx?cp-documentid=11767020

Lucia

Tom, Ulla, Mona and me went to a Lucia service in Hove. At the end the completly dark church lit only by candles held by the choir filled by the haunting O Helga Natt. Afterwards dancing, coffee and cakes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oeLLncUQCk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rM4GxCyJ3jM&feature=related

Saint Nicholas

http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=23

Maybe next year

The Shine Theatre Group are presenting Winter Wonderland, a magical traditional Christmas evening on the 16th and 17th December at the New Inn in Hurstpierpoint from 6pm with Santa, carols, hot dogs, mince pies and ... snow.

Christmas presents

We have a big pile of presents remaining for little people,
that need a good home..
(but not Kenny) and raise some more for the Children's Society.. can anybody help ?

Thank you to the Entertainer in Brighton and Kid's Stuff in Burgess Hill for all the lovely presents.

Thank you

Thank you to all the wonderful stall holders and Petes's Magic, The Swedish Folk High School, Glenn Butler our auctionier, Santa Claus and his pixies .. Alicia and Mona and all the great friends who helped make today happen.

We have raised about £300.00's in the auction for Action on Addiction and about £50.00's from visits to Santa for the Children's Society.

Slava's Snowshow

Very, very good

Violins

our pixies may be in the paper tomorrow.. but being pixies, they may not

and the Swedish Folk High School will bring violins on Sunday to play folk music as well, big thank you

Fishing rod

Burgess Hill Angling Centre have donated a Shakespeare Firebird Combo Rod and Reel Fishing Set which will be included in the auction once Santa and his pixies have whisked away..

Floor plan

We have a floor plan we will get to you by midweek and welcome please your feedback and ideas or advice. We have put friends togethor when youve told us and food and crafts are togethor in upstairs hall and childrens activities downstairs

We will probably open doors for stallholders setting up about 10 - im sorry that is not a lot of time and we need to go over fire regs before we open up.

If you are two and can repark in recreation ground once youve dropped off, that would be great.. its on the left hand side as you leave Ditchling on the way to Lewes.

Thank you for being part of our event

Santa haunts

Below places to find Santa in London... specially liked Rudolf's Nose Dunker (may borrow this) and the skating rinks are great, i'm really sorry, didn't realise how gruesome the London Dungeon show is
http://www.timeout.com/london/christmas/features/3972/London-s_best_Santa-s_grottos.html

the shop windows at Gallerie Lafayette in Paris are fun
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=i8cKZ8T1edo

Snow

woke up to snow falling, not much sadly and soon gone but very raw

lazy day.. abandoned the flyers and watched skiing instead and figured out how to improvise a screen from things ive found around the house :O) and think we have the promise of a fishing rod..so our St Nick surprise is looking hopeful

costing out the cakes.. planning to make a chocolate cake, brownies, cherry cake, ginger and treacle and lemon drizzle traybakes and we are being supplied with an iced carrot loaf, an orange and lemon crunchy loaf and a pear, almond and orange zest loaf from Ouse Valley Foods.

just been out watching the sunset over the downs but no red skies the last two days

Promotion

Please if you can do something to help promote our event.. that would be great.

Its on a few websites including Brite 106.4, Mercury FM and Southern FM and there are posters in local shops, business as well as some at Sussex University. Also listed in local free papers and magazines and we're walking round locally with flyers

Little overwhelmed as so many small things to do in last few days - we're still hoping to borrow a screen and fishing rod if anyone looking locally sees this

Photos

Our pixies will be in the Mid Sussex Times to help promote the Christmas Market and Santa Claus will arrive walking through the village next Sunday little before 1pm

What is green, white, and red all over?
A sunburnt elf

Slava's Snowshow

Just booked some tickets for the Snowshow.. im so excited
http://www.slavasnowshow.co.uk/default.asp
and found a site listing all the pantomines
http://www.bigpantoguide.co.uk/eastsussex.php
and this link for scripts to put on your own pantomines
at a price thou http://www.lazybeescripts.co.uk/Pantomimes/Index.htm

have also learnt a new Finnish word - Sisu, it means courage,
to get things done against impossible odds
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/22/AR2006032201943.html

hope the English team have lots of it

Ouse Valley Food Factory

Not sure what a jam and pickle equivalent of willy wonkers chocolate factory might be called.. but the scents and brightly colored jars of pickles and jellys and smiling ladies stirring the jams in their large saucepans was something to see - surrounded by fields and blue skys

Have put togethor my first order for beeswax candles for Infinity Foods in Brighton and planning to walk round with flyers in our area

Father Christmas

Have just met Father Christmas and his Mrs who are coming from a long way for our event. They are very sweet and looking forward to the day

Layout

Had a quick look at the layout of the hall for the craft show today and noticed that the Sussex Guild have set up the tables with screens behind them .. and overhead lighting .. we do not have this possibility although it does look good.... if you have lights or candle arches, im sure this would look good ..we are thinking about a Christmas tree downstairs

Bread

visited a local bakery who will bake fresh bread on Sunday for our market.

much to choose from - wholemeal, organic sunflower and walnut, organic white, three seeded, organic sundried tomatos, olive and oregano, organic multi seed and white or rye sourdough loaves..

all sounds nice to me

feel very happy, im visiting Ouse Valley Foods in Plumpton Green next week who make jellies, jams, chutneys, pickles, marmalades and many other fresh foods including cakes .. for a tasting session, hopefully. One of their best selling cakes is chocolate and beetroot but im very sorry will pass on this, even thinking about beetroots, feel quite pale..

We will probably be selling on their behalf as they are busy up in London on the day http://www.ousevalleyfoods.com

Santa Fun Run

Sunday afternoon December 7th about 3 miles along the seashore

http://www.southernfm.co.uk/Article.asp?id=495322

Father Christmas

have been wondering (apart from elves and pixies and small bears.. ) how old .. could be the oldest to visit Father Christmas ?

Ditchling Craft Show

Good morning .. the Sussex Guild are holding a craft show in Ditchling this weekend (15-16th november) - many beautiful things and the village hall in action
http://www.thesussexguild.co.uk/ditchling_craft_show.html

Hotel Chocolate

have included two very large chocolate adverts at the bottom of the links and contact page.. chocolate chili penguins and liquid chocolate with praline and cinnamon.. yum

How things are going

thought it might be fun to share how things are going.. but a bit shy to make this very conspicious (wonder if anyone will find this :O) ) ... seem to have been planning this market for a while

asked my son what i should say next .. and what he said made him and me laugh a lot

just want to say, im so impressed and amazed at the generosity of people towards the charities and all those providing entertainment. Despite struggling at the beginning to put things togethor, its all really flying

at the moment we're wrapping presents for Father Christmas and looking for someone to source bread baked on the day

wondered if we could find someone nearby to loan us a fishing rod.. (something to do with Father Christmas.. ho ho)

and wondering about food ... would love some ideas about favourite cakes and how much ? There will be glogg (mulled wine) but non alcoholic