And I'm Just Getting Around To Sunday...

By the time I got home from the theatre and due to the difficulty of Sunday public transport service, I was up by 5.30am and had to take drastic steps to make my way to the first food festival at Saltburn. It involved a replacement bus service instead of a train ride due to engineering work being carried out on the branch line.

The bus service doesn't start in my town before 9.30am and this is as I have said before, not a rura area. So having access to the bus arranged by the railways that left my town around 7.20am was welcome and gave me a head start. Except it did get lost on its way. I nearly continued by joining the train service to Saltburn but with access to a bus pass(for now)I made my way to the bus station in Middlesborough and found a bus to take me to Redcar, then a connection to Saltburn.

The festival was heaving...and had been so from the start at 10am and though the event lasted until 4pm. The truth is that many stall holders had sold out by 3pm, some stayed until the end(moral support)to discuss business matters with other stall holders and organisers but understandably it had been a long day and some probably had a lot of travelling to do to get home.

Thankfully the weather was kind.Overnight and since it has rained and been unforgiving and many areas have been flooded. Some beaches have seen sand washed away. Everyone present believes in what they are doing, offering high quality goods, few items are duplicated, most is pitched at a fair price and no more expensive than goods you'll find in a supermarket or a branded product.

I am now a Food Market "Groupie" and do all I can to talk up such events and the normal monthly markets that take place around the area. I try not to overstay my welcome with my enthusiasm and avoid becoming a pest so I do avoid some events or appear briefly so I don't "Get in the way!" besides some items(being single)take me time to work my way through. But its a two way thing and through difficult times I have been shown friendship and kindness too. I appreciate that and it does give you something to think about.

It took me approx fives hours to get to Saltburn but was quicker on the return trip and all the connections worked well. Approx 3 hours travel time and approx 10 mins between connections. I was so tired I fell asleep on the bus from Redcar to Middleborough(don't remember when I last did that)

I came home with some treats(as I clear my fridge/freezer out)and we head towards Christmas and the like I want to buy more from such markets and less from the Supermarket.

I came home with one last cordial flavour from the Mr Fitzpatrick range, I have them all now, well looking at the website the one I have from yesterday is no longer available(Black beer and Raisin)but they have added Strawberry and Kiwi to the range.

I purchased a jar of honey and ginger from the local Yorkshire company The Beez Neez. I purchased some honey from them some months ago which was lovely(honey and whisky)and from the Yorkshire Cheese Company some Sticky toffee cheese, strawberries and cream cheese and apple and raisins...

I have a few image to post which follow but some I will wait for my friend The Gingerbread Mam to approve and have first call to use them as she wishes and post only those that should be on a public forum(some are private)

The rest are general images and all those featured knew that images were being taken and again if they are of any use to those who organised the event wish to they are welcome. I'll take more another time.

 

This trio of musicians entertained the crowds all day and I let them know how much I enjoyed their music and enthusiasm. As I left I gave them the thumbs up and got one back from the euphonium player. They made you smile.

 

 

 

 

This couple made the public smile too, not sure what was being promoted, possibly a frugal lifestyle and memories of simpler times gone by. They also had an old fashioned radio on the back of the tricycle playing 40's and 50's music. I think it was simply for fun.

 

 

 

Remember most of these images can be enlarged...

 

BBC Tees devoted around twenty minutes to the festival doing a live link up to Saltburn and a number of stall holders were interviewed plus the organiser of it all and included in the line up was The Gingerbread Mam*...This proves the worth of local radio, commercial radio in general has given up and just concentrates on music and adverts. Its a blessing and a curse to offer such lovely items because all being well everything sells well, that equally makes it difficult to keep up with the demand but its great to be so popular and see regulars turn up and also see people converted to the delights on offer. Personality and friendliness plays its part too.

 

Another good thing about yesterday...I discovered that Preston Park is approx five minutes walk from the railway station at Eagglescliffe much easier than the internet suggested. That the number 64 or is that the 63 bus service runs past Albert and Stewart Park so they are only minutes from the town centre.

 

Also on the same route there are two big retailers that may be of interest to me...one is selling mainly European/Asian food on Linthorpe Road and the other(not that I necessarily agree with it)Halal items but they sell much more. I need to do more research and not necessarily believe what I am told in media more than ever I do not take things at face value. A friend has filled in some gaps in my knowledge and also told me of other retailers closeby including a Chinese and Polish supermarket which I missed. 

 

So I learnt quite a lot yesterday...

 

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