Monday 4 December 2017

December 4th and The Christmas Shopping Festival

Our nearest small town/big village is DEBENHAM  - 3 miles away - and I drive through when heading to Youngest daughter's house over near the coast. Creeping through the traffic jams, because of the cars that are always parked everywhere...................... I glimpsed a poster.


































I knew we had a Co-op, Pharmacy, a Hardware shop, Hairdressers, Estate agents, Fish and chip shop, Small Antique type shop, Newsagents, Cake shop/Cafe and a Flower shop but didn't think there were enough shops to have a Shopping Festival!
Better go and look.
Turns out there is also a Butcher's shop, Greengrocers, Fancy gifts shop, Cafe and Deli and a Gallery featuring work by a Craftsman Jeweller and local artists.
What a surprise!
Maybe I ought to pick up my books from the little branch library there rather than the Library van so that I get a chance to look round more often and find out what things are going on.

On the green was a Christmas tree with giant baubles!



















There are some very old buildings in the town, years ago there would have been even more shops and more than the two pubs that still survive.























After a good look round I drove out to the edge of town where we have a Sports and Community centre beside the High School ( this was where Col's 60th birthday party was held back in March) where the church were holding their Christmas  bazaar.
Then I thought I'd better head home and light the fire. Wish I'd stayed a bit longer because on my way home I saw some Morris Dancers with blacked up faces and ragged jackets heading toward the green to do a display. Probably East Suffolk Morris Men.

If this You Tube video works you might be able to see them doing a display somewhere a few years ago

(BTW please don't question  the blacked up faces, they are nothing to do with anything Politically Correct or un-PC, but date back to the time when village people performed mummers plays around the villages and didn't want their employers to recognise them..........)

And what did I buy from The Christmas Shopping Festival?.............some Pears from the Co-op!

I think there are some new followers again - Hello and welcome to reading my ramblings

Back Tomorrow
Sue






20 comments:

  1. Gosh I love Debenham, but haven't been there for years. I'm thinking a little trundle out that way is due soon!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Odd little town, quite self -sufficient in a quiet way. But blimey the prices of things in the gift and vintage shops!

      Delete
  2. As long as you enjoyed mooching around it really doesn't matter what you did or didn't buy. x

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have wondered why you don't use a branch library when you are not so isolated down there. I suppose you use the mobile library on the basis of use it or lose it but nothing beats spending a couple of hours in a library as you will well know. I expect Debenham also has a charity shop or two. The small towns around here have Christmas shopping themed days with pipe bands and street entertainment.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've worked in both mobile and branches and know what a lifeline the mobile library is for some older people, especially in villages with no buses.
      And From the library, books are only stamped out for 3 weeks then fines. On the mobile it's 8 weeks and then he doesn't charge fines anyway.
      No charity shops in Debenham sadly.

      Delete
    2. No charity shops. That must be a first for any town in England!

      Delete
  4. Perhaps you could browse the branch library there as an excuse to look around the shops & interesting buildings, whilst still using the mobile library for pick-ups. These days any sort of library service needs as much support as possible or they get cut. Our local parking spot for the library van is now a building site :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The trouble with Debenham library is it's odd opening hours

      Delete
  5. Replies
    1. I was sure someone would take offense at me mentioning black faces so thought I'd get in first!

      Delete
  6. I do love to see the Morris Dancers.
    Hugs-x-

    ReplyDelete
  7. That's funny that you came home with pears! I don't know much about Morris Dancers, but I have heard of Mummers. -Jenn

    ReplyDelete
  8. One of the nicer things about the holidays is getting out and discovering new things (even if they aren’t new, but just dressed up).

    ReplyDelete
  9. Isn't it weird, how we have to put a "PC Warning" on everything today???? What has this silly old world come to????? Even an ancient tradition, has to have this label on it!!!

    Ugh is what I say! Ugh to all the constant PC nonsence!!! I am sick of it! Let the *Snowflakes* put on their "big girl/boy panties" and live in the real world.

    Sorry! It just makes me so mad.

    Hugs to you...

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a delightful discovery!!!! All this wonderful remembrance of The Old Ways. It is marvelous, that small towns still do these things.

    Yes, they are helps-with-selling. But are also helps-with-remembering. With not letting the younger generations forget so many things, which came before.

    England is so very lucky to have such!

    Gentle Yuletide Coming hugs,
    Luna Crone
    (From across the pond)

    ReplyDelete
  11. It's terrible that we have to second guess everything these days. Love the look of the village perhaps we will head there one day.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'll always stop and watch Morris dancers. I like the dance with the clack of the sticks.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thank you for posting positive comments about the black faced Morris Dancers. As one of the Border tradition dancers [we wear black masks] some of my dancing friends on other sides have met with verbal abuse for their faces. This style started on the Welsh Borders and the agricultural labourers blackened their faces with coal. Another word for mumming is guising as in disguising. Arilx

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks for the video and the explanation. Very interesting.

    God bless.

    ReplyDelete
  15. A lovely part of the country my Aunt used to live at Barton Mills and I remember going to Lavenham and we had a lovely day out. I have never seen Morris dancers with blacked up faces - is that a local tradition?

    ReplyDelete