Cotehele Christmas Food Fair 2010

[beattie]

I've just packed Ivybags. The weather forecast is grim for Saturday evening/ night, so keeping fingers crossed we'll get in and get out again....

[masterclock]

Well here we are at Cotehele.

Woke up at 06:30 to find an inch of snow. Not good as we are on the coast and rarely get any at all...... Quick breakfast and we are off. As expected the snow gets thicker once we are away from the coast, but the sky is clear and we have the gear. Morsbaggers always get through.

Bit of an anticlimax to find the snow gets thinner and thinner and gradually vanishes. No problem after the first few miles but kept eyes open for black ice.

Arrive at the show early to find as usual Ivybags has beaten us??

We have the usual space with power and evertything.

Show opens in fifteen minutes but bags are being given away already. We have nearly 450 to give plus any we make.

One Brother and some handcranks for fun.

Data link seems a bit slow, but might try some pictures later.


F

Hmmm more snow predicted for later....

[masterclock]

Pic -



link is incredibly slow!

[Krisaby]

MARVELLOUS! Just that - MARVELLOUS!

[Ivybags]

Arrived home safely after a very successful day - hope the Beatties also get back safely
No snow in Devon, but very cold and windy. beautiful day down at Cotehele, and it was packed all day.

Lots of lovely food stalls - we are fortunate to be next door to fudge and opposite Mrs "Plum Duff" - both have tasty samples !!
Will do a bit of shopping tomorrow - weather permitting (Mr Beattie tells us there's white stuff heading East from Dorset....)
We were also joined by Leafie from Ashburton - thank you Leafie -
It was good to see some "bags in the wild" - from last year's event - there was even one with the old Leicester label on !!!
As ever, much interest in the "oldies" (hand crank variety ) and we kept busy on the machines
I have a confession - I thought I had cracked the 2000 mark this afternoon - but am 5 off it..............should get there in the morning

The famous Cotehele Christmas garland in the big hall is spectacular - people come from miles around to see it - made fresh each year from the Cotehele gardens
(Photo to follow)

Was very pleased I wore my fleecy lined trousers - but we do have the warmest corner -
Looking forward to day 2

[Ivybags]

The beautiful Cotehele Christmas garland



Christian makes his first bag

[beattie]

The Beatties arrived home safely after the first day at Cotehele. Near Newquay, the snow was almost as deep on our way home as it was on the way out. I guess the day never really got above freezing point.

We had a lovely busy day, giving out hundreds of the bags we'd made beforehand, making almost 30 more on the day and chatting to the very many people who'd turned out to see Cotehele's Christmas garland as in Ivybags' photos. Christian (who's he? see on..) told me that one couple had driven all the way from Wales, with snow all the way as far as north Devon, to come to the Taste of Cornwall Food Fair, and see the garland. There's a great atmosphere with lots of cheerful stallholders in a (heated) marquee accessed off the cosy restaurant we lurk in. By the way, it's really convenient mosbagging in a restaurant - the meal you've ordered can be served at your stall! (all the restaurant tables were taken).

Dozens of people had morsbags from previous events with them, or in daily use - just the sort of news to gladden morsbaggers' hearts. One bag was one of Offcuts' with a "Supreme sewing machines sponsors...." label. Are you still using those, Offcuts?

There are a few things already on the to-do list for tomorrow -

1) Do some shopping! The fudge lady next door ("Sweet Caroline") is offering 4 bags of fudge for £5 - bargain!!
2) The lady opposite ("Plum Duff and More") sells Christmas puddings that I can vouch for - gorgeous!
3) Do some more shopping! I haven't cruised the marquee next door to find super pate, drinks, bread etc yet!
4) Make another bag with Christian, nephew of the organiser's deputy, who made a bag and loved it today. Here he is finishing off the last bag of the day for me, after we'd discussed exactly how a sewing machine works. He's a born engineer, like Masterclock, wants to know how everything works, and "sees" how it goes. Genius! His mum says he's been dismantling and "remantling" his toys since he was a tot. Just like Masterclock!



He's coming back tomorrow to wind all the bobbins for me and make another bag for himself from scratch this time. Choosing the material, cutting / tearing it up, everything except ironing it!

And here is Ivybags handing over her 1995th bag to the grateful recipient - the lady we've been calling "Mrs Plum Duff" who's been keeping us supplied all day with samples of her absolutely delicious Christmas pudding!



I'm really looking forward to going again tomorrow and doing it all over again. There's a super happy atmosphere and a great turn-out, in spite of the weather.

Happy Christmas!!

[loopy's bags]

Great stuff - sounds a very successful day Beattie. Hope you have a safe journey tomorrow and no more snow. You certainly took a load of bags with you - did you make all 450 yourselves or have you had help? Good luck for tomorrow..... and with the shopping! Fudge sounds yummy, as do the Christmas puds. Hope there's some left for you to buy!!!

[beattie]

Ivybags had about 200 and we brought 250, of which, Masterclock made more than I did.

[loopy's bags]

Wow! that's some total...! You all must be making bags morning, noon and night!

Very well done though...

[beattie]

We reckon that making several bags each per day is not that time consuming. An average of 20 each per week isn't that difficult, but we do have lots of practice and run up bags quite quickly. It still leaves time for other things that we both want to do.

[Tintinabulation Wells]

Well done Beatties and Ivybags. The Christmas Garland looks beautiful. Good luck for today.

[Krisaby]

Well done the Intrepid Beatties!

[sazziej]

The Christmas garland does look beautiful.

A belated good luck message from the Sazzies and Offcuts for today.

(Offcuts is unable to post from Harrogate, but will hopefully post later tonight or tomorrow)

[Ivybags]

Another very succesful day from Cotehele

It was a beautiful day today - but thermals definitely required - my poor car registered - 5 degrees this morning as I crossed the Tamar Bridge !!!! I was quite amused when I saw people carrying in more food stocks first thing - in COOL BOXES I made my purchases including local cider and pork sausages, and put them straight into my car to keep refridgerated !!

The Beatties battled through snowy Cornwall again, and arrived not far behind me. Christian ensured we all had coffee before settling down at Beatties hand crank - I think she took a pic of his finished bag before her batteries gave out

By mid afternoon we had given out all the bags we brought, and were even hot machine bagging until we ran out of steam, kits and time. If we got peckish we could nip across to Mrs Plum Duff for a bite, and we also had waitress service to the Morsbagging table from the lovely NT cafeteria - not quite Betty's, but pretty tasty.

I cracked my 2000 this morning, and carried on with another dozen or so, rounding my weekend total up to 35. Beattie kept our full tally which I am sure she will post later

And we have already been invited back next November