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The Bazaar
The Bazaar in the Benson Hall on June 5th and 7th was a great success. The exact amoung of the takings is not yet known, but will be about £120. Large numbers filled the Hall on both days, and hearty appreciation was expressed at the price of the goods offered. The enormous stock was almost sold out.
There were eight stalls - fancy goods, coats and skirts, jumpers and blouses, underclothing, men's clothes, boots and shoes, refreshments, and a "Woolworths" stall at which every article was 6d. or less.
Among the sellers were the Rev. Mother and Sisters from the Convent, Mesdames Bennett, Castle, Dowding, Gabbitas sen., Gabbitas jun., Game, Leslie, Plumb, Watson; Misses Blakiston, Day, Graves, Knight, Leslie, Marriage, McCarthy, Morgan, Spencer, Wilkerson; Messrs. Castle, Charles Gabbitas, Fred Gabbitas, Rowley.
Among the side-shows were - 1, silver mine, in which the prizes went to Miss D. Spencer and Mr P. Castle; 2, guessing weight of lump of coal (113 and a half lbs.), correctly guessed by Mr M. Blakiston; 3, cake, won by Miss Marriott; 4, basket of eggs, won by Mrs Knight; 5, dinner (chicken, vegetables, sweets), won by Mr Balls; 6, table-centre, won by Mrs Leslie.
Father Owen, the former parish priest, gave great pleasure to his old friends, by motoring down from town with his brother and mother on the Monday afternoon.
At the conclusion of the Bazaar, Father Morgan thanked all the helpers, whose hard work had ensured this great success.
Bazaar Items
Parcels for the Bazaar came from all over England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
The promoters intended to keep a record of the number of parcels and boxes, but lost count after two hundred.
It took hundreds of hours to mark the goods.
One stall was marked "Here we are - Woolworths," every article being 6d. or less.
Buyers were five deep round some of the stalls.
A big trade was done in hot tea and ices. No, the ices were not hot.
The weight of a lump of coal could be guessed for 1d. It was 113 and a half lbs.
Competitors were allowed to pick it up, but did not.
One of the guessers asked "Would it be a ton?" The frivolous custodian replied "It would be if it could, but it can't."
The coal was won (of course) by a man who uses no coal in his house.
A silver mine contained silver coins, the position of which could be guessed for 1d.
There was no strike of miners.
Guessing was popular. The weight of a cake could be guess for 6d, and the number of eggs in a closed basket for 3d.
Brigands in pretty dresses and bobbed tresses recorded the guesses.
Father Morgan guessed 19 lbs. for the cake. This was considered uncomplimentary.
Nobody said a cross word all through the Bazaar, and everybody seemed pleased with everything. There were many wonderful bargains.
