Maidenhead Combined Charities Fair – 5 November 2011

by Andrew Burdett · Saturday, 5 November 2011

As usual, the Lions Club of Maidenhead held their annual Combined Charities Fair today, as local good causes took over the Town Hall to fundraise.

SETTING UP SHOP_The entire floorspace of the Town Hall was taken over by charities at the fair.

Since it began, St Luke’s have set up and manned a stand, and this year was no different. A team of congregation members offered homemade Christmas cakes and jelly, and won one of two awards for ‘best-dressed stall’.

CAN I INTEREST YOU IN THIS_Marion Brookes tempts customers.

SWEET TREATS_Spire Brand jelly, on sale for church funds.

I was delighted to see that Theresa May (Maidenhead‘s MP and, of course, Home Secretary) had come along to support the charities at the fair, and came over to the St Luke’s to buy some of our produce.

PLEASURE DOING BUSINESS_Home Secretary Theresa May buys produce from the St Luke's stall at the fair.

The Charities Fair is a staple fixture for me, and marks the first sign of Christmas. Seeing Win Reynolds, brought along by her daughter, Wendy, brought back fond memories of taking my dear grandfather to the fair every year. It’s just under a year since he died, and in his final years it became a major exercise to get him anywhere, but for the satisfaction of seeing his trademark smile, that early bit of Christmas shopping on the first weekend of November was always worth it.

CHINWAG_Win Reynolds and my mother talk at the fair.

Just as I was about to leave, Mrs May was heading out past the tombola. To her delight, she won the biggest prize there – a giant stuffed toy dog! Although the resulting picture isn’t brilliant photographically, I was there to capture the quite unexpected moment.

SURPRIZE_Theresa May MP wins a giant stuffed toy dog on the tombola!