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Community Association
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

St. Lawrence Community Association

 

Arts & Crafts Exhibition

 

St. Lawrence Village Hall

Saturday 31st March

1.00pm to 4.00pm

 

Has St. Lawrence got Talent?

We believe that behind the closed doors of the lovely St. Lawrence Village there are lots of people with a wide variety of interests and hobbies. This exhibition is to be non-competitive and non-commercial. Exhibitors can range from beginners to experienced including adults and children of any ages.  

 

 

First Stage – Thursday 8th March

 

If you are a resident of St. Lawrence and would like to exhibit at this event, you must contact committee members, Ann & Mike Dedman by Thursday 8th March to CONFIRM that you will be attending and what you would like to exhibit.  We have a number of small tables and large tables and an area of the stage to use for display.  

 

We anticipate accommodating 18-20 exhibitors and would like to offer each exhibitor a similar space to set up their exhibits.  Under no circumstances can any exhibits be hung from or fixed to the fabric of the building.   If it is necessary to hang an exhibit, please contact  Ann or Mike Dedman by phone or e-mail (see below)

 

 

Second Stage – Saturday 31st March

 

11am – 12midday – exhibitors to arrive and set up their exhibits       

1.00pm – doors open to public – FREE Entry

Everyone Welcome

1.30pm – Tea/coffee/cakes + Raffle tickets will be on sale  

3.30pm – Raffle to be drawn

4.00pm – Exhibits to be taken home (but not before 4.00pm)

 

 

Committee Members to contact: Ann & Mike Dedman – Telephone: 855279

                                                E-mail: evelynjackdaws@hotmail.co.uk

 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 

    The St. Lawrence Community Association held its third Christmas Variety Show on Friday 16th December.   We appreciate that St. Lawrence village hall has, in days gone by, hosted many excellent shows and pantomimes. This year some of the acts had had two or possibly three years’ previous experience while others were complete novices.   The acts, together with the community singing, accompanied by accomplished pianist Sara Mousley took our efforts to new heights and it was lovely to see growing confidence in what must, at times, appear quite a daunting task to be prepared to get up on stage and face an audience for the very first time.

 

 

Every last ticket was sold so we had a full house. The evening was efficiently compared by Chris Russell and started with a wonderful Christmas medley audience sing-a-long.   The first act to brave the stage were the Bellybabies shaking their hips and undulating their curves in the fascinating dance entitled the Malishag (The Caterpillar to non-Islanders).   The dancers swayed, rocked, swooped, advanced and retreated in an array of colours, tinkling beads and gold coins to great applause from the audience.

 

Mary Thomas (the lady with the lovely Welsh lilt) provided two funny monologues  ‘Spending a Penny’ and ‘It’s Me Glands’ – a fine excuse for all ailments!

 

Between the ‘acts’ the audience raised the roof with community singing accompanied by Sara Mousley on the piano.   Once in Royal David’s City was followed by baritone Tony and soprano Debbie duetting ‘Silver Bells’ with perfect clarity and sonorous tones befitting of the title.

 

The audience then sang O’Come All Ye Faithful’ which was followed by a Bah Humbug moment when the audience witnessed the mean & miserly Scrooge played by Alan Stovell (newly released from the plaster cast on his broken wrist).   Scrooge cruelly casts aside the two Paupers who are reduced to begging for alms before he is admonished by his former business partner, Jacob Marley (aka Bob Marley) to take heed for he is soon to be visited by 3 ghosts and to ‘listen what they tell’.   The Ghost of Christmas Past then enters to implore Scrooge to ‘look and learn’ from the mistakes of his past and then shows him that much of his character was influenced by his naughty sisters (Flirtie & Gertie) who enjoyed a full repertoire of villainous pastimes including running a protection racket and drinking full pints of beer!  Maggie Ridley was the dulcet narrator drawing the threads of the story together until the final ‘Goodbyee’ and announcement of the Interval.    Lizzie Flynn excelled in her role as Theatre Director and we thank her profusely for her script, her encouragement and her firm direction.

 

The Interval provided a few moments of respite for the ‘acts’ and an opportunity for a little mingling.   Maureen and Bernard Cawley, ably assisted by Penny Smith and Hazel Russell, served refreshments of mulled wine, fruit punch and mince pies which duly fortified the audience and the ‘acts’ for the second half of the show.  Maureen & Bernard had also provided 4 excellent prizes for the Raffle the winners for which were announced during the Interval.

 

The second half of the show welcomed old hands Salsa dancers Dave & Mo together with first timers Les, Karena, Mike & Eve as“Not Strictly St. Lawrence”.   The set began with the 3 men dressed as father Christmases and their partners dancing to ‘Dashing through the Snow’ with a Latin beat. After a short while, the tune unsuspectingly slipped into languorous striptease music whereupon the male dancers saucily disrobed from the red hats, white beards, red jackets and trousers to reveal Hawaiian shirts and black trousers.   All six dancers then engaged in an elegant Rueda (Spanish for Wheel), with complicated moves back and forth while they changed partners, twirled, turned and moved constantly in a circle to the Salsa rhythm.  The audience were spellbound and rewarded the dancers with enthusiastic applause.

 

More Community singing was followed by the beautiful, clear voice of Sara Mousley singing ‘Mary’s Boy Child’ and ‘Little Donkey’.   After the peace and tranquillity of Sara’s singing, the audience were given a shot of adrenalin in a close run competition involving a lot of (beautifully made) paper hats going in one direction and a lot of crackers going in the opposite direction. Following a lot of laughter, Chris organised the audience to take part in the Biggest Synchronised Cracker Pull Ever in St. Lawrence.  Another cracking game involving speed together with excellent hand and eye co-ordination and resulting in a great deal of laughter.   Both games took place while the suitably manic Christmas in Killarney by the Irish Rovers whipped the audience up into a competitive frenzy.

 

Community Singing of ‘Silent Night’ added a little calm to the atmosphere before we were all perfectly becalmed by the beautiful rendition of ‘Gaudete’ sung exquisitely by the elegantly attired quartet comprising Debbie, Lizzie, Tony & Jerry.

 

For the Finale, all the ‘acts’ jostled themselves into position on the stage.  Sara stood at the front of the stage and sang ‘Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ and then was joined by the ‘acts’ and the audience for a rousing ending to what had been a cracking good Variety Show with lashings of nostalgia and Christmas magic.

 

On behalf of the St. Lawrence Community Association I would like to extend a big “Thank you” to all the talented performers who thrilled and delighted us, every member of the wonderfully appreciative audience, all the enthusiastic back-room boys and girls, the eloquent master of ceremonies, the multi-talented stage director, Glynn, the super sound & lighting engineer, the generous providers of seasonal refreshments, the happy meeters & greeters at the door and to each and everyone who contributed in any way towards making the the third St. Lawrence Christmas Variety Show such an wonderful evening and a perfect lead up to Christmas 2011.  I hope I’ve not missed anyone! Thank you ONE and ALL! 

 

Elizabeth Fox (Publicity Officer)

 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The St. Lawrence Community Association brought a splash of orange to the village hall on Saturday 29th October with its third successful Pumpkin Festival.

 

The day started for committee members plus a sprinkling of husbands/partners setting up the hall to receive a bumper crop of glowing orange orbs in a variety of shapes and sizes.   Once the games, Raffle, Tombola and competitions were set up and the entry forms all completed, the event swung into action at 1.00pm.

 

The top table on the stage groaned with pumpkins carved, decorated, hollowed out and illuminated.  The standard of the exhibits was excellent.   At the front of the stage reclined a magnificent, beautifully shaped pumpkin which had been grown, nurtured and exhibited by young Tom Brown one of the junior exhibitors.   This splendid vegetable won the prize of being the largest pumpkin in the show.  Also in the junior categories Cleo Barrow won for the most artistic entry and Tom & Lucy Owen jointly for the funniest entry.

 

The central table displayed a variety of pumpkin produce, including pumpkin & rosemary muffins, pumpkin frittata, pumpkin loaf, pumpkin preserve and a pumpkin shaped cake.  Christine Russell won in the Artistic and Funniest categories, while Maggie Ridley took the prize for the best Savoury and best Cake.  Wendy Welsford took the prize for the best Preserve.

 

From 1.00pm onwards wonderful aromas wafted from the kitchen which was open to visitors to partake of a huge cauldron of spicy pumpkin soup.   A wide variety of cakes, muffins and loaves provided the ‘dessert’ for our hungry and customers.   One sumptuous chocolate cake, in particular, attracted mouth-watering attention and the plate was soon emptied.  A chocolate and courgette cake was deemed ‘to die for’ and muffins described as delicious and moist.   Pots of tea were brewed and coffee poured to accompany the superb selection of cakes.  Kitchen ‘staff’ included Maggie Ridley, Jacqui Waller, Jan Caunt and Elizabeth Fox.   Outside in the main hall shrieks of laugher and whoops of excitement were infectious as games were played.

 

Games such as: Catch the Rat, Roll a Penny, Ronnie's Rib, Finders Keepers, Buried Treasure, Higher or Lower and Where's the Wine, plus, of course, the Human Fruit Machine attracted much attention, competitive spirit and a good deal of laughter.  Sue Clarke disguised herself as a beguiling witch with wicked cackle as customers paid to guess her name.   The name turned out to be Ranunculus which as we all know is the botanical name for Buttercup!  

 

Towards the latter part of the afternoon contestants enjoyed team games such as Make a Mummy, won by the Wizards, and The Big Spell, won by the St Lawrence Superspellers. 

 

 

 

Chris Russell was the MC .   Ably assisting on the various games were Christine Russell, Jill Fothergill, Theresa and Peter Noble, Ken Trowbridge, Penny and Geoff Smith, Hazel and Richard Russell, and Traudl and Reiner Wagner

 

Ann Dedman ran the Raffle table.   Prizes included an exquisite glass pumpkin, made especially by Isle of Wight Glass, the lucky winner of which was Mrs. Rachel Attrill  from Rookley.  St. Rhadagunds donated a voucher for a lunch for two which was won by Ann & Mike Dedman.   Maritime Heritage Tours Ltd (St. Catherine’s Lighthouse) donated two vouchers - one was for a family visit to the lighthouse won by Ruth Weatherly-Emberson and the other for 2 adults   was won by Jackie Howlett.   A beautiful basket of fruit was won by Maureen & Bernard Cawley and the very attractive garden ornament was won by Brian Lucas.

 

Maureen & Bernard Cawley did a superb job with the Tombola stall which was piled high with a hundred prizes.  

 

Mike Dedman checked in every entry for the various competitions and wrote up the final lists of winners.  

 

 

Total monies taken on the day were £353.55p so after Expenses of 54.69p that left us with a handsome surplus of £298.86p.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A big ‘Thank You’ to Isle of Wight Glass, St. Rhadagunds and  Maritime Heritage Tours for donating such lovely Raffle prizes and  to everyone who planned, prepared, collected for, created for, donated to, cooked and baked for and generously helped with this event. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 It was a great pumpkin success!