So we had lunch at Coasters. I was glad I'd booked a table because the place was full when we arrived at 1.30.
The food was good and the waitress attentive.
We left at about 2.40, just as the pre-lights-switch-on festivities were beginning.
The first part of the entertainment was Southwold and Reydon Corps of Drums.
The young musicians didn't look very happy. Perhaps they were cold.
The street was barricaded at both ends, so strolling through the charity stalls was very safe.
The theme was Disney films.
Tigger and Eeyore manned the stall outside the dress shop.
The Mad Hatter was preparing hot food, aided by the Red Queen.
The White Rabbit was having a bit of a rest.
The stall selling candy floss and popcorn kept the littlies entertained with a machine that spewed bubbles
in through the door of the butchers, where I was buying provisions.
MWNN said Ron behaved impeccably, despite the squealing small people, so he was given a free bag of (uncooked) marrow bones by the butcher's 'Boy Raymond.'
After we'd visited the reindeer, outside the United Reform Church, MWNN took Ron home.
It was getting cold and beginning to sleet, so we didn't hang around for the official lights ceremony.
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| © Copyright John Winfield |
I picked up some things from Tesco and headed back via Nutters' Cheese Shop. There was a notice 'back at 3.30'. I spoke to a couple of other would-be customers and told them that the owners were probably manning a stall. Iwas half-right. They appeared two minutes after we did, explaining they'd been singing with the choir.
Southwold feels very like Hitchin when the community comes together for this type of event. I'm quite keen to go to St Edmund's tomorrow, as it is the first Sunday in Advent, but we have nowhere to leave Ron, other than in the car. If today is anything to go by, it will be too cold, even with his gentleman's jacket and fleece bed.
