Shouting in frpm the rooftops for Fairtrade - and the Vikings !

Hooray.  this week's (and week's before) preparations came together at lunch time with our Fairtrade event in Stockton High Street.  The events team from the Council had kindly helped with putting up the yards and yards of Fairtrade cotton bunting done by a variety of people.
It included (this is not an exhaustive list) young people from schools and Churches in Yarm, St Cuthbert's RC Primary School, St John's Ragworth young people, Westbury Street library group, friends, relatives, and even one done from a visitor from Australia.  A real community effort.

We got the stall set up, with dispalys of some nice Fairtrade cotton clothing, information, a some free chocolate pieces (bought from the local Co-op of course).  we were in our Fairtrade shirts, and all set for telling people about Fairtrade and cotton in particular.
Children from St Cuthbert's School Fairtrade Club came along, dressed in t shirts they had decorated, carrying poster and really looking the part.  they didn't just look good though, they sang a Fairtrade Rap that they had made up themselves.  Brilliant, and they had us joining in too.  I haven't permission to put the pics of them here (I didn't ask) but we were so pleased that Jeff from The Circuit newspaper came and took lots of pics.  Look out for the paper when it is published next Wednesday.

The next stage is unpicking all the bunting to send down to Fairtrade HQ to be put together in exactly the right way to try to break the longest piece of home made bunting in the world record.  Here's hoping.

That is all enough to write about but I must add that we had a brilliant evening (yes 2 in a row off!) at the North Country Theatre, where we saw" Egil Skallagrimson Keeps his Head".   it really is excellent acting and production with just 4 actors and some very basic scenery.  Like all good theatre it makes you think, and we had a real treat after the performance - they stayed behind for an audience Q and A and discussion.  I am sure I am descended from Nordic origins and I was delighted to find that the Vikings were not just blood thirsty raiders and killers, but did turn out to have a peaceful, forgiving, and lovely prose writing side too.  Is that me ?