Marks Hall Xmas Fayre

Last year’s visit on the Sunday afternoon to the Xmas Fayre at Marks Hall wasn’t a great success, as it looked like a lot of stalls had sold all their stock and left, leaving behind those only those stalls whose goods hadn’t sold!

We set out early today, the first of the two-day event, and were altogether more impressed! We got there just as it was opening, paid our £2.00 for the car, and got into the main car park. There was a big stall selling lots of lovely fresh veg on the way in, tempting us to buy some and take it home and passing it off as having come from our allotment. The craft stall had some very high quality goods on display, and we came away with some tweedy gifts from Laudy McB designs from Maldon (wot no website?).

The food and drink stall had lots of offer, and whilst we managing to resist the curry and the sausages, we did find the Felstar Brewery stall and came away with three bottles of their beer for £6:00. And the Miss Lovell stall was selling their/her fragrant soaps and candles, and a gift box of several soaps for only £10 took our fancy (Miss Lovell website).

It was getting busy by now, and we headed off into the Arboretum, which is particularly lovely at this time of year. You’ll find the top banner on Essex Days Out is (at the time of writing) a picture from there taken a year or two back. There is a new bridge and new paths, so you don’t get as muddy as you used to, and the reds and whites reflected in the lakes are gorgeous.

Having got some fresh air (it was quite chilly!) we headed back to the car park, through a very busy fayre, with the overflow car park very healthily parked up.