Can anyone tell me where September went to?  I honestly don’t know!  It flew by and hardly stopped in the middle!  So here we are October! 

Things are hotting up with swimming events which means DH is busy.  This weekend it is the swimming club’s Championship events on Saturday and Sunday and I will be helping out with the timing.  Before that we have a few jobs to get done too.

Friday night is date night with DH and it is that time of year when Goose Fair arrives in Nottingham.

For those of you who follow my blog know this is a family tradition of going to Goose Fair and both Boys went before they were born!  However we are now fair weather visitors, if it is pouring with rain we usually just drive past to see the lights!!! 

For those new to my Blog, Goose Fair is one of the oldest fairs in the UK.  The earliest record was from 1164 when King Henry II granted a charter to Lenton Priory allowing them to hold a fair to celebrate Martinmas (St. Martin’s Day 11th November).  In the Charter it actually banned all other fairs in the area.  A century later King Edward I granted another charter for a separate fair to be held on St. Matthew’s Day which flourished especially in Tudor times.  Since 1284 it has been held on an annual basis and has only been cancelled three times; once because of the outbreak of Bubonic plague, it was cancelled for the duration of World War I and finally in 2020 because of Coronavirus.  However it did happen during World War II.

The name of Goose Fair came about because of the farmers and poulterers who would drive their Geese, numbers of 20,000, into Nottingham to be sold at the fair.

It used to take place in Nottingham Market Square in front of The Nottingham Exchange and then The Nottingham Council House which was completed in 1929.  The Fair by this time had grown so large with stalls selling other products, rides, side shows and things to eat and drink it was decided to move it to the Forrest Recreation Ground just outside the city centre.  Although it was an unpopular move with the locals at the time, it actually meant that there was more room and therefore more attractions.

When my family and I went there were still the old side shows on; Mouse Town, The Bearded Lady, The Snake Man, The Wall of Death, Gypsy Rose Lee etc.  Sadly they have now gone and made way for more rides.  Although there are still a lot of stalls selling sweets, food and other goods which is great and also the famous mushy peas with mint sauce! I love going and of course it was where DH and I had our first date all those years ago, well 1986!  It is one of those events that screams Autumn to me.

Coco in the sewing room with me!

DH was out all weekend at swimming and now don’t faint but I actually got some quilting done!  I have a Baby quilt to get done as the baby has already arrived and I want to get it done before she starts school!!!!!  It is our Boys Godparents, their first Grandchild, a little girl called Darcy.  I will show you when it is finished.  I will also take pictures of my sewing room as it is now a little bit more organised, but I still have some things to do! 

The other thing which screams Autumn to me is the Masterchef Australia programme which shows in the UK at this time of year. It was a huge favourite of the Boys too as it was on at dinner time and we used to watch the contestants making the dishes.  I don’t like any of the other versions of Masterchef including the UK one, only this one. 

I hope you all have a wonderful week. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx