December started with some very wet and windy weather, but this didn’t dampen enthusiasm for two successful fundraising events. For the Blandford Yuletide Festival on 3rd December, the Museum was open all evening so that people could appreciate our exhibits with added Christmas lights and a tree decorated with reproductions of Victorian Christmas cards. Outside, we had two large shelters (useful when the rain started!) festooned with coloured lights where visitors enjoyed mulled apple juice or hot chocolate and an array of home-made sweet and savoury treats. More warmth was provided by two fire pits, and later in the evening by the traditional festive singing of Jubilate (click here to see a bit of video).
On Sunday 5th December our Chair, Joy Reynolds, held a Christmas “garage” sale in her car port. Joy is a keen craftswoman so there were lots of fabric, wool, craft materials and books for sale, as well as clothes, ornaments, vintage crockery and glassware, with hot drinks and cakes to ward off the cold.
The Yuletide event raised about £150 for the Museum, and Joy’s Garage sale raised about £240 which was divided between the Museum and the Blandford Food Bank.