More Pole Dancing?

Peter was on camera duty, and has supplied me with a few extra shots which didn’t go on the official GITP website! So here are the out-takes

09.55

The day started OK – Jan [P’s wife] posed for a couple of ‘test shots’

10.10

Then it started to get windy – we were summoned to hold the poles. Still smiling happily, you notice!

10.15

Jan needed to put up her hood, it was indeed a chill wind

10.25

Bob and Janice lifted some of the benches from the Pub Garden, and tied them to the gazebo legs.

All is well – I don my cloak, long skirt and shawl [trying to look like first century Jewish woman] and go up to the shops to drum up customers. Janet and Fiona come along to help. Bob makes friends with the dog.

12 noon

Tom the Rector is at the Anglicans’ Coffee Morning, Bob the Pastor is at Screwfix [buying security chains for the Nativity Lights] and the remaining GITP team are stressed – the first gazebo has been blown up in the air, and its front legs have buckled. We can only dismantle and fold it if the legs are unscrewed.

Windswept Woman Wielding Screwdriver [“Quick! take her picture” said Betty]

12.10

Noble Women of Kirby Muxloe Free Church unite in the traditional  “Advent Coming Together With Gazebo Dance”

[We leave Morris Dancing and such-like to the Anglicans and Methodists!]

12.25

The first two [damaged] gazebos are in pieces, and in the back of my car [so glad I do not have a Lotus with a small boot] We decide it would be wise to also collapse remaining intact gazebo. Janice unties all the ropes she tied up two hours earlier.

12.35

Just about finished dismantling and loading up the gear – although two brave families came down for a photo-shoot without the backdrop. Penny’s mirror [seen hanging on smaller clothes rail above] blew over and shattered.

1.00

Bob came back. Penny and Tom arrive with brooms and bags and gloves and clear up their broken mirror. We wrapped the straw bales in the tarp, ready for Mr Fletcher the Farmer to collect them. We loaded remaining gear into Bob’s car, then we all went home!

I should say that in between taking pictures, Peter was brilliantly helpful with the rescue procedure – he did not stand around just taking pictures. The sun was bright – but it was still rather cold.

1.30

Cars unloaded, sat down with a cuppa. The wind had dropped and all was calm again. Typical!! But we still had about ten groups come down for photos during the morning, so it wasn’t a pointless exercise. I hope all the hard-working team enjoyed it too, I’m so grateful that they came along to help. And I am sorry if people came in the afternoon and found we had disappeared [like Kathryn!]

Next year…?