taken by surprise

The numbers of people who came to "Countrytastic" was more than I think anyone anticipated. Expecting around 1,000 for this first year there must have been about two and half times that number - and it seems that all of them wanted to do some of the activities we had arranged.
We, or rather they, ground barley into flour and made barley bread. They decorated eggs - about 400. They iced hot cross buns - another 400. They made haroset - working with children a recipe that is supposed to end up looking like mud has to be a winner. They made mince pies - the original shape of mince pies was manger shaped. They saw eggs hatching pout.
The day was exhausting, as one volunteer said, "I was waiting for lull, but they just kept coming."
The place was simply full with children. The day was part of the Year of Food and Farming and this was an excellent way to help make links with food and faith.




This photo isn't out of focus - it's blurred to protect the children's identity on the net! But you can still see how busy it was.