Christchurch Food Festival

If like me you woke up yesterday morning, threw open the curtains and were ecstatic to see sunshine for the first time in weeks it may have been for different reasons. I was aware that a years work was ready to be unveiled in Christchurch in the form of the food festival and the success of that relied to some extent on the weather. All the volunteers’ efforts, all the plans for dealing with the thousands of attending residents and visitors subject to the chance that the miserable wet spring would continue. Well it didn't, sunshine not seen for weeks blessed the opening and continued through the day, as a result the town resonated with happy attendees, was transformed into a colourful and interesting market and chirpy stallholders selling their wares. The bands played, the belly dancers 'bellied', the brilliant Irish fiddler got everyone tapping their feet and indeed encouraged an young lady to break ranks and entertain the crowd with a spot of Irish dancing. The cookery lessons were well attended and the key Chefs performed brilliantly. For me however an impression will stay with me for a long time of tiny tots totally engaged and concentrating on the tasks set of making simple dishes and being rewarded with goodie bags dedicated to healthy eating. Nearly three hundred children went through cookery classes yesterday alone; this initiative came from the education trust which is the main beneficiary of the festival. All those wonderful volunteers who contributed to making this event such a fantastic example of what communities can do can be duly proud. Just as I am of the Christchurch Councils contribution to making the festival a week to remember.