Billericay Christmas Market

As the early shift left home on the seventh of December for duty at the Christmas Market, it was dry and therefore .... no need for umbrellas.  But it was a false dawn, no sooner had they arrived at the high street than the rain came and shelter was needed! 

But this couldn’t put a dampener on the largest event in Billericay’s year, the Christmas Market organised and run by our daughter club, the Rotary Club of Billericay Mayflower.  As usual, Rotary members were out in the weekends ahead of the event to spread the word and handout flyers to publicise the event, and we helped a little where we could.

A Busy Time

Patrick Rothon and Peter Greene were on early duty helping the zone managers (from Mayflower) to marshal the stallholders as they arrived.  Peter Greene was with Barry Fagg and said “It actually went more smoothly than last year, thanks to the superb organisation and planning of the Rotary Club of Billericay Mayflower team.
As usual, the organisation by Dave Randall and the Mayflower team was excellent.  We had pre-ordered tea or coffee, and bacon rolls and around 9.00 a.m. somebody appeared to deliver our orders so we didn’t have to leave our stations!”

Safe and Secure

Time passed quickly, all the stalls were soon installed, but special care was taken to ensure they were all held down with weights against the wind to prevent any stall “taking off”. 

A Variety of Stalls

So, who was there?  The majority of the stalls were selling food of all types, either to sell for consumption then, such as Giggly Pig as always, other Hog Roasts, Burgers, Hot Dogs, Greek Souvlakis, Churros, Doughnuts, Rolls and cakes, and exotic options too, ready to do a roaring trade with the public as lunch approached.  Alternatively, there was food for later use such as “Inspired Nuts”, “Olde English Fudge”, “Brown Bread Company”, or Honey etc.

 Alongside them were toys stalls, Christmas ornaments, trees, crafts and this time, some financial advisers too - a sign of the times??  Other stalls publicising their work such as the Cater Museum, Creative BasildON, Essex Fire Museum, Etc., etc.  

Then, sheltered from the rain and in the warmth of the Library, there were many varieties of craft stalls, and even some outside in the library grounds.  There was quite a crush both outside, under the trees, and inside in the warmth and dry, away from the damp cold high street! 

Of course, to top it all, there was that typical traditional harbinger of Christmas, the Hot Chestnut stand.
Like last year, the weather certainly didn’t seem to be on our side, and was generally wet and rainy, although it wasn’t that cold.

Our early shift was bearable, and all stallholders were well behaved and flexible so we had no trouble either with the stalls, or with the crowds.  

Come 10 o’clock and attendees started arriving, a small spattering at first, but very soon a stream from both north and south ends of the high street.  The rain had an effect and crowds didn’t come in the numbers of last year but, even so, there were a LOT of people there.

Santa’s Parade and Grotto

11 o’clock and time for the Christmas Parade with Father Christmas to move up the High Street and back again to the applause of the onlookers, led by the pipe band as usual.  Once Patrick and Peter’s tour of duty was over, they were delighted to get out of the rain and head home, leaving support in the capable hands of President-Elect Stephen and then later, Les.  

Peter took the opportunity to visit Santa’s Grotto where a host of children were queuing up for their allotted time slot with “Santa”.  Some were excited and really happy to see Santa, but some were a little overawed ... but all left satisfied.
President Stephen was on duty over the lunch period, after Patrick and Peter finished their sessions at the Market.

Other Perspectives 

Stephen reports, “My first impression on walking down the High Street before the official opening was how successful the market was in terms of the number of stalls. Stalls were so densely packed that it was difficult to find a space to move from the pavement to the centre of the road. In the craft area outside and inside the library every space was occupied by sellers of jewellery, Christmas bon-bons and knick-knacks”.

“The early morning rain did not deter the crowds either as we had to hold people back to allow the Santa Procession to proceed down the High Street”.

“An amusing incident, as I was taking a break from the rain in the control centre in the Reading Rooms a boy aged about five or six was led into the room by one of the yellow jacketed helpers. He wasn’t interested in a cup of tea but was soon stuffing an white-icing-covered cupcake into his mouth. He said he had lost his mother. Once he had been reassured that his mother would soon be found he immediately carried on eating his cake”.

Les Sheppard had the afternoon shift from 1 pm until 5 pm, and he reports that matters passed pretty smoothly despite the weather except for one incident.  “I became an honorary stall-holder for 10 minutes towards the end of the afternoon, when one lone stall-holder asked me if I would mind his stall while he answered an urgent need to visit the little boys room.”

A very enjoyable event along the whole High Street, a short but colourful Christmas parade including Santa, led by Town Crier Jim Shrubb, some turkeys, a snowman, stilt men and women, and the pipers!
We leave it to President Stephen King to sum it all up “Mayflower Rotary had done a grand job in organising the event. It is a tribute to them that the only time the local population visits the town en masse is for the Christmas Market, Summerfest or the Soapbox Derby”.