With an ideal – and all-too-rare – weather forecast for Sunday, 19th May of no rain, no wind and no sunshine, residents confidently set up shop outdoors to prepare for our big annual yard sale. Colourful bunting made by kind neighbours was strung across streets and twisted around balustrades and linen poles, the street-end obelisks were festooned with handmade signs of what to expect in that particular street and, as usual, the ‘early birds’ were perusing by 12.30 (a good half-hour before the official start of the event!) and then there was no lull in the afternoon’s proceedings until about 4.30pm when the event came to a natural close.
This year, 37 households set up shop in their gardens resulting in record-breaking total takings of £8425, of which £2091.60 was raised for 11 charities. Those charities, each chosen by the participant, were the Botanics Palmhouse Restoration, Cello Choir, Helping Rhinos, Kindred, Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue & Protection, Medecins Sans Frontieres, RBGE Palmhouse Restoration, St Columba’s Hospice, Scottish Book Trust and WWF. We are very grateful that the Colonies Cakes stall in its very pretty, new, central location of 1 Balmoral Place was calmly co-ordinated by a brand new team comprising Sally, Liam, Anna and Jane selling a large range of cakes baked and donated by residents which were all sold within 90 minutes, raising a record-breaking £410 for Stockbridge Colonies Residents’ Association.
Not only was the weather perfect for the sale of merchandise but also for musicians and their instruments so Clea’s Cello Choir played next to the community garden at the west end of the Colonies and Bells Scratchies entertained visitors approaching the Colonies over the footbridge at the east end. This year, in the beautiful tranquil setting of Glenogle House garden, there was an interesting new addition of a short talk by resident Gilbert Markus about a very ancient Scottish law, on which he has based research and writing – it’s so refreshing to ring the changes each year with new contributions!
Many thanks to everyone who participated to make this such a relaxed, happy community event, be it by baking, browsing, buying, creating, chatting or just generally enjoying the atmosphere!
Amateur snaps are on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.843342764493155&type=3 and if you have any to add, please send them in to coloniesyardsale@gmail.com