Hooe summer garden party

The day could hardly have been more perfect as the sun shone over the scene of gentle village life, from children playing games to bargain hunters poking through the book sale to ladies arranging plates of scones with cream and jam for those in need of refreshment.

The event was organised by church wardens Jack Rist and Simon Pattisson.

Simon said: "This is a church garden party for people in the village and people who want to come here - anyone who wants to support the church really.

"An awful lot of people have done an awful lot to make this happen and this is the first time we have had it in the churchyard for a long time, so I hope it will be a success and drag people down here to see what a glorious place this is. The church is very much out-of-the-way...the village must have moved away a couple of hundred years ago back to Hooe Common."

The summer party included a number of stalls, games, competitions and attractions such as traditional spinning by Tricia Lovett, and Pick A Card which was run by Julia Stickells.

A plant and produce sale near the entrance gate was organised by Barbara Payne with Katherine Daniel and Carole Ballard.

Carole said: "Hopefully this will promote the church - it is a lovely spot here. This church has five bells, and we are always looking for new ringers to come and practise with us on Saturday mornings."

The items on the table were all donated by local growers and included a mix of peaches, blackberries, marrows and runner beans alongside parsley and some stunning fuschias.

Cynthia Pettet was in charge of the raffle table, while Anne and Peter Bourner were nearby with their treasure hunt game, Heather Sinden was sorting a wide selection of books and John Fairclough was looking after the tombola. As always visitors beat a path to the cake sale, keen to snap up delicious home-made goodies being sold by Gill Miller and Penny Smith. Hazel McCullagh had make a plateful of plain and fruit scones for the event as well as norfolk fruit cake with stem ginger. Also available were Caribbean Rum Cake and a tempting assortment of light and fluffy sponges.

In the cool and peaceful interior of the church visitors were able to sit and recover from the afternoon heat as they listened to the organ played by first Donald Payne and later David Sinden. More energetic was the demonstration by the Hooe Line Dancers, and all the while cream teas and cake were being dispensed by Margaret Rist and Janet Pattisson for people to enjoy outside on the grass. The church itself was beautifully decorated with flowers arranged by ladies of the congregation, including Anne Bourner, Margaret West, Penny Smith and Barbara Payne, in readiness for the summer fete as well as St Oswald's day on Sunday.

The results of the summer fete were announced on Sunday morning in church - an impressive 750 which the congregation was pleased with.