Christmas

Camping at the Bay

Camping at the Bay

Around the beginning of the 20th century, families began making the arduous journey over unformed roads, to camp at Blockhouse Bay beach reserve. They camped at both Blockhouse Bay and Sandy Bay and many came back year after year to the same site, where they had built a fireplace and dug ditches for drainage. There was a real community spirit among the campers, and when fishermen returned with large catches, the extra was shared so that all the families had some. The children all played together while the women shared chores and sat and chatted while the men fished or relaxed. After all, it was a holiday.

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Christmas parade and market day 2007

Christmas parade and market day 2007

Saturday, 8th December, 2007, was a perfect day for a Christmas parade. In spite of dire weather forecasts all the previous week, threatening rain and even thunderstorms, the day was perfect. Blue, blue sky, puffy white clouds, a gentle breeze and a record attendance all combined for a very successful event.

With the street closed to traffic, the crowd was able to wander freely between the pavement stalls, and entertainment was provided by a series of groups offering every type of music. The Historic Society’s stall on the Village Green, in front of Armanasco House, again proved very popular offering a wide range of pre-loved goods, and two raffles of a grocery hamper and a doll were also well patronised.

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