Market Day

A bargain ain't a bargain unless it's something you need. ~ Sidney Carroll

The first Saturday of each month in our nearest town sees people flocking to an open grassy area, the town park, on whose perimeter gazebos, makeshift trestle tables, and open sided tents showing their wares to the bargain hunters.

My favourite site is near a corner, under a tree, and there under a flapping gazebo [today ... a breeze whistled around the park] a little elderly lady has an unpretentious stall. Her wares seldom vary; she sells jams and pickles; she sells the most delicious apple tarts with a little pastry fancy leaf in the centre, and she sells zucchini loafs and scrumptious carrot cake loaves decorated with icing and topped with walnut pieces.

Upon entering the park we wander westwards past the other stalls; most selling goods that are more of interest to a young family; clothing, toys [have you noticed that invariably there is a greater choice for little girls than small boys?], nursery rhyme books, and sometimes hand-made doll's beds or rocking horses. The local Service Club runs a caravan selling tea or coffee, sometimes the local church has a BBQ under way and the sausage, bread and tomato sauce concoctions from that stall are especially popular with the menfolk.

Stalls sell Emu oil products in expensive looking jars. I have never closely examined the products here as the thought of those beady-eyed Emu's losing their life all for oil-products does turn me off. Close by a stall that I have purchased from sells Olive Oil [by the bottle or one can take along at least a 2-litre container and have that refilled], soaps made from olives, and recently have expanded their range into a collection of dishes ... all decorated with pictures of olives.

Between the Olive oil and the Emu oil my favourite stall lies. Never a Market Day goes by that we don't stop at that stall; we are recognised as regulars!

Other stalls have jewelery, or books, and one has 'men stuff' ... spanners, screw-drivers, hammers, you name it, he has it; some need oiling to improve their appearance, others are pre-metric, but he always has a lot of 'admirers'.

In the centre of the park a rotunda holds pride of place, alongside a 'plastic playground' for the children. Invariably there is a musician in the rotunda ... often a lady sings 'easy listening' songs, to her own accompaniment on the keyboard. Today a gentleman sang gentle songs, songs of yester-year ... do you remember "Hello Mary Lou"?

It would be true to say that I enjoy Market Day in our local park where bargains abound for those wishing to buy.