By Mike Robertson

Six years ago we visited Something Different Something Deerness having agreed to buy a house in the area and we couldn’t have been made more welcome.  Sitting having lunch people came up and said “we hear you’re moving here” and wanted to know all about us.  One of the first things we encountered was the Friends of St Ninians who look after the old parish church.   To raise the funds needed to look after the old building, they run the craft fair showcasing mainly local businesses every two years.

So here we are back again looking for lunch and Christmas presents.  The traditional mince roll and soup went down a treat and we moved through to the main hall making sure to get raffle tickets on the way.

The hall was packed both with sellers and visitors.  Lyn Bartlett from Odin’s Kitchen was there with macarons.  Linda Bonner was selling sewing and knitting.  There were several jewellery stands and one selling fused glass.

I was pleased to see Prem there again.  This time as well as photography he had a range of tea-light holders made out of driftwood.

Our friend Fiona Cormack was there with a range of knitted soft toys.  We managed to secure a jar of bramble jam from Karen Hinckley before they all disappeared.  Turning around we found Adele and Lindsay from the Deerness Distillery.  Unfortunately they weren’t there with samples but to show what the restaurant and café they’re building will look like.   It’s due to be finished for next summer.   It will be great to have somewhere local to have a cup of coffee or a meal without having to drive into town.

Recycling is so popular nowadays so why not Christmas.  Ann Mitchell had a table full of Christmas decorations and other paraphernalia for sale rather than just dumping it.

This is just a sample of what was on display.  There was much more, so next time make sure you come out and see it all for yourself.