Friends of Victoria Hall

The Friends of Victoria Hall is pleased to announce that in conjunction with the food and craft producers of Argyll and Bute there will be a Food and Craft Fair in the Victoria Hall on Friday the 31^st July 2009.

The first Argyll and Bute Craft Fair comes to the Victoria Hall on Friday 31st July and visitors are in for a real treat as producers travel from all over Argyll and Bute to showcase the very best of home made and handcrafted produce.  There will be chance to buy home produced jams, handbags, cards, sweaters, cakes, candles, soaps, jewellery, wood carving, paintings, photographs as well as an opportunity to sample a “Taste of Bute”.   Food producers from the island of Bute are bringing chutneys and pickles, smoked beef, lamb and cheese wraps with vacuum packs of smoked meat and cheese to take away along with honey, veal and pork to tempt you and they will have samples for you to taste on their stand.

If you need a break from the retail therapy then pop upstairs to the Pillar Hall and the team from Enable will serve you teas, coffees and home baking and all donations from the tea room will go to support the tremendous work of the Helensburgh and District branch.

“Your Radio” will be broadcasting live from the hall and interviewing guests and stall holders throughout the day.

The Argyll and Bute Craft Fair has been organised by Friends of the Victoria and sponsored by Homecoming funding from Argyll and Bute Council.   Its purpose is to showcase the wonderful crafts created in homes and workshops in Helensburgh and Lomond and across Argyll and Bute and to bring the taste of Argyll and Bute into our town in the hope that local businesses  can increase the range of produce available locally by developing new trading contacts.   It is hoped that this will give all small businesses a boost during difficult economic times and bring more customers to Helensburgh as we show that we can put on great events to boost the town’s image.

The Fair  has been arranged on the last day that our visitors from Thouars are in Helensburgh and they will spend the whole day visiting the fair and local businesses who are supporting the Franco Scottish week.  No doubt they will be taking back to France a taste of Scotland and many gifts to remind them of the talented craftsmen and women of Argyll and Bute .

Entry is free to the fair so come and go as often as you like during the day, from 10am to 4.30pm.

List of participants

• Taste of Bute:  Brian Hill Plan Farm with hot smoked beef and lamb.
  Henshlewoods chutneys, pickles, mustards and jams.    Duncan Lyon of Drumalochy Farm with Rosie Veal and Arlene McKenzie of Nethergate Farm with specialist pork from her Tamworth pigs.
• Amanda Cruise, multi linguist, will be running workshops all day for youngsters, both from Helensburgh and Thouars.
• Enable will be selling cards and gifts made in their Tuesday workshop class.
• Clyde Whiskies will bring along their special drams.
• Elizabeth Howie from Rainbow cakes will be selling and taking orders for her home made, beautifully presented cakes.
• Lillian Simpson from Campeltown will have a range of handmade cushions, knitted handbags and fashion accessories.
• Cheeky Frog from Garelochhead will be showing beautiful handmade cards.
• Chyrstal’s shortbread will be there for you to taste and buy.
• Dorothy McMurchy from Campbeltown is bringing handmade candles made from eco friendly soya wax
• Gill Walker of Tarbert, Loch Fyne, will have homemade preserves and handcrafted wedding jewellery. Gill’s jams will be featured in the tea room in the Pillar Hall.
• Irene Harper from the Gathering in Helensburgh with handcrafted scottish products such as sgian dubhs.
• Amethyst stall will have handmade and designed jewellery from Sheena Graham
• John Brown woodcarver from Campbeltown, will be showing wood carving made from driftwood and reclaimed timber
• Sian Jewellery will have a range of handcrafted jewellery.
• Diana Drummond Specialist Seaweed Skincare will be available all made by Elspeth and Jim Gibb of Cardross
• Riverdrive Studios will be offering special offers on portraits, family pictures and printing
• Lomond soaps will bring  handmade soaps made from vegetable oil and butters
• Caroline Bruce from Garelochhead will have her range of home knitwear including cashmere and shetland and lambswool
• Helensburgh artist Pamela Randal will have a display of her paintings.
• Crystaltips,   specialising in hand made jewellery using crystals and glass beads from the 1940s-60s.
• Let’s Party, assisting Amanda Cruise with the youngsters.
• Riverdrive Studio with their modelling portfolio.
• Helensburgh Chamber of Commerce represented by Toni Howard.
• Felicity Green our Photographer for the day’s events.

Comment from Councillor Vivien Dance :

"I am delighted that so many small businesses have supported the Food and Craft Fair and the hall will be full of scrumptious delights and amazing crafts made by our own Scottish craftsmen, most of whom are home workers and small businesses.    I am particularly pleased that we will have a full stand from “Taste of Bute” with many farmers coming over from Rothesay.  From discussions I have had with local businesses,
I am sure the Food and Craft Fair will open up contacts and bring more Argyll and Bute produce to Helensburgh shops and be mutually supportive.  It will be a great day and I hope everyone supports this new venture and of course then “takes tea” made by Enable volunteers and served in our magnificent Pillar Hall.   Entry is free so come along, enjoy the day and meet lots of talented and energetic Argyll and Bute businesses."

Vivien Dance.  Chairman, FOVH.