Stockton Sparkles

The Christmas market opened today. Bitterly cold winds didn't deter the stall holders and I managed to snap up a couple of different presents for those hard to buy for people who don't want anything. Santa's elves were working hard, taking the children in to see Santa in the Parish Gardens. There were hot drinks and hot pies with toppings so varied I thought some of them were fruit cakes from a distance!
No photos today because I was too disorganised to take a camera out, but there should be some tomorrow, snow permitting.
The little flurries of snow during the day settled to something a bit more long lasting in the evening and the walk along to Egglescliffe village to the annual get together of Parish Councillors and spouses was a crisp and cold one. The walk back was even crisper and colder, but it did work off some of the naughty buffet we'd eaten!
Even at a social event like that I was being asked by people to explain the situation with the school - no, there hasn't been a planning application, no there isn't money for a bridge, no there isn't any money for the rebuild of Egglescliffe school at the moment, yes we do think Egglescliffe school is a brilliant school and we do want it to have wonderful buildings to go with the wonderful teaching and yes if the council owned a plot of land right in the middle of the catchment area wouldn't it be lovely.