Naomi Bulger: messages in bottles

 
 
The Lee Street fete was on today, the annual fete of the Carlton North Primary School. Affectionately known as the "foodies' fete" because so many of the restaurant owners around town run stalls on the day, it is such a sweet day out for the local community.
_Top Aussie chef George Calombaris (of Masterchef fame) made a popular guest appearance to judge the kids' cupcake making competition. The children were incredibly excited (and their cupcakes looked very impressive).

George picked out the top 10 cupcakes to taste, before announcing the winners. When the event was over, I laughed to see several of the kids whose cupcakes weren't tasted sneak back up on stage to retrieve and eat their efforts. In this competition, everyone was a winner!
Mr B and I split our time according to our interests. I revisited the book hall three times (thousands of second-hand books AND new books at half price), while Mr B was in country fair heaven, entering spin-a-wheel competitions, book raffles, lucky lolly-jar dips and silent auctions.
We bought a sweet little yellow cardigan with a matching hat for Baby B, knitted by one of the grandmothers at the school. But baby had to try it on first, which was apparently a rather entertaining process.
We took our burgers (Mr B), vegetarian dumplings (me), home-made lemonade with fresh mint and our lemon cupcakes to the front of the stage to watch the talent quest. The kids were absolutely adorable.
The whole day was like a walk through nostalgia-land, triggering memories for both of us of our own school days. The excitement of being at school on a non-school day. The joy in the children's faces as they raced each other, pieces of fairy-floss sticking to passers-by, en route to the giant slide.

And we indulged in a little game of "imagine when." Like, "Imagine when our baby is at this school. What stall will we run?" And, "Imagine when our baby is four, racing ahead of us to the fete knowing that next year, this will be 'big school'."

How was your weekend? Will you join me here next year?
 


Comments

19/03/2012 04:23

Your pictures are wonderful. It looks like a really fun time!

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Naomi Bulger
19/03/2012 08:16

Thanks Melissa. This event was a challenge to photograph, since I'm only learning. Not easy to pause in a massive crowd, pull out your notes from your dad's tutorial (ie "Set aperture to X to achieve Y" etc). So I pretty much had to point and snap and hope for the best.

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19/03/2012 08:14

I wish I was there.

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Naomi Bulger
19/03/2012 08:15

We had been told before we went that "Lee Street really throws a good fete" and they weren't wrong. It was utter chaos and children's smiles everywhere!

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Now that looks like a wildly fun time to me. All the cupcakes and books and talented kids! And how cute are you two daydreaming about your baby! From what I hear, they always grow up too fast.

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Naomi Bulger
19/04/2012 15:31

You are right of course, I hear the same thing. In my head, I already have my child in school uniform, I should probably wait for childbirth first (!), and enjoy the coming weeks, months and years.

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22/03/2012 05:21

What a fun day! I remember similar school fair days - although on a less polished scale (parents were a different breed back in my day) - and you are exactly right - nostalgia-land. Sweet. I wouldn't have thought you were a novice photographer, though. Always enjoy the mood you capture in your pics.

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Naomi Bulger
19/04/2012 15:32

Thanks Patricia, I will keep practicing on the photography front. And school fetes were just as fun but definitely less slick in my day, too.

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28/03/2012 22:27

The colour and fun and liveliness comes through all these gorgeous photos. What a beautiful day you had. How lovely to 'imagine when' your baby is grown up and going to school. It's like roots are settling. Ah yes. And how cute is that photo of 'baby' trying on the little yellow cardigan. Lovely!

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Naomi Bulger
19/04/2012 15:34

It was kind of nerdy fun to make the belly try on the cardi. It's nice having an excuse to indulge!

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