External Links
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The Big Yorkshire Breakfast
The Harrogate and Nidderdale group of Farm Stay UK decided about a year ago that we wanted to continue to build on the fantastic publicity that Yorkshire have achieved for Farm Stay over the past few years and how better to do that than to host a Big Farmhouse Breakfast Event. Chris and Christine Ryder , of Scaife Hall Farm Blubberhouses, volunteered a house and having held our first planning meeting in May 06 it was decided that our chosen Charity would be Make a Wish. This is a charity, who grant wishes to children aged between 3 and 17, who live with life threatening Illness. They do some marvellous work and the stories we have heard would melt the hardest of hearts. We decided that as there was a limit to how many people we could deal with at once in my house that we would hold the event over three days and have 2 sittings on Tuesday and Wednesday and one sitting for Farm Stay Members on the Thursday. Tickets would be priced at £12.50 and to raise additional funds we would hold a prize draw. However Tuesday became 3 sittings when the local shoot dropped in late afternoon, complete with all the beaters!
So then began the process of writing to various Yorkshire food producers to ask for help in the form of donated foods either for the breakfast or for the raffle, Harrogate council were contacted with regards to getting a Lottery licence, a PR man was employed, tickets were printed and invites sent out to various tourism officials in the area and people who had helped us with free stand space over the last year.
By December our press release was to be seen in several regional newspapers and requests for tickets were coming in at a steady rate. Our food producers were offering very generous help and as the event got nearer the excitement was building.
By the Monday afternoon we had just about reached fever pitch as our house slowing became a chaotic bombsite as food, helpers, tables, chairs, crockery, cooking pots and friends all appeared to make ready for the big days ahead. And what days they were!! The ladies who came to help were fantastic and for 3 days we cooked, chatted, served wonderful food; promoted Farm Stay UK and we laughed! A lot! We had a ball!!.
In the end we had donations towards our breakfast which included all the table linen and napkins, the flower arrangements, all the crockery, cutlery and glassware. The donated food included ALL the Milk, Orange Juice, Cream, Yogurt, Eggs, Bacon, Sausages, Mushrooms, Black pudding, Smoked Salmon, Bread, Butter, Marmalade, Jams and Honey. The only produce we bought was fruit for the fruit salad, tomatoes, porridge oats and some cereals.
On the Tuesday we had an added attraction in the form of Johnny Ball and the NFU roadshow who were also serving porridge outside and hosting a prize draw for a porridge hamper. Sadly day one was sunny but bitterly cold so it didn’t encourage people to stand around there for too long.
After 3 days we were all shattered but agreed it had been fun and the end result was £3600 for our charity. The press coverage was amazing and we hope to have another bite of the cherry in a week or so when we do a cheque presentation.
On a personal level I have to say it was a tremendous amount of work but the actual event could not have happened without the help of some very exceptional people and I would like to extend personal thanks to Maggie Johnson, Christine Clarkson, Lisa Preston, Sheila Smith, Rosemary Hyslop, Margaret Verity, Brenda Walmsley and Susan Rowson. Christines daughter Liz also gave freely of her time and I cant forget Geoffrey Rowson who also proved a dab hand with a tea towel . Some friends of ours John and Rachael Gate from Cheshire came for the week to help. John was a star at washing up and Rachael was an absolute wizz in the kitchen, we are very grateful for their time and effort, especially as they aren’t even members of Farm Stay!
I also thank Chris, once again, for his extreme patience and for allowing the house to be turned upside down. The upside for him though is that his yard has never been so spotlessly clean!!
Christine Ryder
Big Farmhouse BREAKFAST 2008 This will take place at the home of Patricia Knox, Mill Close Farm, Patrick Brompton, Bedale, North Yorkshire on 24th & 25th January, 2008. The chosen charity will be Yorkshire Cancer Research. The organisers are already busy planning the event, and more details will be available soon.
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