What a magnificent weekend it was at Baytree Nurseries for their very first 1940s event on the 22nd and 23rd of August. The atmosphere was alive with vintage charm, featuring live 1940s music, a variety of antique and craft stalls, energetic dancing, impressive military vehicles, and a wonderful selection of refreshments. The team at Spalding Royal Naval Association was thrilled to take part and man a dedicated stall across both days.
The weekend proved to be a resounding success for everyone involved. Hundreds of visitors came out to support the event, creating a vibrant and welcoming community spirit. A heartfelt thank you goes out to all the RNA members who gave up their time to staff the stall. Donning naval uniforms from both past and present, the team certainly looked the part and drew plenty of well-wishes from the crowd.
Over the course of the two days, we handed out an abundance of naval memorabilia, including sailors’ hats, informative RNA booklets, key rings, car stickers, pens, and bookmarks. It was heartwarming to see how much joy these simple tokens brought to both adults and children alike.
Our presence at the event bore fantastic fruit for the branch’s future. We were delighted to welcome four prospective members who approached the stall specifically to ask how they could join the Spalding RNA. In another wonderful show of local collaboration, our Chairman was approached by a representative from the Rotary Club seeking advice on how to re-open a lapsed branch of the Holbeach Rotary Club.
All in all, it was an outstanding success. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Baytree Nurseries for inviting the RNA to be a part of their inaugural 1940s weekend, and we wish them many more successful events in the years to come.
Rodney Grocock
Vice-Chairman
Spalding Royal Naval Association
Email: rodney@rodneygrocock.co.uk