What a lovely evening we had at Didcot Street Fair.

It is a great time to get out into the community and spread the word about the wonderful things we have on display at Didcot Railway Centre.

We have had a stand at the fair for the past 10 or so years so are regulars on the Broadway and its environs.

When I’m looking at the weather forecast for the last Thursday in November I often wonder why Didcot decided to hold its Street Fair in the middle of winter but when we see the lights and crowds it is magical: it seems that all of Didcot and the surrounding area are there having a great time.

This year we couldn’t find a railway connection in the theme of the Twelve Days of Christmas so we weren’t in the Parade but we had a great spot on the Broadway opposite the Ghost Train.

At first the music seemed very loud but we soon got used to it and were humming along to some great tunes and feeling our age when we remember singles like Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head being released.

We got a lot of interest in our stall, admittedly helped by handing out Thomas the Tank Engine stickers and Archie the Engine Driver colouring sheets.

The stickers were a great conversation starter for our Christmas Thomas events and we could talk about what is happening on the days and advise on the best time to arrive.

There was one downside to the Thomas stickers when Thomas, our volunteer, not the tank engine, was accosted on his way home by someone who thought his Thomas sticker meant he was canvassing for a political party.

Some people came to our stall with a specific question and they also had a chance to enter a free competition to win a family ticket for next year.

It was also great to catch up with some of our retired staff and past volunteers, who popped over to our stall for a chat and to reminisce about the fun times we have had.

And we may even have signed up a couple of new members.

Gossiping (or networking!) with other stall holders was also a chance to find new ways to work together with other Didcot organisations.

This year we had a great team of volunteers, trustees and managers so we could all take a break and explore the Fair. Luckily for me, and my healthy eating regime, all the doughnut and cake stalls had long queues. Some of the others made sure that anyone in a position of authority was wearing a Thomas sticker. Thank you to all who came to see us.