Santa Arrives At Mainstay DRP Craft Fayre In Helicopter

11 December 2011 |

Posted by Jim Masson |

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SANTA Claus arrived in style at Mainstay DRP’s Annual Christmas Craft Fayre on Saturday at Downpatrick Racecourse. However, there wasn’t a sleigh or reindeer in sight in the skies above Ballydugan Road – but a helicopter!

Mainstay DRP aren’t sure how Santa knew that local building contractor Bartley Murphy owned a helicopter…maybe he was keeping a watchful eye from the North Pole!

Once the red-suited man made his way to his sparkly, snowy Grotto inside the Racecourse building, a queue of boys and girls quickly formed to tell him how good they had been since last Christmas.
Elsewhere, there was lots of present buying and fundraising going on as the Christmas carols flowed in the background.

Eilish McCreesh was busy selling homemade chocolates, mince pies and chutneys from Gaoler’s Kitchen, the charity’s vocational training café at Down County Museum and finance officer Ciara Magennis was getting punters to guess how many sweets were in the jar.

Stall holders on the day included Twisted Pixie with their ‘handmade in Belfast’ jewellery, Cunningham Flowers and Hillside Crafts’s traditional hand carved wooden gifts.

Impressions of Ireland, the company run by students from the South Eastern Regional College, were there with beautiful ceramic pendants and ornaments.

The charity’s workshop also had a stall with bespoke wooden ornaments for the garden and also, pottery items for inside the home in the form of decorative mirrors and plates.

The usual favourites – the Tombola, Guess The Name of the Doll and the Christmas Draw – had the crowd lining up to try their luck.

And the good news is that the Fayre - the charity’s last fundraising event of the year - has so far raised over £2,700.

Richard Lyttle, proprietor of Downpatrick Racecourse, said: “The racecourse, as a facilitator of the Fayre, is delighted to support local charities such as Mainstay DRP.
“There was a great crowd on Saturday all enjoying the Christmas cheer. We wish Mainstay DRP the very best of luck in 2012!”

Helen Taylor, Chief Executive of Mainstay DRP, said a great day was had by all. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who attended the Fayre on Saturday from exhibitors to visitors. We are deeply grateful as always for the support we receive from the community.

“We could not have staged the event without Santa, who travelled especially from the North Pole, and for all our hardworking volunteers.

“It was the perfect end to a very positive and rewarding year providing quality care and support to adults with a learning disability or severe autism in Co Down.
“Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!”