HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1970-10-29, Page 941,
105th 'Y.g,411 NO, .44
tit 0
CLINTON, ONTARIO -4, THURSDAY, OCTOT3E9 29, 1979 SP.Qrs,11? SECTIQN.
Mrs, Lotte Zonneberg of Brigadoon, a restored farmhouse and
craft shop on Base Line seven miles north of Clinton, exhibited
pottery, ceramics, weaving and paintings Saturday at Carlow. The
tiny Carlow Hall was packed both Wednesday and Saturday at the
Calbourne Township Christmas Country Fair. —staff photo.
One of the most popular exhibits at the Christmas Country Fair
at Carlow last week was John Plumtree's showing of wood
turnings he has produced in his shop in Clinton. The show
featured artists and craftsmen from Huron County and beyond.
—staff photo.
Thousands crowd Country Fair
This ram's head was one of the wood carvings of Stuart Taylor of Nile (just north of Carlow on
County Road 1). The carvings were for exhibit only but drew some`of the highest praise at the
show. —staff photo.
They squeezed and pushed, squirmed and
shuffled their way into Colborne Township Hall
at Carlow last Wednesday and Saturday for the
fifth annual Christmas Country Fair.
More than 2000 are said to have been through
the free show but anyone who was there during
peak hours on Saturday would have sworn there
were at least 2006 in the tMy hall, all at one
time.
Cars were parked for a quarter mile in all
directions and chartered buses from such centres
as Sarnia and Wabash brought, people from miles
away to see the arts and craftsArrtOnstrated by
the local artists.
The only problem was that there were so
many people on hand, it was often impossible to
see the displays.
Such as the popularity of the fair since it was
revived five years ago. The first country fair in
Colborne was held in a field south of the house
now owned by Bert Bean at Carlow on October
10, 1871.
Farmers and their wives brought the pick of
their crops, grains and livestock to, the early fair.
Such women's produce as tatting, crochet,
beadwork, braiding, fancy knitting, paper
flowers, gentlemen's shirts (handmade in those
days), patchwork quilts, yarn they had spun,
woolen cloth, union flannel made on their own
looms, Berlin work, feather flowers, crystal and
tinsel pictures and special bread and butter were
brought to the show.
Such fairs continued annually until 1894 when
an agricultural society was set up in Goderich.
It was over 70 years before the fair was
revived, in 1966 a group of Colborne Township
craftsmen known as " Country Crafts" organized
their first display and sale of local crafts and
paintings at a time when people were beginning
to look for Christina,, gifts. Whether that was the
secret, or the quality of the crafts-was just so
good, it is no doubt that the fair is now a big
success.
The objective of • the fair is to encourage the,
local craftsmen and promote local - crafts as the
true souvenir of the area. Many of these crafts
are very rarely seen on the market and so the sale
is unique. The organizers feel that craftsmen are
making a contribution to our culture and should
be recognized and encouraged.
The fair helps many crafts that don't sell well
in stores but seem to find a ready market at the
fair. The co-operative effort of the members of
the "Country Crafts" is largely responsible for
the success of the event.
Although it was originally conceived to serve
the needs of Colborne Township craftsmen, it
now draws displays from all over northern Huron
and even beyond . One of the features of this
year's fair were dolls made of dried apples, the
work of Mrs. Hector Cooke, an artist from
Kitchener. Another craftsman from a distant was
Mrs. Larry Montieth of Lambeth who displayed
handcarved leather jewellry.
A Molesworth woman, Mrs. David Mathieson,
was also on hand to show off her styrofoam
era fts.
Artists and craftsmen from the Clinton area
were also well represented at the show. One of
the most popular exhibits was the display of
elegant wood turnings of John Plumtree of
Clinton. His iolished wooden knick-knacks and
bowls were among the most admired products at
the show.
Also representing the local area was Mrs. Lotte
Zonnenberg who operates.&a crafts shop in her
restored farriC houSe rietir'Auburn, during the
summer months. Mrs. Zonnenberg and her family
are residents of London but spend weekends and
holidays at Brigadoon, a century-old farm house
just off the Base Line (county road 8). [-her shop
created wide-spread interest when it, opened for
four weeks last summer.
Mrs. Zonnenberg displayed' pottery, ceramics,
weaving and paintings from area and
London-bases artisand.
Mrs. Ralph Feltz of Clinton showed her
knitted novelties and Mrs. Norman /Win, RR 2,
Clinton showed her croch,et work. Mrs. Donald
Frey of Clin ton showed liquid embroidery.
Pottery, Canadian stone jewellry and
needlework kits were displayed and sold by the
Wollen Shop of Bayfield.
Autumn through the viewfinder
The melancholy days are. come, the saddest of the year, Of wailing winds,
and naked woods and meadows brown and sere. 11V llianl eullen 13iyand (1794 - 1878)
THE dektI4 OF THE P!_tiVVEkS