2009 Events:

Friday 4 December 2009  

We held our annual Christmas Carols in the Cloisters event featuring The Beltones for the first time.

5th July 2009 - Garden Party 

The month is July, the day Sunday and it is the 5th Day of that month. The face at the car window mouths “Good Morning”. I mumble something in reply, whilst trying to focus my eyes on my watch and gather my thoughts together. My watch tells me its 4.50 am. The outline of Grace Dieu Priory is just definable in the morning mist. But who is this person peering at me through the car window.  It can’t be the “First Stall Holder” come to claim his pitch!!!

Slowly I realise; it’s Fete Day at Grace Dieu Priory 2009. Soon Bill Newton is off round the roads, lanes and paths to place all his notices, other members of the Friends of Grace Dieu Priory arrive and preparations get well under way.

Stall Holders, Performing Groups and Groups giving Demonstrations all arrive and are given their respective places on the field.

They prepare and display their respective wares, all is ready by 12.00 noon and then the heavens open and down comes the rain not a little, but a lot. The slide on the Bouncy Castle becomes a water shoot; the water gushes from the roofs of the tents and the only smiles are on the faces of the stall holders of the plant stall!!

“Patience” they say is “God Sent” and so were a few prayers and sure enough the rain went and the sun appeared and stayed for the rest of the afternoon.

In the end it was a very successful Fete, with hundreds of people attending and all the stall holders, performers and demonstrators being well supported. It was a financial success too with many of the Charities and Fund Raising Stalls for Local Groups, having a good day. The Friends made around £800 which will go towards the upkeep of Grace Dieu Priory for another year.

Thanks must go to all our sponsors, helpers, stall holders, performers, demonstrators, but above all the general public who supported us in such great numbers and helped to make Grace Dieu Fete 2009 such a huge success.

The Friends would like to thank the following organisations for their generous support for the Garden Party:

Cott Beverages Ltd Kegworth     Co-op Supermarket Shepshed    Harlan UK    J B Armstrong's Mill Shepshed    JB Tool Hire Ltd     J Sainsburys plc Loughborough    Low Woods Furnishings    Shepshed Building Society    Tesco Stores Loughborough    The EMA Community Fund    The Queen's Head Belton     W M Morrison Supermarkets Plc

17 May 2009 - Picnic and "A Musical Spring"

Despite the weather around 50 intrepid people bravely weathered the rain to enjoy a picnic at the Priory and be entertained to a concert by Loughborough's Greasepaint Productions.  

Troupers through and through, Greasepaint Productions performed a range of songs from shows such as Bugsy, Chess, Phantom Of The Opera, Hairspray and many others at the event which was thoroughly enjoyed by all.