Spring: the season of sunshine, blooming flowers and happiness. Roedean school in Parktown held their annual ‘Blooming Affair Garden and Craft Market’ fittingly on the 1st of October. The market is held yearly in an effort to raise money for the school and a portion is also contributed to a certain cause. As I am always excited to try out new things (especially things in beautiful places) I joined my family for a day among the blossoms.
I had never visited Roedean, but I’ve only ever heard of their magnificent gardens and flowers. And damn, was this an understatement. Everywhere I looked I saw greenery – some kind of rose, an array of poppies, a colourful collection of daisies… It was all there. My eyes were treated with beauty in every single direction. I had to keep reminding myself that this is a school!
The market itself was also really lovely. Obviously, having the sweet tooth that I do, I had a crepe with my step-dad, Pierre, as soon as I arrived. It was filled with melted chocolate and strawberries, and was oh SO delicious!
There is a whole area of tables and chairs underneath these huge, beautiful, green trees, where everyone was munching down and sipping champagne. Pierre was also hugely impressed with his waffle, that was a perfect comparison to a proper Belgian waffle: light, fluffy and a little bit crunchy on the edges. This was certainly an awesome start to our Saturday adventure.
On the one side of this area where the people were eating and drinking was one of my favourite parts of the day: the school band. The group of girls played their instruments so beautifully and really added to the fancy atmosphere of the day. I could’ve watched them for hours!
We walked around the different stalls at the market and saw some really cute things. What’s great about such a market is the idea that you can get your Christmas shopping (I know – Christmas ALREADY!) started, or even better yet, finished! And this can all be done while eating scrumptious food and mingling with everyone you know.
There were all sorts of goodies from food sorts, to cakes, to potted plants, ornaments, beautifully painted cutlery and crockery, clothing, baby toys – you name it, it was there! Pierre and I tried out a really good guacamole from Avolands. They had three different types, all were a different level of spiciness. I of course chose the least spicy…
After we had finished browsing around the stalls, we went on our own little tour of the gardens. The school itself was holding a proper tour later on, as well as a talk from a South African film critic Digby Ricci. However, we wanted to go at our own pace and wander around spontaneously.
What I found so wonderful was that there was a koppie on one side of the school. They’ve dedicated this part of the gardens to the woman who used to maintain all the gardens. And they’ve really made it special. Again, here I had to remind myself that this is a school, and not a getaway!
How stunning is this scenery? It’s really so peaceful and it makes you realise how special the small things are in life. Although, nature is not small. It’s rather large!
My step-sister, Olivia, and I also managed to feel a little bit like kids again, as we climbed onto these cement barrels, that once made us feel TINY! As in, finally we could reach up and sit on them.
And that was our day at the Blooming Affair! It was definitely a lovely day to browse around all the fun stalls and of course, eat some super delicious foods! We were also lucky with the weather, as it was extremely hot. So we pulled out our hats and sunglasses in full force 😉
I urge you to go next year – if you’re as flower-obsessed as I am, you won’t regret it!
