PARENTS, children, grandparents and friends flocked to Staunton C of E School for the Christmas fair and, as always, there was soon a long queue for a visit to Father Christmas in his grotto. Delicious smells of bacon baps and hot dogs enticed visitors to a lunch time snack, cooked by some of the mothers, who also manned the many well laden stalls with some wonderful bargains and mystery parcels for just £1, super books, gifts and cakes.

The colourful Christmas card competition presented a colourful sparkly picture in the hall and, starting with the pre-school class, Isabel Kane was the winner, Reception Elin Kane, Class 1 Bethan Hall, Year 2 Spike Bradford, Year 3 Bradley Davis, Year 4 James Russell, Year 5 Kandy Bradford, Year 6 Alice Bailey.

After the very successful fair it's now Christmas play time which take place on one afternoon and two evenings.

For three nights Staunton & Corse Amateur Theatrical Society (SCATS) played to full houses in the Village Hall when they presented the pantomime The Millennium Dame by Paul Beard. This was a pantomime with a difference, but equally entertaining as the programme said "a traditional 21st Century family panto". In act one the evil Millennium Bug, played very convincingly by Roy Goddard, a new member to SCATS, who, with his equally nasty accomplices Daft Moll (Sheila Carter), and Anarchy Skystalker (Harry Dye) plan to take control of the earth but first must capture Pantomime Village where all the principal characters of every well known pantomime live. Here in the village Gloria Twanky (Mike Jones) a very engaging dame, Idly Jack (Shane Barlow), Cinderella (Kirsty Jones), Dick Whittington (Kerry Pearman) and his cat (Cheryl Cooper). Charming Sarah Thompson as Fairy Nuff co-ordinates the scenes in the Pantomime Village, the Planet Vulgar the flight deck of the Dark Destroyer, the Watts Laboratory and the Red Planet. Joan Whitmore played the very exacting part of TDS 2A Root Well. The intervention of the mad inventor Doctor Watt (Kevin Dallimore) ensured good triumphed over bad and there was a happy ending with the marriage of Gloria Twanky and the Millennium Bug.

There was a strong cast with a good chorus of mixed ages and good audience participation. Barbara Buck was the director and producer assisted by Joan Whitmore. The sound effects and lighting were of a very high standard with Phil Riley, David Ledger and Michael Wardell, music, Janet Freeman and the stage manager was Bob Stanbanks with full supporting crew.