The annual Church Fair took place at Useldange on Sunday; the sun shone, sun cream was liberally applied and the entertainment was lapped up.

Following the outdoor service for members of the Anglican Church in Luxembourg, led by Rev Chris Lyon, he commenced the Opening Ceremony at which the Mayor of Useldange, Pollo Bodem, cut the cermonial tape to open the 2015 event. Before that he spoke of three interesting things happening that day; apart from the Church Fair, there was also the Medieval Festival happening in Useldange and the national referenda, one of which concerned the right of foreigners to vote. He also stressed the values of friendship and entertainment on show throughout the event.

Chris and Anna Vaudrey were thanks for hosting the event again at their home and she was presented with a large bouquet of flowers. Clive Munn, the event organiser, was also congratulated for co-ordinating all the tasks to ensure the smooth running of the event.

Ken Johnston, an Australian artist with connections in India, also spoke on behalf of his charity, which was one of the many supported by the proceeds of the Church Fair, including in Luxembourg, Africa and Asia, including Nepal. Last year the Church Fair proceeds amounted to €10,250.

One of the showcase events, the Cake Competition, had three judges, headed by Kathy Liebl of Kathy's Cupcakes. Beatrice Munn, runner-up last year, went one better this year with her Strawberry Cake decorated with a marzipan rose, and won a €25 voucher at Kathy's Cupcakes for her creation; the judges had used the criteria of presentation, texture and taste to determine the outcome. All entries were then donated to the Tea Tent for purchase.

The other showcase event, the Dog Show, was won by Hanzoo, a pug owned by Michael Petre who lives in Trier. In second place was Cookie (a previous winner), with Ella, a King Charles Spaniel owned by the Ensa family, coming third. The "Dog with Waggliest Tail" prize was awarded to Gracie, a Duck Toller from Canada, owned by Ron Haigh.

In between, the main lawn was the stage for the various entertainment acts, with the Jeanette Hutchines School Dance putting on displays from hip hop to ballet; the children's races comprising the egg-and-spoon race, the sack race and the 3-legged race; the magician Christian Lavey entertaining the children with a series of magic tricks; the medieval music band Musica Canora from the Czech Republic who were performing also at the Medieval Market in the village; and the Duck Race in the river, organised by the Telstar Scouts.

The fair also had a wide range of traditional and some not-so-traditional stalls, with the Crémant Stand, the Bar, the Pancake stand, the Barbeque and the Indian Curry stand keeping everyone's hunger and thirst at bay, while other stands were selling items from plants to books and DVDs, and all the games, from a Treasure Island to the BouncyCastle.

For the full photo album (on Facebook), see www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.716653008446007.1073741896.238112732966706&type=3.

Photos by Geoff Thompson