THE sun shone on Lifton during their village fete that took place recently, with delicious cream teas, tombolas and other fun activities being available for the community to enjoy.

Since the Rev Tim Deacon and his wife, Sheila, moved into the rectory three years ago, Lifton’s annual village fete began to be known more as a ‘garden party’, rather than a fete as such.

Last year was the first time that the fete was held in the garden of the rectory, after Rev Deacon and his wife cleared the ‘jungle’ that was their garden before moving in.

Approximately 120 locals attend the event, which, surprisingly, was less than last year. Rev Deacon put that to the various Armed Forces Day events taking place on the same weekend, and the uncertainty of the fickle weather.

However, despite a slight dip in numbers of attendees, the event raised £564 for the church funds through cream teas, tombolas, sales and stalls, with 10% of the proceeds being donated to Children’s Hospice South West.

Rev Deacon said: “We choose a different charity each year to support, and it’s important to help local charities that don’t get national support. This year, we thought that Children’s Hospice South West would be a good charity to raise money for through the event.

“We also had 12 community groups that paid £5 to have their own table. The money for the table was put in the charity funds, and anything they made on the table they could take with them for their groups. Groups like the History Society and the Arts Society took part in this, and it was something that made people aware of what’s going on in the village. There was a real community effort.”

Overall, the day proved to be a success, and the village is optimistic for the next fete.

Rev Deacon added: “It was lovely to see folk enjoy the sunshine with a cream tea, having a natter, not in any rush. That’s what we need a little bit more of in this life.”