The busy season is upon us and there are a couple of great events to mark in your calendars. First of all, this blog has a new calendar which is easier to read. We’ll try to keep it as up-to-date as possible. Please note that Hall is available for rentals at a ridiculously low rate. We have a newly-sanded floor, heat, insurance, a kitchen (with dishes and cutlery), tables and chairs, a washroom, a large off-road parking area.

Here are some notables:

1. 15th April – Church starts up again in Hampton
2. 16th April – Hampton Social and Recreational Society Annual General Meeting. Monday at 7pm. Come and renew your membership, and hear what’s in store for this year.
3. 17th April marks the start of a combined cribbage and 45′s night. Games start at 7:30pm and continue each Tuesday.
4. 01 May – Coming off the huge success of the first Brunch lunch, the next one features Guest Speaker – Nina Newington, an expert gardener. 11:30am.
5. And watch for news on the Hampton summer market, run by the Lighthouse Society, coming soon.

And from the area:

1. The Bridgetown Market is moving to Jubilee Park. Opening day is May 15th. Here is what they have to say:
   We invite you to join us at the Grand Opening of the Bridgetown Farmers and Traders Market on TUESDAY MAY 15th from 11am to 3pm in our NEW location at Jubilee Park! Come and see over 20 vendors selling plants and flowers, paper crafts, knitting, sewing, take away food, coffee, jam, jelly and preserves, veggies and fruits, baked goods, antiques and collectibles, jewellery, quilting, photography and so much more! All of this right in your own backyard! Look for special opening day events at our beautiful river park setting, enjoy the natural playground for the kiddies, washrooms, kayaks available for rent, horseshoes and picnic tables for lunch!! Support Local, Buy Local, Shop Local! Every Tuesday from 11am to 3pm

Hampton resident (and excellent photographer) Gale Connell has chronicled many changes to the Hampton lighthouse and wharf area over the years. Here are some recent photos Gale has captured of repairs to the Hampton wharf. Men are busy again working on the main wharf in Hampton, April 2012. They took the armour stone away from the top side and made a road out to the end to work from.  More pictures to follow as work progresses.

The winner of the Easter basket draw at the Hampton Post Office was Audrey Connell. The basket was supplied by local gift basket business Scotia Gift Baskets. Anyone who buys a book of stamps at the Hampton Post Office gets entered into the basket draws.

Did you know there is a Saddle and Harness maker in Hampton that makes Custom Western Saddles, Harness, Belts, Leather Goods, and does Leather repairs? For those of you who may not know, Mike Merrigan does all of these things in his leather shop at 8140 Shore Rd West. 

Here are some photos of the most recent custom saddle and accessories that he built for a lady in North Carolina. Bowden Saddle Tree, Wickett & Craig Leather.

You know Spring is here when Jo Hacking and the ladies in Hampton fire up the popular Brunch lunch series. The first one is Tuesday, April 3rd at 11:30am. The guest speaker is Diana Mullings Ackroyd. You may have seen Diana’s latest accomplishment in the Spectator when Lawrencetown became the first in Canada to be certified as Backyard Habitat Community. Bring some treats with you and a spare loonie that will help with the cost of tea and coffee. See you there!

P.S. Be the first to marvel at our newly-sanded floor!

There are a few news updates to bring your attention to – please be sure to read to the end. For those who have not seen the vehicles outside the Hampton Hall, you’ll be in for a nice surprise once you see inside. It was a few years coming but the committee recently approved the sanding and re-surfacing of the wooden floor.  After numerous sandings and coats of varnish, the floor will be fantastic and hopefully will last a number of years.

This renovation will be completed in time for our first event of the season which is the first of the Lunch Bunch series on Tuesday, April 3rd at 11:30am. See the Calendar link for more details. 

And of course, the ever popular Hampton jam sessions return to Thursdays starting on April 5th.

The Hampton Hall AGM will be on April 16th. More news to follow.

An important change is that we have combined 45′s from Saturdays AND cribbage from Wednesdays together on Tuesdays until the end of August. The time on Tuesdays will be 7:30pm. Our card parties start on April 17th. 

Things are hopping!

For those of you who do Facebook, a former resident of Hampton has started a great Facebook page called “Hampton Memories”. The link to this group is HERE.

Sanderson, Robert “Ted” Edward – 85, of Hampton, Annapolis County, passed away March 13, 2012, in Soldiers Memorial Hospital, Middleton. Born in Weston, Ontario, he was a son of the late Robert and Alice (Ciccone) Sanderson. Ted was a teaching golf professional in Toronto and remained an avid golfer. He worked for Cooper Canada for 20 years and owned an Oak Barrel making company when he lived in Toronto. He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Louise (Bass); daughters, Jennifer (Don) McLean, Middleton; Jodie Sanderson, Banff, Alberta; sons, Terry Michael (Ann) Sanderson, Richmond Hill, Ontario; Craig Dean (Diane) Sanderson, Woodbridge, Ontario; five grandchildren, Christopher, Vanessa, Matthew, Justin and Randi. Cremation has taken place under the care and direction of Kaulbach Family Funeral Home, Bridgetown. A reception will be held 2-4pm, Saturday March 17, 2012, in the Hampton Community Hall, Hampton. Donations in memory may be sent to Carleton Road Industries Association, 515 Carleton Road, Lawrencetown Annapolis Co., N.S. B0S 1M0 (1-902-584-3332) or Annapolis County Special Olympics. c/o 5516 Spring Garden Road, Suite 201, Halifax, N.S. B3J-1G6 (1-866-299-2019).