Once upon a time in Warmbad ...

Dear KuierKos Family,

I was thinking the other day about growing up in Warmbad in the 1980’s, and to be honest, there were not a lot of exciting things happening in our little town. Life moved at a slower pace back then. But there was one event that stood out every year and that everyone looked forward to: the Church Bazaar.
The church would appoint a committee months in advance to organise everything. There were auctions, cake tables, dessert tables, knitting tables, the tombola table, and of course, the meat table. I can't quite remember whether the work was divided by district or wyk, but somehow our group always seemed to end up working with the meat.
In those days, farmers would donate a cow or a few lambs, and it was our job to prepare and pack the meat orders. There is an advantage to having five children when there's work to be done! Or perhaps there was an advantage to having a daughter. As far as I can remember, my brothers was usually off playing while I was helping. I think it was because I loved listening to all the adults talking and telling stories. Looking back now, I was probably just very nosey!

Church members would place their orders beforehand, and we would spend hours packing everything according to their requests. It was hard work, but I loved every minute of it.
The day of the bazaar itself was the best part.

One of my favourite places was always the pannekoek stalletjie. Thin pancakes covered with cinnamon sugar, rolled up and handed over while still warm. The tannies worked wonders on those little blue Cadac stoves. Somehow, they managed several pans at once while chatting away with everyone.
Everyone had their own way of rolling a pancake. Some used a fork, while others simply used their fingers despite the heat. But I was always fascinated by the tannies who wore little thimbles on their fingers. They could roll those pancakes at lightning speed without burning themselves. Looking back, it was quite a skill!
And then there was the dessert table.
Oh my word.
Trifle, malva pudding, jelly, custard and every other sweet treat you could imagine. Everything was served in those little polystyrene bakkies / containers. There was no room to be fussy. You simply grabbed a spoon and enjoyed whatever delicious combination landed in your bakkie. To this day, it remains some of the best desserts I can remember.

Another favourite was the tombola table. I always loved trying my luck there. Halfway through my childhood, though, someone realised that the tombola looked a little too much like gambling for a church bazaar. Since nobody was supposed to gamble, the tombola table suddenly became the Wit Olifant Table instead. Somehow it wasn't quite as exciting, but we still loved browsing through all the treasures and oddities people had donated.

Looking back now, I realise that the church bazaar was never really about the pancakes, the pudding, or even the tombola... it was about community. It was about neighbours working together, sharing stories, laughing, and creating memories. It was a place where everyone had a role to play and where children learned that helping out could actually be fun.
Perhaps that's why so many of us still remember those days so fondly. The food was wonderful, but the people made it special.

Thank you for being part of our KuierKos family. Every time I see customers chatting in the shop, sharing recipes, or catching up with old friends, it reminds me a little of those church bazaars back in Warmbad.

Wishing you a wonderful week, and if you happen to see a pannekoek stall somewhere this summer, treat yourself to one with extra cinnamon sugar.

Warm regards,
Marnella & Andreas