EXCITEMENT is mounting as children from South Africa are returning to a Cheshire village.
Pupils and teachers from the Elizabethfontein School in the Western Cape will be spending two weeks in Goostrey this summer as part of a unique school twinning scheme.
This will be the sixth time since 2004 that this school has visited the village to take part in the annual Rose Day celebrations.
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Eight children will be staying with families and taking part in lessons at Goostrey school.
The youngsters will also promote their culture by demonstrating crafts and share South African playground games and dancing.
The school has won numerous dancing competitions throughout the Western Cape and the children will be performing at Rose Day on Saturday, June 24.
To help raise funds for Goostrey Rose Festival and the South African visit, a quiz and silent auction are being organised.
Christina Burgess, chairman of Goostrey Rose Festival, said: “We are delighted that children from South Africa will once again be joining us for Rose Day.
“They should have come three years ago but the visit had to be postponed because of the pandemic.
“Whenever they join us, they add an extra dimension to our celebrations.
“I am sure the people of Goostrey will support the quiz and silent auction to make the visit and Rose Day very special.”
The rural school, which is a three-and-a-half-hour drive North of Cape Town, has 270 children.
Most of the pupils board on a weekly basis in two big dormitories.
The online auction goes live on Thursday, March 2, offering more than 30 promises to suit all ages.
Amongst items seeking bids will be someone to babysit, a meal at a local venue, a weekend away in Anglesey, a trip to a copper mine, an historic tour of Burslem, a children’s party and front row tickets for the Goostrey School Nativity play.
To bid, visit auctionofpromises.com/2023GoostreyAuction.
The auction closes at 10pm on Saturday, March 11 and the promise will go to the person who has made the highest bid at that time.
The quiz takes place at Goostrey Village Hall at 7.30pm on Saturday, March 11.
The bar opens at 7pm.
Tickets for the quiz, priced £5 per person, are available from Peter Gomes on 07867 798848 or email treasurer@goostreyrosefestival.co.uk
Teams of no more than six people can compete in the quiz.
Funds raised will be split equally between Goostrey Rose Festival and the South African visit.
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