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gilmartin ’ s halloween event
Gilmartin ’ s Bakery , one of the beating hearts of Stewarton ’ s High
Street , held a safe Halloween event on 31st October so that the local kids could participate in Halloween safely this year .
With a queue stretching back to John Knox church , young guizers and their parents braved a blustery night to visit the popular eatery to pick up their free sweets get their photo taken by a local professional photographer , Stuart McAuley of McAuley Media .
There was a costume contest for not only the kids , but also any dogs who attended in costume .
The team at Gilmartins used the event to raise money for Stewarton Woodlands Action Trust ( SWAT ), who had a stall at the event where they sold bramble jam and 2021 calendars . Evie Steele , the young mind behind Dex-Stars Dog Treats , was also selling her home-made dog treats , also raising money for SWAT in the process .
Gilmartin ’ s was joined by Stewarton High Street interiors shop Limegreen and The Sugar Cube who also ran events on Halloween .
Commenting , business owner Stephanie Stewart said :
“ It ’ s been a hard year for everyone and there hasn ’ t been too much for people to get excited about . It ’ s definitely been especially confusing and difficult for young kids , and we really thought that as a town we owe it to them to give them some positive , lasting memories from this year .
“ Since the lockdown in March , we ’ ve had to adapt our business through multiple iterations to keep going . The whole town has been incredibly supportive and accommodating as we were learning new processes .
“ Even though it ’ s been hard , we felt like we had to give back to the town , and so we decided to open the doors for a wee event to brighten up everyone ’ s Halloween . Our premises is large and has two entrances , so we could easily implement a very safe environment for our visitors
Eva
“ It was really uplifting to see everyone with smiles on their faces . The kids were really excited and the parents were very grateful to have something on . Between us , Limetree and Sugar Cube , there were lots of options for parents on the night and we encouraged everyone to make the most of this and attend all three !
“ We always envisioned using the cafe like this when we first opened . We want it to be an inclusive space . Living in Stewarton , we want the best for our high street and we ’ re very grateful that local people have supported what we ’ ve been doing so far !”
James and Steph Stewart ( owners )
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SWAT was delighted when Gilmartin ' s gave us the opportunity to be part of their Halloween event . It ' s so nice that Gilmartin ' s recognise the importance of our woodlands , which have been even more widely used over the last 9 months , and it was great to get the opportunity to meet some of the families who have been exploring our paths . Many thanks to James and Stephanie for letting us sell calendars and Bramble Jelly at the event , and for their very generous donation to our funds .
SWAT
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It was great to have an event to look forward to when so much has been cancelled . When we arrived , the atmosphere was cracking , Hannah loved posing for her picture , and ending the visit with coffee and cake left us all smiling .
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Scott White , parent of Hannah , competition winner
Hannah , whose Jack Skellington won first prize in the costume contest
Congratulations to James and Steph Stewart and all the Gilmartin ' s team , from everyone at The Review Magazine . A great effort during these difficult times .