Once upon a time there was a lonely little gnome called Gnorm.  Gnorm spent his days sitting on a table in a cold draughty office.  He would watch out of the window as people walked by. Smiling quietly to himself, while he sat thinking and thinking and thinking about things.

Every day at about the same time, the big people would start to appear.  The very nice lady, the ginger man, and the grumpy man from across the street would come into the office and get ready for the day.  The workshop boys would put on their overalls and disappear out into the workshop where they would spend the day banging and clanging and making all sorts of weird and wonderful noises doing what they need to do to get the pretty red buses ready for their next adventure.

Some days were very quiet and some days were very busy.  Gnorm watched as people would come in and talk to the very nice lady, or the ginger man, then climb onto the pretty red bus.  The noisy wee lady who lived in the big green bus or the colourful man with the stripey pants would start the pretty red bus and off they would go, around the corner, and out into the distance.  Gnorm wondered where they went.  They were always gone for a long time. He had heard such wonderful stories about birds, and sand, and the sea, and a big high tower with a very important light.  He very much wanted to go on an adventure too.  He sat on his table, watching out of the window, smiling quietly to himself, thinking and thinking and thinking about things.

Twice a day the big people would gather in the messy office in the back room. The workshop boys would come in from the workshop and sit with the very nice lady, the ginger man, and the grumpy man from across the street.  Sometimes the boss’s wife and the noisy wee lady who lived in the big green bus and the colourful man with the stripey pants would come and sit there too.  There was usually a lot of noise. They would talk about things that used to happen and things that they would like to happen. There would be laughing and joking, or sometimes it would be quiet while they all just sat there thinking about things.

One day when it was very quiet, the ginger man said very suddenly “what do you think about A Gnome Away From Home?”  The workshop boys looked at each other and shook their heads in amusement.  The grumpy man from across the street muttered and walked out of the room.  The noisy wee lady who lived in the big green bus got very excited and started jumping up and down.  The boss’s wife and the very nice lady looked at each other and thought “this could be interesting”.  The colourful man with the stripey pants said “what do you mean - a gnome away from home?”

The ginger man went on to explain – why don’t we invite big people to bring their garden gnomes to Collingwood for a weekend.  On Saturday we could take them for an adventure on the pretty red bus and on Sunday we could go exploring and have some fun and games.   The big people thought about this for a few days.  One day when all of the big people were again sitting in the messy office in the back room, the very nice lady asked “if we go and visit the big high tower with the very important light, can you make a flying fox so our gnomes can have some fun?”  The workshop boys looked at each other and shook their heads in amusement.  “I think we can” they said – and they did.

The big people kept on thinking for a few more days and one day the very nice lady asked “can you make a bungy jump so our gnomes can have some more fun?” The boys from the workshop looked at each other and shook their heads in amusement.  “I think we can” they said – and they did. 

The big people were still thinking and one day the very nice lady asked “can you make some big dice and a race track so our gnomes can have some races?”  The grumpy man from across the street muttered “I think I can” – and he did.  Gnorm sat on his table, watching out of the window smiling quietly to himself, thinking and thinking, and thinking about things.

It got very busy in the cold draughty office and in the messy office in the back room – the ginger man, the very nice lady, the boss’s wife, and the noisy wee lady who lived in the big green bus set about organizing things for the big weekend.  There was so much to do.  Other gnomes heard about the exciting things that were being planned and began to arrive.  There were Knees and Gordon, the triplets – Wally, Dick and Glen, the twins – Cedric and Brian, and Mr Sleaze (but we won’t talk about him).  One clever gnome from far away asked his big person to post him to Collingwood so he wouldn’t miss out on the fun – and she did.

Eventually after days and days of talking and planning and muttering and building, the big weekend finally arrived.  Everybody was very excited.  Gnorm was at last going to have an adventure.  Big people and their gnomes came from near and far. On Saturday, the ginger man, the very nice lady, the boss’s wife, the workshop boys and the colourful man with the stripey pants were all there. Everybody climbed on the pretty red bus, and the noisy wee lady who lived in the big green bus started it up and off they went, around the corner and out into the distance.   Gnorm sat there, smiling quietly to himself.

They were gone for a long time.  Gnorm saw birds, and sand, and the sea.  He saw the big high tower with the very important light.    There were flying gnomes – yippeeeee!!!!  and lots of photos.  They had so much fun. 

On Sunday everybody gathered outside the cold, draughty office once again.  They all climbed onto the pretty red bus, and the noisy wee lady who lived in the big green bus took them away for more adventures. They went caving – spooky!!! and swimming – brrrrrr!!  There was bungy jumping – wahooooooo!!! and racing – yay!!!.  There were prizes and more photos.  It was great!!!!

On Monday after the weekend, the big people once again gathered in the messy office in the back room and they talked and laughed about how everybody had enjoyed themselves. The very nice lady, the ginger man, the workshop boys, the boss’s wife, the noisy wee lady who lived in the big green bus, the colourful man with the stripey pants, and even the grumpy man from across the street all agreed – it was fantastic. 

The very nice lady asked “Do you think we can do it again next year?”  The workshop boys looked at each other and shook their heads in amusement.  “I think we can” they said.     Do you think they did???

Gnorm sat on his table in the cold draughty office watching out of the window, smiling quietly to himself.