Emmaus South Lambeth

Hello again

Well, after months of planning, weeks of organising and hours of agonising about the weather, the Day of the Opening dawned with a clear blue sky and a smile of relief on my face.  The next few hours are mostly a blur, but I know I laughed a lot, met loads of lovely people - and obviously talked too much because I was hoarse the next day!  Most importantly, I witnessed Joanna Lumley cut the ribbon and officially open Bobby Vincent House (and it’s a great relief to us all not to have to climb in through the windows any more!)

For those of you who came, thank you, and I hope you enjoyed it every bit as much as I did;  to all others, bad luck - you missed many treats, a lot of fun – and easily the best face-painting I have ever seen. 

Joanna made a lovely speech before cutting the ribbon and I wasn’t the only Companion with a lump in their throats and extra determination to help make Emmaus South Lambeth a Golden Success Story.

I was nominally on the Refreshments Stall, but had to abandon my post from time to time fetching this or finding that or rounding up the other… so my thanks to my extremely capable colleagues for staying on post during my absences, through hail, wind and even a little bit of sun!

All too soon it was over, and many thanks to all who helped with the clearing up.  The following day I had a very different kind of excitement, going up to Biggin Hill (no, for those unfamiliar with the area, not the airfield…) to be allotted an allotment.  We have been started on a quarter plot, which has some broad beans and strawberries already in situ, which is a bonus.

I can’t tell you what a joy it is to peel mountains of potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions etc and know the pile will be starting a new compost heap at last, instead of going into the rubbish bin …  Oops, Majonne did murmur something about my ramblings on the theme of rubbish (or was it that my ramblings were a load of rubbish?)… so I’d better end now.

Just one last word – we’re in the market for any and all sorts of garden implements, so if you happen to find your tool shed has just too many duplicates, we will happily put the excess to good use!

Best wishes,

Elizabeth

Greetings,

What an academic week we’ve had, to be sure;  Monday was a training day, Communication Skills until mid-afternoon, and Manual Handling for the rest of the day.  Unfortunately, I found I had not fully recovered from a mild dose of the lurgy and had to miss the second course;  sleeping 3.30pm-8am cleared it up though, I’m glad to say. 

It was a fortunate timetable, however, as I now have the communication skills to explain I am a fragile elderly lady without training in picking up 56lb – or even 25kg – sacks of potatoes, so could someone who took the course please….  Then on Wednesday, our PAT tester took (and passed) his refresher, so now we are awash with certificates!

Then on Thursday we heard that the application for an allotment had been accepted, which is very exciting for me, albeit slightly silly timing, as we will be having to abandon it for a week, as we are all hands to the pump preparing for the 12^th at the moment.  Dreams of broad beans and tomatoes and and and… !

Meanwhile, I will be up to my neck in flour and sugar, baking cakes and biscuits etc.   I have had a wonderful time reading simple and lavish recipes, but Oh Dear – I swear I could feel myself gaining kilos while I drooled.

Once again, I apologise in advance, but there will be no blog next week as we get the final arrangements in place.  However,

I very much look forward to meeting you both all at the Official Opening of our Community home by Joanna Lumley and the auction she will conduct with Terry Waite on Saturday 12^th April, 12-5pm!

Best wishes,

Elizabeth

Doesn’t Easter seem far away now?   We had a turkey lunch which was fun, with a great visit to a local 10-pin bowling alley afterwards.  On Bank Holiday Monday a quartet of us went to Oxford.  The weather was dire, but we were able to dive into the nearest College/museum etc as and when rain, sleet, snow and hail (yes, we got the gamut!) fell. 

We were only caught out by the Tower, as there was so much to see on the way up, we were into the next blizzard by the time we reached the top!  I’m sure ‘City of Dreaming Aerials’ does not have the same ring about it, but alas they seem to outnumber the Spires dozens-to-one these days…

Blame me for the weather - I’d had hopes of planting the seedlings, of course;  sub-zero temperatures were the obvious consequence!  I managed to plonk in some Bizzie Lizzies today, beside the area where we put a couple of ivy plants a few weeks ago.  Whether they survive the determined efforts of drivers to park with their bonnets or boots overhanging the flower bed remain to be seen - but it will be gorse and Thorn Trees next time if these get damaged!

It was nice to hear us mentioned in today’s Sunday Service on BBC 4, when the sermon was about the Road to Emmaus, and the fulfillment of hope that the disciples received at the supper in Emmaus.  It certainly works for me.

All the best for now,
Elizabeth