Emmaus South Lambeth

This is not a blog – it can’t be, ‘cos I told you last week I wasn’t writing one -  so much as a note of explanation to quieten the minds of those who might have felt I was somewhat less than obsequiously flattering, complimentary or, some feared, downright cheeky, a couple of weeks ago, given that the subject was none other than our bright, shiny, new Leader-to-Be and his nocturnal cacophony.

Those concerned have not met Mike, so they won’t know that his sense of humour is only marginally smaller than Mount Everest , and he enjoyed the jest.  In fact, not only did he enjoy it – he initiated the darn’ piece.  The actual sequence of events was that I had written the first bit, about the flood, the day before (with the benefit of a good night’s sleep).  I called it up to send to Chris for posting when Mike was here, and showed him.  He grinned, complimented it, then there was a pause before he muttered :

“ You could mention about my snoring, if you wanted” – and not only read, but laughed and approved what I wrote for publication.

For final clarification, therefore, it is sheer coincidence (and in the interests of a good night’s sleep, of course!) that I am heading out of town just as he arrives;  I have every confidence that my expulsion for lessė majestė won’t be at the absolute top of his agenda on my return! 

I hope that settles that.  Good.  Now, where’s my travel-soap?

Cheers for now,

Elizabeth

‘Tis the season of fairs, fayres, fetes… and frostbite.   Well, that’s how it seemed last Saturday when another Companion and I went up to a wind tunnel near the Elephant and Castle to a fair – and froze for several hours giving out our leaflets.  Fortunately, the forecast seems better for the Lambeth Country Show this weekend – when we will be nice and cosy in a marquee… with no wind… with the sun beating down on the tent roof… ah, bliss!

The week was spent happy as Larry playing with a wonderful new toy in the name of providing sweetmeats and dainties for the visitors to the Show – a magnificent 12-quart blender/mixer donated by our local St Luke’s Church, to whom I now offer a public – and personal - Thank You.  We could end up with the fattest Companions in the country if I get half a chance;  lemon meringue pie;  spotted dick  (winter only, of course);  date and walnut cake (HOW much spice?);  fruit loaf, lemon drizzle cake, carrot cake, Black Forest Gateau…. 

The approach to the house will be a bit duller as a result of the Show though – I ‘m hoping the cuttings of geraniums and impatiens will raise a bit towards the rent of the allotment/s.  Yes!  We’re now officially on the waiting list for a bigger plot.  The Allotment Committee have a splendid scheme to ensure newcomers don’t get too overwhelmed by the size of a whole plot, so they give new folk ‘starter-kit’ quarter plots to begin – and we have shown ourselves worthy of a bigger playpen -  allotment now!  It’s nice to know we can plan legumes (peas and beans) and brassicas (look it up) for next year, and in the meantime the onions are going a bundle in this humid weather.  We’ll also need more space for the tomatoes and courgettes currently thriving in their grow bags on the building site – the very site where our new warehouse should have been in progress months ago but will be almost finished this time next year.  Hopefully.

As another quarter of a year has slipped by since my visit to Gloucester , I’m off on a week’s hols at the end of next week,  to sunny (hope springs eternal…) Saddleworth/ Mossley this time – so no blog next week.  Since I return to the installation of our bright-shiny-new Community leader and the gathering of the clans here at Emmaus South Lambeth of Emmaus Business Managers and the Allotment Holders work party and BBQ, the next instalment will be truly action-packed.  Hopefully.

Take care till we meet again,

Elizabeth

Hello again,

Inevitably, life has settled down somewhat since the Salon hiatus, and one focus for attention has been the shops.  We had a very useful meeting with some of the volunteers who help us there, and thanks to all who came, get well soon to others unable to join us because they were unwell.  Companion John compiled a very good DVD to help draw attention to the warehouse, which suffers somewhat in being a little off the beaten track, which is now being shown on a ‘loop’ in the shops.

Was I the only soul to rejoice at the rain after the 28^oc heat on Tuesday?  Probably, but if you’d just seen the allotment beforehand…  The earth was solid concrete, as I found out last Sunday when I decided to dig up a row of potatoes that weren’t, exactly, flourishing;  well OK then – they were fit for a Monty Python Parrot sketch treatment!  No wonder;  the plants had discovered their poor little feet simply didn’t have pile-driving capabilities, and just gave up the will to live.   However, they had at least grown enough New Potatoes for one full meal, albeit some were only the size of peas!  Memo to self- no roots in that row, ever again!

On the plus side, the other row-and-a-half of spuds look decent enough, and the onions have finally stopped growing nice glossy leaves and are putting their strength into the bulbs, as a result of which there are at least a dozen which no longer look like very tall spring onions!

On the home front, the tomatoes and courgettes are growing abundant and we should be having some courgettes any day now.  The flowers Deputy Chris planted by the front door are a joy to behold, and the sweet peas are struggling valiantly in spite of rubbish being dumped on them from time to time in the pallisaded bin area. 

Dates for our diary now are the London South Bank University Village Fete on July 12^th, and then the Lambeth County Show on 19-20 July… plus a couple of further occasions on the horizon, but I’ll leave the details of those for my next!

Take care, and don’t leave home without the suntan lotion,

Elizabeth

Hello again,

Inevitably, life has settled down somewhat since the Salon hiatus, and one focus for attention has been the shops.  We had a very useful meeting with some of the volunteers who help us there, and thanks to all who came, get well soon to others unable to join us because they were unwell.  Companion John compiled a very good DVD to help draw attention to the warehouse, which suffers somewhat in being a little off the beaten track, which is now being shown on a ‘loop’ in the shops.

Was I the only soul to rejoice at the rain after the 28^oc heat on Tuesday?  Probably, but if you’d just seen the allotment beforehand…  The earth was solid concrete, as I found out last Sunday when I decided to dig up a row of potatoes that weren’t, exactly, flourishing;  well OK then – they were fit for a Monty Python Parrot sketch treatment!  No wonder;  the plants had discovered their poor little feet simply didn’t have pile-driving capabilities, and just gave up the will to live.   However, they had at least grown enough New Potatoes for one full meal, albeit some were only the size of peas!  Memo to self- no roots in that row, ever again!

On the plus side, the other row-and-a-half of spuds look decent enough, and the onions have finally stopped growing nice glossy leaves and are putting their strength into the bulbs, as a result of which there are at least a dozen which no longer look like very tall spring onions!

On the home front, the tomatoes and courgettes are growing abundant and we should be having some courgettes any day now.  The flowers Deputy Chris planted by the front door are a joy to behold, and the sweet peas are struggling valiantly in spite of rubbish being dumped on them from time to time in the pallisaded bin area.

Dates for our diary now are the London South Bank University Village Fete on July 12^th, and then the Lambeth County Show on 19-20 July… plus a couple of further occasions on the horizon, but I’ll leave the details of those for my next!

Take care, and don’t leave home without the suntan lotion,
Elizabeth