Emmaus South Lambeth

So yet another week has zipped by without so much as a by-your-leave.

Well, come to think of it two local Civic events occupied part of it;  on Monday evening Andy and I attended a presentation of the regeneration plan by courtesy of ‘Forward Norwood’, somewhat of a tongue-twister!  There are divisive plans for a nearby Community Hall to be developed into a Health/Sports/Council satellite services centre, which is all-dependent on funding.  It could be quite exciting if it goes ahead.

On Thursday evening we were joined by Deputy John and his wife at a meeting of Norwood Forum which had invited several amenity associations to come and meet one another, so much networking was done with particular reference to our Fun Day on 11th April - 11am to 5pm, cakes, plants, lots of childrens games, special deals in the shops and an auction in the warehouse, and YolanDa Brown, a Mobo-winning jazz saxophonist will be playing at 3pm and drawing the raffle.  Oh, and did I mention a 6′2″ white-and-pink rabbit…?  Yes, old-timers, you are correct :  Mike’s been at it again!

Here I would like to pay a tribute to the four Event Planners, the hard-working Companions who have put it all together - and for the generosity of local businesses who have donated all sorts to make the day go well.

We officially took over the fourth quarter of our allotment on Wednesday, and joy of joys, we have inherited some handsome raspberry canes and 3 blackcurrant bushes, yum yum!
It now has a deep trench awaiting another 3 deep trenches to be dug on Thursday for the pre-Good Friday planting of our spuds!  I will be up to my elbows in cake-mix on Friday, needless to say!

Then Friday was extra-special :  a Certain Person who may or may not be disguised as an Easter Bunny next week had a birthday, so he got a very chocolatey cake to celebrate baked in secret on Thursday! 

Well I hope you enjoy your week, and do come and visit me on the refreshment stall if you’re at a loose end on the 11th.

Best wishes
Elizabeth

Plans have come to fruition on a number of Emmaus fronts this week.

Since we are a ‘toddler’ Community, we aren’t able to do much in the way of helping others, but what we can do is offer our services to other new/newish and even nearly-new Communities.  Thus Mike took two Companions on a fact-finding day to the Colchester Community last week, and our Chef David and Steve are going down to help Winchester for the month of April, with me following their footsteps for May.

Finally, Mike and I are off to Norwich in mid-April.  There isn’t in fact a community there yet, but they have been offered a convent.  The building out-grew the Sisters’ needs some time ago and has been used as a Conference Centre since they built and moved into their smaller premises next door.  For a  variety of reasons, they have hit on the idea of getting the Norwich Trustees together with a handful of Emmaus staff and Companions for an overnight experience and advice - and we’re part of that delegation.

Betwixt and between shopping and bookings and working in our shop, etc, a bunch of us went up to the Salvation Army HQ in Elephant and Castle to attend the Emmaus UK AGM and Forum, which was a great chance to meet lots of friends, and get to learn a little more about how the Emmaus Family works together here.  

We have an exciting week ahead, starting our ‘annex’ at the newly formed Recycling Centre at Vale Street AND taking over the fourth quarter of our full allotment holding on … April Fools Day.  At least, with luck, it will keep Mike’s mind off silly hats, bubble-blowing  or some other fun way to celebrate 1st April (or do I speak too soon……:?) 

The allotments are getting soggy again, but many barrowfuls of ‘tripost’ (three year old compost) and horse manure have been ferried down from the free supplies, to be dug in when (if?) it dries up enough.  I’ve been busy potting up things ready for the plant stall at our Anniversary Party on 11th April;  I can’t remember if I mentioned it before, but do make a note of it, and be sure to come.  Yes, I KNOW it’s Easter Saturday, that makes it 80% likely that you won’t be at work, so that’s fine, come along - it’s free entry for all blog readers.

Well ok, it’s free entry to all, but I just thought you might feel specially priviledged….

Have a good week,
Elizabeth

We have concluded a really good ’swap’ which was confirmed last week:  prior to my joining, the Allotment Committee offered to cancel our rent and maintenance fee in return for us mowing the grass on the communal paths.  Mike put it to the weekly meeting and four volunteers have come forward, so it can be done on a regular basis - once the paths have finally recovered from the muddy morrass they became until last week!

A Companion and I went up to the allotment last Tuesday and returned early and worked down here because it was simply too wet to work.  Magically, the weather turned for me to rush up last Friday and I was whirling-dervish-meets-happy-as-a-sandboy by day, and an arthritic agony by evening!  However, I had two helpers two days this week and it has transformed our two patches.  Thank you very much all four of you, those still with us will be receiving the fruit (and veg) of your labours over the next few months!

We lost one recently-acquired Companion mid-week, and another is leaving this weekend;   our very good wishes to Philip, we will miss you.

At the moment I am glowing with pleasure at a minor triumph.  As regular readers may know only too well, I am get a little obsessive about our rubbish collection.  Llast week our landlord’s contractors came and cleared the bin area last week, GOOD, but put black bin sacks into the green Recycling bin, BAD.  Bad, ‘cos on Wednesday, as previously, the Recycling men came, looked, saw black bin bags, and left - without collecting black bags, of course.

So today the ‘main’ bin men came and I grinned at them and explained what happened and asked if they would possibly empty the green bin as it was full of black sacks, and they did it!

Those of you who haven’t glazed over at this epitome of provincial pedantry and might still be awake will know another regular bug-bear is late-night noise.  No, I’m NOT talking about our beloved Community Leader’s snoring this time - it’s the over-flow at the pub….  I had expected late night revellry on Tuesday, it was St Patrick’s Day after all;  however, when there was raucous chat and laughter beyond midnight the next night as well, I was building up to fury - a girl like me needs every ounce of beauty sleep she can get, after all!

Lambeth have a system where people can contact the Council to complain about noise after 10pm.  Unfortunately their operatives don’t attend for an hour, which mostly means you stand listening to silence, the noise having stopped 10 minutes earlier…  So I emailed them this time, and I very much hope something long-term WILL be done this time, ‘cos if we have trouble with late-night noise in March, I dread to think what sort of summer we’d be in for.

Well, I’m off to the allotment now, and I shan’t half enjoy what the forecasters predict is going to be a warm and sun-filled weekend.

I hope you do too.

Elizabeth

A welcome this week to another Jason, making us a Community of 4 John’s, 3 Davids and 2 Jasons, which makes life… interesting!

It has been another week of gifts from all quarters; our Trustee Lorna arrived for a meeting on Tuesday bearing a gooseberry bush under one arm, a redcurrant bush in the other; then we were given some very pretty flower pots, and a huge array of Gardening Goodies were given us by Betty, who pays for our Lambeth Horticultural Society sub. Then came another gooseberry bush from one fellow allotmenter, and a stack of allotment-grown onions and potatoes - to eat - from another! I can only hope at least some of them will read this and if so I thank them once again.

I have been invited to join the Allotments Committee, which is an honour; admittedly it may only be until the AGM, when I could fail to get elected, but I have decided to accept.

We have had a good deal of interest in the Baby Grand piano I mentioned last week, which turns out to be an excellent talking-point, though not everyone has the handful of grands needed to purchase it, of course!

Deputy Chris has been invaded once again, caring for our former Business Manager’s cats; when I first saw them about 4 months ago, they were pretty small balls of fluff, but they have now grown into extremely handsome slinky felines. Chris is hoping the weather doesn’t warm up too much, as he is keeping his windows firmly shut this time after one of them leapt 30 feet or more into the car park on one visit! It was, of course, totally unfazed by the experience, which was more than could be said of the ashen-faced host when he got the cat safely back into his arms!

Unfortunately, the rest of the Community is definitely NOT with Chris on the wish for cool weather; there was a work party at the allotment today, and Muggins got the job of holding a ladder whilst another person was creosoting the upper part of the hut (alas, I get vertigo on the second step…); it was abso-tively ffffffreeeezing, and I ‘wimped out’ after 20minutes of the lower section, when it started to rain, which turned to hail, then thunder, then, then, then… ugh.
Cycling down Knight’s Hill with two blocks of ice at the end of your wrists is not a task to be done for longer than necessary, I can tell you - so much for the vanity that prevented me putting my gloves on in case they got covered in creosote from my fingers…

Take care,
Best wishes,
Elizabeth

Spring has broken, not I might add on our quality beds in our warehouse, but in the new season bringing fresh ideas blossoming.Out with the cold and frosty mornings as life starts anew.

New life means new companions, and we have been blessed with Leo, Rogerio, John, and Andy.

Well my friends I’m impressed. But then I’m easily impressed. In the words of the late great Larry Grayson “he’s anyone’s for a can of beans.”

These additions to our Community are part of an expanding enterprise. In the months to come we intend to open a refreshments kiosk in Norwood Park and a shop at the household waste depot in Vale Street.

Bye the way, we’ve got a social life . An addition to our household is a snooker table.

Now that our allotment is a compulsory  part of the duty schedule, I can see myself becoming a good potter.

Until next time.

Jason

It cannot be just middle age beckoning (OK, so I’m aiming to live to 325, thank YOU) that makes time go faster every week, surely?  However, it has been doing so with particular effect this week.  Come to think of it, there seems to be a corresponding slide in memory - the faster time flies, the harder it is to recall where it went….

Well, after the fun at the allotment last weekend, related in my last, I dragged weary bones round the hypermarket for the weekly shop on Monday, then spent a busy afternoon driving the Bookings Desk.  Tuesday was out of the ordinary:  another Companion and I went with Mike and a Trustee to a site visit of a potential new venture which I will not scupper by mentioning here - suffice to say it has exciting possibilities!  Then after lunch we joined the training session and in the evening we had a poignant treat, having a meal at a local restaurant to say ‘Farewell’ to our longest-serving Volunteer, who’s decided to call it a day at the age of umpty-2 or so! 

On Wednesday I spent the day with Companions Jason and Andy on the allotment, getting a lot sorted out ready for the Invasion of the Seedlings which are threatening to completely take over the house at the moment!  It would have proved an even greater success had the anticipated delivery of one ton of compost to the site in general taken place;  unfortunately the lorry got held up in traffic so the delivery had to be cancelled - so much for reducing ‘food miles’ then!

I was cooking on Thursday, when we had confirmation of yet ANOTHER new venture proceeding somewhat sooner than we expected :  Mike and John H had a site visit to the Council Tip in Vale Street (we send them to the most select places, don’t you know - no expense spared, they walked!).  Lambeth are turning the whole site over to Recycling, and have invited us to have a spot there on a permanent basis, so we can haul items out to be reclaimed before they get broken in disposal, etc.  It’s no joke :  we’re starting there on 1st April….

It was back up to the allotment on Friday and then helping Andy in the kitchen on Saturday, when he put up nice meals for his first time as Cook.  We were donated a Baby Grand Piano which we collected on Saturday, and I just wish I had been there to see this beautiful, but massive - and extremely heavy - object being manhandled by six Companions through the pretty narrow doorway of the electrical shop.  We’ve been told it is worth around £4-5,000, which we think is quite a Grand number of Grand, and very many thanks to the generous donor.  Quite some Baby, too, since it’s about 120 years old! 

The 3 hyacinths in a basket we were given a couple of weeks ago are in full bloom, and the amaryllis (another kind donation) is about 2′ tall now, ready to burst into bloom as well;  SOME Companions have been putting up a running commentary on the slugs, birds, mice and diseases the hundreds of seeds I’m raising will succumb to, but guess what - I’m NOT LISTENING…

More news next week,
Take care,  Elizabeth

Hello again,

What a speed-up week it’s been - probably the result of my enforced rest due to my poorly foot last week, I suppose, but it’s really flown by.

First, a welcome to our new Companion Andy, who joined us on Monday. I was driving the Bookings Desk for a couple of days, and on Thursday I tempted Providence by going out delivering newsletters again - but all I broke this time was a fingernail, I’m relieved to report!

We had a couple of birthdays this week - well, one’s actually for Sunday, but since the Companion was to be away on holiday, we got in early and presented the cake on Friday, having got into practise with a cake for Deputy John a day before his birthday - but at the evening meal the night before, when he was on duty, since there isn’t time to do a cake justice at lunch times!

I have at last managed to get a decent stretch in at the allotment this week;  a quick recce on Friday, to work out the dozens of Chores to be Done, then a couple of hours on Saturday preparing a stretch of the patch to be terraced - and all of four hours on Sunday.  The seeds I sowed last week are starting to sprout on the windowsill (well, in trays on the windowsill, I should say), some of them so fast I’m wondering if I bought tryffids by mistake!  However, their growth speed is a great incentive to getting the beds ready for them, of course.  Andy very kindly helped me move the tool box, which was a good excuse to give it a (hmm, somewhat overdue!) clear-out!

Today I bought the seed potatoes and I think I’ve decided to stick to First Earlies, which will provide the new potatoes which can be so horribly costly - and are so particularly delicious straight from the earth.  I have trouble visualising how much space the bag-fuls will take once they’re planted, so I hope we have enough room!  I am getting the assistance of a couple of Companions next Thursday, for the Heaving of Heavy Stuff (ie, bricking the terraces);  mending the fruit cage netting at 6′6″ (tricky for someone 5′3″);  and digging up acres of mis-placed Cultivated Blackberry and transferring it to the fence so a) it has a climbing frame and b) deters any potential wilful intruders from climbing it too.

Next week we have an all-day training session on methods to deal with bullying and aggression - it’s astonishing how …excitable… Joe Public can become when told they can’t have a discount, (like they ask for one at John Lewis, Ikea or Curry’s?) or get their new spare bed delivered by tea-time today when their mother-in-law arrives, etc etc.  So I’m very much looking forward to all the tips I can learn from that. 
 
Which I may relate next week.

Best wishes,
Elizabeth

Hello again,

If only the NHS did ‘Frequent Flyer’ tokens, we’d be quids in this week; Kings had the dubious pleasure of my company three times in 7 days, but I reassure you now, all’s well. Having been taken to A&E for the ricked ankle last Friday, I had to attend physio on in on Monday and they gave me a series of exercises to do 3 x daily which are agony… However, when I’m tempted to give up half-way through, I seem to see the allotment fading away, which gets me through.

The final visit was on account of a Companion having an infected wisdom tooth removed surgically, which required an escort. We arrived in good time, and didn’t see toomany previous patients wandering out moaning and clutching their jaws! I was bemused when they asked for MY telephone number, even when I explained I would stay right there, in the waiting room. No sooner had my charge disappeared and I’d sat down to read my book, than I looked up and saw the ‘NO MOBILES’ sign : what’s a girl to do?

My compromise was to hold the phone in my hand for the duration; I have to tell you, it’s not easy to read a book whilst balancing two puffa jackets, one handbag, one carrier for the book – and a mobile in the other hand, but I managed to keep the waiting room amused and/or having a private bet as to what was going to fall next…

90 minutes later, my name is called and I gather me bits and go to where Leo is sitting with a cheerful smile on his face and an impressive tube stuck into his hand, chatting away to the surgeon, a lovely change from the ‘Spirit of Agony’ his face had been for a week or so. The nurse commands my attention and gives me a ’survival kit-bag’ for ‘just-in-case’ circumstances, and explains the procedures. Having checked Leo could walk steadily, we are discharged.

Get to the lift, Leo remembers his watch, goes back – only to be reminded he’d put it on the otherwrist! Relief! Downstairs, I check if he’s really feeling steady : we have money for a cab, but no, he says – it’s just one bus journey, he’ll be fine. Standing at the bus stop, he gets in a panic – they’ve given him medication, he’s left it behind… I reassure him, they gave ME the stuff, and look, it’s all here in the bag!

Bus arrives, packed to the gunwales : I check – stand all the way home, or shall we wait for the next one? Leo’s happy to stand, and I privately calculate that even if wooziness does return, he’ll have absolutely no chance of finding enough space to fall to the floor, so we board. Maybe just as a talking point, he wonders why the hospital insists on having an escort in attendance, so I remind him of the watch, and his medication, never mind the possibility of a sudden nausea; having spent all the time and money on the surgery, they don’t want a patient buckling under the wheels of a bus moments later, for want of an escort who can guide their charge!

Next day, I miss him before he goes off on the van, so I can only check at lunch: DID he remember the salt wash after breakfast, as I explained last night? “Er, yes thank you, mumma, I was a good boy!” he grins, and I cluck like the mother hen I become in such conditions.

I managed to do stacks of seed sowing at last : sprouts, peppers, cabbage, broad beans etc., and a 5-second visit to the allotment to reassure myself the onions made it through the snow, which they have.  The spring bulbs all seem to double in size daily, and should be producing a cheerful front-of-house display pretty soon, thanks to Betty, their generous donor.  Up at the Horticultural Hut today, a lady at the counter tried to interest me in a very pretty basket of hyacinths, but I explained that lovely as they were, I had no budget for them;  Betty explained about Emmaus, whilst the lady was fiddling, then handed some money to the till lady and said, “there, you have them, I’ll pay for them!”  Aren’t people kind? 

I think that’s a sufficiently ‘up’ note on which to finish.

Take care, Elizabeth

Hello again,

Apologies for my absence last week, but having boasted that I missed out on ‘Holiday-itis’ this time, of course I went down with a very heavy cold for three days and only recovered in time to find we were snowed in on Monday.  It was SO thick here we couldn’t even attempt to get the van out of the car park, having watched a 4×4 Chelsea Tractor give up the attempt to get out of its spot!  We kept the shops and warehouse closed on Monday too, spending the time on Thorough Cleaning.

It had cleared enough by Thursday to be able to deliver some of the latest Newsletter.  If you haven’t seen a copy yet, do call in at the shops for it.  Volunteer David put in a tremendously good effort once again, and it has received generous and well-deserved praise in general, and in particular, that of the best kind - enquiries from potential advertisers!

So, off I trot with trolley of Newsletters and new Companion Billy (to whom belated welcome!) and round we go with them.  Coming back down the tiled path of a Victorian house I meet an icy patch, slide gracefully (?) into the gate, and quickly reach out left foot to balance myself.   Continue delivering for a couple of hours, get home, find it somewhat tricky getting my boot off, but it’s made easier by the fact that there’s just time to make a cup of tea before the evening meal.

Around 10pm I go up to my room and remove some of my layers of clothing - socks over thick woolly tights.  Half an hour after that, I am in The Most Exquisite and Absolute Agony, and my ankle resembles a balloon.   I lob some paracetamol down my throat, hop downstairs, get a tea-towel and go to the front door for a load of ice.  Back in my room, I put the ice in my waste bin, and wrap the icy tea towel round my ankle, topped with a plastic bag, and then put my foot on a cushion.  Once the tablets kicked in I could sleep a bit. 

By 8am I had run out of paracetamol, but text the helpline and get the Community Leader’s 5-Star Care Service - a bottle of tablets, a cup of tea, and a plate of toast and marmalade!  An hour later, Chris nobly offers to take me down to Kings to ensure nothing is broken…
Marvellous service! 

I was in luck at the hospital - I was seen within 15 minutes, X’ray’d 1/2 hour later, and had the results within another 20 minutes :  doleful news - I have so much arthritis in my foot, they can’t see if it’s cracked or not.  However, my ‘RICE’ (Rest, Ice, Elevation) and painkillers (maybe it should be ‘PRICE?’ ) is the only answer they can offer, but I’m off to their Small Injuries Clinic tomorrow.

So one way and another, as you can imagine, I’m afraid the only news of the allotment this time is that there is no news - but pleased to report my cold didn’t spread too much, and the others have all kept well!

I trust you have all been keeping clear of germs and slips.

Best wishes,
Elizabeth

Bonfire night was held in our back lot, and it was very impressive. There were many young  families enjoying the fireworks. Afterwards food was served in the main building.

Tom, Phil,  Elizabeth and I went to  Shorditch , where there was an exhibition of photography and furniture from Emmaus Communities.  Free beer and wine was enjoyed, and a good time was had by all of us.

Clothing was on display, as well as some furniture, but there was no discussion about the problems of homelessness. I feel that I got to know my colleagues better that night.

We went to the Emmaus National Conference in December, which was interesting.  I learnt about the community, and all the good positive things that Emmaus does, including recycling projects, and International lobbying for the poorest people.

December also saw a time for training, in basic business practices, such as customer services, communications, and  fire safety.

I’m looking forward to the community going from strength to strength, as regular business meetings have now started.  All companions and volunteers  have opinions about how to improve and how they do things in our warehouse and shops. With all  that input, it is bound to make a difference.

My website is www.leisurehive.co.uk.  Social events and hobby activeties can be posted to this site.
I welcome contributions.

Jason