Community Involvement

Another fabulous weekend… after a day of teaching at one school, of to a “Leaving Event” for a colleague from another school, here…

..it was lovely sitting in the late afternoon in the garden sipping my cold cola. Then onto the Newbold Working Men’s Club Skittle Alley, for the summer social for local Baptist ministers and spouses. That was great fun, and I scored my highest ever score. I am usually rubbish at skittling, a game I had never encountered till moving to the East Midlands.

Do they play it in other places?

 

Saturday we were up bright and early to load the car, and await a man with a van

It was the School Centenary Celebration Party & Musical Event.

 

Ian the Premises officer was incredibly helpful, and Mike spent the morning helped set up [and trained a young assistant too!]

Round about 2.15pm, the event got under way. The field was filling up with people – there were lots of other activities going on…circus skills, bouncy castles, tai kwondo, face painting, BBQ etc

And the music… six hours of everything from Beatles to Bach and back again – school orchestra,  solos, duets, choirs, bands and finally the Ashby Band. And everybody heard it all, due to the excellent work by the Sound Man [Bob]

People relaxed on blankets, under gazebos, and ate picnics, and quaffed drinks – it was an amazing atmosphere

Then it was all over, and everyone drifted home and then Andy came back again [thoughtfully bringing chilled drinks for Bob and myself] and gave us an hours help with the clearing up.

All in all, it seemed a brilliant event, people are already talking about doing it again next year. I have said I will help at the next centenary if I am still here – but this was an awful lot of hard work. I have great respect for the guys who do the sound for Glastonbury, if a small village event needs this much gear!

Sunday morning, up early again – Bob to preach at KMFC, I was off to preach at another church.

That all went fine, then we joined friends who had returned from the Cathedral, where our friend Alan had just been ordained by the Bishop.

We sat in Alan and Lesley’s garden for a lovely lunch – lots and lots of Revs present [being Anglican, they appeared to be welded into their dog-collars. Bob looked far more relaxed with his tie off and top button undone!]

Then the evening service, when Bob preached on “Rejoicing” from Philippians. An EIGHT POINT sermon! Fortunately only his average 23 minutes in length though.

Up early again this morning, and while Bob loaded stuff into the car I cut the grass. Found a paratrooper lurking down the side passage!

I assumed he was from next door so flung him back.

Then we went off to return the Roland Mixer [which had been hired for Saturday] to Acoustic Arrangements.

We are so fortunate to have this excellent company almost on our doorstep, just a few villages away. Glyn and his team are always so helpful, and we’d recommend them as being consistently reliable

 

A quick lunch, and then off to school to do the PA for Sports Day. I cannot take pictures of the children, but here is the field beforehand

The children had a circuit of activities – goal-scoring, ‘stepping-stones’, egg and spoon, sack race, hurdles [oh and that tunnel to crawl through] It was all good fun – and the Green Team won. Here are Bob and Pauline in the Sound & Scoring Gazebo.

We were both wearing our Holiday Club Teeshirts [free advertising]

After school we took the PA gear home and reloaded the car with the old cooker, destined for the Council Tip, along with the polystyrene packaging from the new one…

It seemed a great photo-opportunity – a Waste Watcher busy with recycling. Except a man in a hi-viz vest came up and said I couldn’t take photos. “It is against Council Policy”

“But it is my husband, and my rubbish, and I want a photo of him in this tee-shirt doing his recycling” I said

“No, you mustn’t. It is Against Council Policy”

We went round the corner to the ‘electricals section’ and I took another photo. “Now you are just being Bolshie” said Bob

“Yep” I said “But why is this ‘against Council Policy’ when dropping your trousers in front of a hundred children is OK?” I have since checked out the ‘Waste Sites’ website, and the regulations do not mention any prohibition of photography. Mutter,mutter,mutter…

Bob took me off to the nearby Foxhunter Carvery for a meal.

Felt better once I had eaten a huge plateful of veggies and very tasty beef and turkey!

I cannot believe how much we have packed into the last 72 hours, I am feeling utterly exhausted now, but still on a high. Someone asked me yesterday for a bottle of the Energy Juice she thinks I am drinking. I decided this morning that the verse in Nehemiah 8:10 is the explanation – The Joy of the Lord is my strength!