Yet Another School Fete!

Kirby Muxloe School had its Summer Fun Day today. Bob was doing PA and I was embroidering personalised gifts. People arrived bright and early to set up - from 8.15am, even though it did not begin till noon.

There was the usual discussion about which pole went where, when putting up the BBQ gazebo.

 

Bob has an easy-to-erect model, fortunately - so was soon busy connecting up the sound system. He put the waterproof covers on his speakers- but fortunately they were not needed.

Here are four members of the PTA carrying their gazebo to another location [I somehow feel there should be some some sort of potentate, like the Acond of Swat or the Fon of Bafut sitting underneath this as it is transported!]

 

It took ages for them to set up the Bottle Stall - it seemed to have hundreds of bottles - ranging from whisky to ketchup to bath oil!

I was inside, in the School Hall, and once I had got everything set up, I did one or two embroidery jobs I'd brought from home while I waited for customers.

The babygro was preprinted with the taxi design - and I added 'Ollie' [that's for one of Steph's friends in London]

Most people were buying facecloths for Father's Day, or bibs for dribbling little sisters. Towards the end of the afternoon, one pony-mad child decided she did not want her name on her facecloth, just an expression of her passion

Outside,  people were giving away balloons in support of the Parish Plan

The weather was great, and loads of people came - there is a lot of support in the village for the school and its staff. The atmosphere was happy and people were helpful and friendly. My friend Libbi was there selling her Phoenix Cards - and I am glad to say that she said last week's Adapt Fair raised around £700. Sarah from Cherry Tree Gifts said the new shop was doing well - Sarah's daughter dances with 2b Productions - who were performing during the afternoon.

I enjoyed myself chatting to people and sewing things - so I forgot to take photographs once the event got under way! Even though I don't do Supply at KM School, I know lots of the children from Holiday Club, and there were children from the other local school where I do work. A number of them [and their parents] came and spoke about this year's Holiday Club. Bookings are rolling in steadily, and we have the staff T-shirts, now ready to distribute at next week's planning meeting.

An Interesting Read

A lifelong Radio 4 listener, I am particularly fond of FOOC [From Our Own Correspondent] so I knew who Frank Gardner was when he himself became a major news item in June 2004.

He and his cameraman colleague, Simon Cumbers, were shot, apparently by Al-Qaeda sympathisers, as they were filming in Riyadh. Simon died, but Frank survived [just] He was very badly injured, and is now a paraplegic. He currently works as the BBC Security Correspondent- but is in a wheelchair.

This book is the story of his life - how he came to love the Arabic language and peoples, and how he came to be working for the BBC. He describes the aftermath of the shooting, his hospital treatment, and the process of rebuilding his life again. He speaks warmly of the amazing support he received from his wife, parents and family - and the support they were given by so many people.

He speaks movingly of the despair felt by many of those he met in hospital, and of the suicide attempts of those who considered their lives to be over. His determination to go on living - particularly for the sake of his family - was very challenging.

Not sure why I picked this up in the Library last week - it isn't my usual choice of reading material - but I was glad I did. You can read interviews with FG here and here

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

Take one old jacket and an ancient felt hat, found in the back of the cupboard at school. Add some white fabric, some gold lame, a few bits of braid, and a length of lace from The Great Stash plus some feathers.

First - Remove the wire from the brim of the hat, tack it up in three places to make a tricorn, and add some gold trim.

Then wire some of the feathers together [using the wire just removed from the brim] to make a longer feather. Sew in place

Second - Sew some lace to one edge of a rectangle of white fabric. Gather the other edge, and sew onto a band 2cm x 40cm. Add press studs. This will make a frilled jabot.

Then make some gold lame cuffs for the jacket and trim the collar and lapels with more gold braid.

 

Voila! an outfit for the Town Crier.

I spent yesterday afternoon with a Teaching Assistant, sorting out the costumes, and I know we have plenty of knickerbockers in the cupboard. I shall let the boy playing the Town Crier choose which ones he wants to wear.

We decided more hats were needed, so I also ran up a half dozen more felt'n'feather ones - but not in Lincoln Green this time - used up more felt from The Great Stash. [which, as Bob pointed out, never seems to get any smaller, no matter how much I use up!]

Ding-Dong!

I just knew that bell would come in useful!

This morning, less than 48 hours after I bought it in the Charity Shop, a colleague said to me in the Staff Room

"Angela, do you have a school bell? Only we need one for the Town Crier in the school play - and I said you were bound to have one somewhere"

Well, as it happens...Bob has now affixed a lovely clapper inside, and the bell rings beautifully. And I have come home from school with a felt hat from the cupboard, which I am going to try and convert into a Tricorn model, and a plain navy jacket to trim into something more appropriate.

"Oh, and you don't have any red-white-and-blue bunting for the Tournament scene?" Yes, I have that too. I am happy to report that the majority of children have got their costumes sorted now.

It has been a bizarre week thus far - the weather has alternated between brilliant sunshine and heavy showers, and there have been ups and downs in life generally. We had a burglary at church on Monday night which was frustrating, especially for Bob and the AVA team as their stuff got nicked. But other aspects of life have been really good, and friends have been so thoughtful and supportive.

The Girls Worked Hard Tonight

One finished apron

And a pair of pjs with a little appliqued and embroidered patch on the vest top...

 

...and all the remaining church tablecloths finished. So next week we are going to start work on Needlecases.

Kate suggested she could give her Dad the apron for Fathers' Day - but in the end thought her grandmother would probably appreciate it more.

I was exhausted at Sewing Club this evening, but the girls' enthusiasm seemed boundless!

Hang on the Bell, Nellie!

On my quick dash into town for some Holiday Club Materials, I had a look in one of the Charity Shops. For £2 I found this wonderful bargain - which looks as if it has been used for generations to call children in to their lessons. Only £2 - I couldn't resist it. I brought it home and polished it up.

Except it is a very silent bell. The clapper has...gone like the clappers, so to speak, to wherever it is that clappers go. Bob assures me [as I knew he would] that he can easily rectify this for me. That man sure knows how to ring my bell!

Thinking of bells reminded me of this fabulous old ditty, which my Dad used to sing to me years ago - I must have been only five or six years old the first time. As well as a vast, immeasurable repertoire of hymns and sacred songs, he would often come out with other err...less spiritual offerings...like this one

And after the song, he gave me an explanation about 'curfew' coming from the Old French cuevrefeu 'cover the fire' . You just don't forget the lessons you learn like that. Similarly, much of my knowledge of Anne Boleyn is irrevocably bound up with memories of Dad singing "Wiv 'er 'ead tucked Underneath 'er Arm!"

Cherry Ripe!

I love cherries - I adore cherries - they are such a wonderful fruit!

Fresh ones, straight from the tree, on a stalk with its partner

Sticky glace cherries, sitting in a pool of tooth-achingly sweet fondant icing atop a Mr Kipling Bakewell

Rich Morello cherries, soaked in something interesting, and enrobed in dark, dark chocolate

Or nestling in layers of sponge and cream in a gloriously retro Black Forest Gateau

Or a vivid scarlet maraschino cherry, alongside a slice of orange, speared on a cocktail stick, balanced on a glass of something long and cool on a hot summer's day

Or just a handful of cherries in the yogurt pot in my packed lunch

Or the divine Cherry Garcia Ice Cream from Ben&Jerrys

And all of these follow the profusion of blossom on the cherry tree

Other people round here also seem to like these sweet cerise delights. Last week I posted about "Cherry Blossom" - the new gift shop in the centre of our village.

Well, it appears that with some strange synchronicity, another shop has opened, at the far west end of the village, called "Cherry Tree Gifts" I called in this afternoon, to check them out

This shop has much more space - and carries a different range of gift products [which is a good thing]

These include flowers...

Cool Camper Van Flip Flops [in 'manly' brown, or 'girlie' pink!]...

And lots of great 'teacher' gifts [we must be approaching the end of term!]

Lots of cards, and lots of gifts for children, as well as gifts for blokes.

Oh, and they also serve coffee [chairs and tables outside, sofas inside] I was in a bit of a rush this afternoon, but plan to go back when I have more time and sit and sip something.

Hoping both new ventures are successful [and that there is not too much confusion over the cherry-name] I ought to point out that the second shop is situated on Cherry Tree Court hence its name.

A Swan[n] Song for Stations

Heard on the radio today that they are talking about re-opening some of the railways lines and stations axed back in the days of Dr Beeching. For my 21st birthday, I was given two LPs[those round black vinyl things] of songs by Flanders and Swann.

One of those songs was lamenting the demise of those stations - I never dreamed I would end up living in the second village mentioned!

Miller's Dale for Tideswell ...
Kirby Muxloe ...
Mow Cop and Scholar Green ...
No more will I go to Blandford Forum and Mortehoe
On the slow train from Midsomer Norton and Mumby Road.
No churns, no porter, no cat on a seat
At Chorlton-cum-Hardy or Chester-le-Street.
We won't be meeting again on the Slow Train.
I'll travel no more from Littleton Badsey to Openshaw.
At Long Stanton I'll stand well clear of the doors no more.
No whitewashed pebbles, no Up and no Down
From Formby Four Crosses to Dunstable Town.
I won't be going again on the Slow Train.
On the Main Line and the Goods Siding
The grass grows high
At Dog Dyke, Tumby Woodside
And Trouble House Halt.
The Sleepers sleep at Audlem and Ambergate.
No passenger waits on Chittening platform or Cheslyn Hay.
No one departs, no one arrives
From Selby to Goole, from St Erth to St Ives.
They've all passed out of our lives
On the Slow Train, on the Slow Train.
Cockermouth for Buttermere ... on the Slow Train,
Armley Moor Arram ...
Pye Hill and Somercotes ... on the Slow Train,
Windmill End.

I am not sure which of these will be re-opened. I've been to a few of these places. One thing that does fascinate me though - not far from Kirby Muxloe, there is a folly in Bradgate Park called 'Old John'

Here's Old John - and below it, a picture of the folly at Mow Cop

 

 

Strangely similar, don't you think?

I wonder if any of the other places in the song have matching follies?

 

The biggest folly of all was letting Dr Beeching close those railway stations in the first place, if you ask me!

Good Food, Good Friends - and the Good Book!

Family Service this morning - we are still working our way through the "5 Core Values" and today was "Inclusiveness". As part of this, we thought of how we are connected both throughout the world and throughout the UK with many other Christians.

Bob had a map roughly drawn on a sheet of fabric, and we came and threaded lengths of wool through to represent parts of the country where we had a link with another Christian church.

The photo is not very good - but you can see that there are quite a few links with Norfolk [not all mine, I hasten to add!] and seemingly loads round the north west and Manchester.

Also one thread in the sea, representing the Isle of Man!

After the service we had a lunch for newcomers, and Janet and team had prepared a wonderful buffet. No wonder I cannot lose weight.

Here are some of the people listening to Bob. The new tablecloths made by the Sewing Club were in use for the first time, and looked very good.

This evening's service was much more reflective, but not so many people there. We had a good sermon though, from 1 Kings about King Asa [who had bad feet] and King Basher [actually it is spelled Baasha, but I like the idea of a warrior king called Basher!]

I love the fact that these Old Testament stories have so much to teach us about our life today and about God's unchanging grace.

As expected, people were very sad to hear about George and concerned for Ellen. I know there will be much care and support for her in coming days.

As usual, some good hymns and songs - especially good to have the young people singing the African words to Marching in the Light of God.

Siyahamb' ekukhanyen' kwenkhos',
We are marching in the light of God,

We are living in the love of God

We are moving in the power of God

We are marching in the light of God.

And then this evening we sang this one, which I love

Beauty for brokenness , hope for despair
Lord, in your suffering this is our prayer
Bread for the children - Justice, joy, peace
Sunrise to sunset, your kingdom increase!

Shelter for fragile lives , cures for their ills
Work for the craftsman , trade for their skills
Land for the dispossessed, rights for the weak
Voices to plead the cause of those who can't speak

Refuge from cruel wars, havens from fear
Cities for sanctuary, freedoms to share
Peace to the killing-fields, scorched earth to green
Christ for the bitterness, His cross for the pain

Rest for the ravaged earth, oceans and streams
Plundered and poisoned, our future, our dreams
Lord, end our madness, carelessness, greed
Make us content with the things that we need

Lighten our darkness breathe on this flame
Until your justice burns brightly again
Until the nations learn of your ways
Seek your salvation and bring you their praise

God of the poor, Friend of the weak
Give us compassion we pray
Melt our cold hearts, let tears fall like rain
Come, change our love from a spark to a flame

Late Night Thoughts

It's way past 11pm and I am still up. Next door they are still out in the garden celebrating a 17th birthday party [but in a very subdued way now- no cause for the neighbours to complain!] Bob is out visiting a church member whose husband has just died - the phone call came a few moments ago. George had been very ill, it was not unexpected - but I still feel sad for his widow who has lost her life partner of sixty years or so. Both of them fine Christian folk and dear friends.

Tomorrow's service will have to start with an announcement and the congregation will grieve with Ellen - but we will rejoice that George's suffering is over.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.

Lord, bless those who celebrate tonight - and bless those who mourn - and be with us in every situation of our lives. Amen

Coppers, Kids and Quizzes

We got up really early this morning - Bob off [in his new suit - doesn't he look smart?!] to the launch of the Blaby Street Pastors Initiative at the local Police HQ.

I was sorry I couldn't support him in person, but I had already promised to be at the Village Hall all day.

Bob's event went very well, and he seemed pleased with things, although had hoped for a slightly higher turnout [a number who had said they would attend never showed up]

 

 

I was amused to see this pass still tucked in the windscreen this afternoon. He obviously left without returning it!

 

Matt Baggott, the Chief Constable for Leicestershire is very supportive of this work, and spoke well at the launch.

We are fortunate to have such a gifted and charismatic copper heading up our local force.

 

 

My car was very laden down with a Gopak table, sewing machine and various other bits and pieces.

I had been asked to do some personalised embroidery at a Kids Stuff Sale at the Village Hall in support of "Adapt" the charity for "All Dependent and Premature Babies"

There was a mixture of stuff at the sale - books, cards, crafts, and lots of groups providing activities for babies and toddlers [Mini-IQ, Sing and Sign, etc]

It was organised by Libbi, who I had met at a Macmillan Nurse Coffee Morning, when she was selling her Phoenix cards.

The event went very well, and she seemed pleased with things, although she had hoped for a slightly higher turnout [Spot similarity here with a previous paragraph!!]

Starbucks provided free coffee and cakes and simply asked for a donation to Adapt - which I thought was really good, and some of the Raffle Prizes were very generous [not that I ever buy raffle tickets]

Money raised will help equip the hospitals with more specialist equipment like this.

I met some really interesting people, and saw a lot of gorgeous babies and toddlers. Having a baby is hard work - pregnancy, labour, and many years following. I am grateful that my two were relatively easy, and so many of these young Mums at the Fair today had coped with babies arriving 2 or 3 months early, with underdeveloped lungs and other health problems. Sometimes they were juggling hospital visits with baby whilst also bringing up a lively toddler. No wonder they are grateful to Adapt for the support and encouragement it provides.

I sold a few facecloths, bags and bibs - but none of the little sleepsuits. But they can go back into store for another time. I let the older children [5+] type their names into the machine and press 'start'. They loved feeling that they had been involved in making their own facecloths.

Bob turned up at 1.30pm, on his way home from the Police HQ, bearing a tray of [extremely tasty]  leftover sandwiches. These were gratefully received by the stallholders!

And I was home by 3pm - exhausted! Now it is up into the loft to find stuff for tomorrow's Family Service, and then off to church for a Quiz Night. Not sure my brain is working well enough for that though.

Greater love has no man than this...

One place I love to visit when I am in London is Postman's Park, in the churchyard of St Botolph's, Aldersgate.

This is where G F Watts the Victorian painter, set up a memorial gallery just after Queen Victoria's Jubilee. He placed tablets, each describing acts of bravery that resulted in the loss of the hero or heroine's life. The tablets consist of a number of ceramic tiles, initially manufactured by William De Morgan and later by Doulton of Lambeth, with an inscription and appropriate decorative motifs.

The inscriptions are very moving - I have visited with Bob and the girls and we have read the words and pondered on the sacrifice of so many ordinary people. But for these plaques, I think they would have been forgotten by now.

You can see more of the tablets here

I was reminded of this peaceful spot [which takes its name from the fact it is by the GPO and workers often used to stop for their lunch breaks here] by an article in today's Times. For the first time since 1931, a new plaque has been erected on the wall. The article said..

"At a ceremony in Postman’s Park in the heart of the City of London yesterday, a plaque was unveiled to 30-year-old Leigh Pitt, who died in June 2007 while saving a boy from drowning in a canal.

Eight decades after the last name was inscribed in 1931, Mr Pitt’s story has been added to stand alongside the heroic deeds of 53 others who lost their lives to save another. Mr Pitt, a printworker from Surrey, died after jumping into the canal at Thamesmead, in southeast London, to save the nine-year-old boy. Mr Pitt, who was there fishing, managed to keep Harley Bagnall-Taylor above water while passers-by threw a hosepipe to the child, but Mr Pitt was unable to stay afloat or find a hand-hold in the high-sided canal walls, and drowned before he himself could be saved."

I taught in Thamesmead, back in 1994/5 - and I remember reading about Mr Pitt's death two years ago. I am glad that they have put up this memorial to him.

Aldersgate is part of London steeped in history - John Foxe [the propagandist who wrote 'The Book of Martyrs'] lived here. And it is here that John Wesley found salvation and faith. Nearby is the Barbican and the museum of London. An area well worth visiting.

Watts said "The prosperity of a nation is not an abiding possession, the deeds of its people are.”

A good motto to remember in a time of recession, I think.