Sunday 2 March 2014

Meeting people?

Yesterday was the first Saturday of the month, which is always our Village Coffee Morning.   Aren't we lucky (and this is so in all villages I am sure) that there is always a nucleus of people in a village who are willing to give up their time to organise such things?

Now that I can no longer drive I am reliant on others for my outings.   The farmer is marvellous, ferrying me back and forth most days; but friend W is fantastic and always calls for me on her way to the coffee morning.   After paying our £1 entrance fee, which covers coffee and biscuits (coffee served in thermos jugs so that you can have as many cups as you like) there is always a raffle with donated prizes (run by friends J and M), a cake stall (run by friend A) and various other bits and pieces.  And there we sit for most of the morning; friends and acquaintances come and go and we chat, learn lots of village gossip (another feature of villages and one which - although it often has its disadvantages- also has many advantages.)   Once the raffle has been drawn we come home.

Last evening friend W and I went out again.   The Roman Catholic Primary School in our little town closed a couple of years ago and the building has been converted into an Arts Centre.  So far it seems to be a huge success.   What was the school hall is now used for a cinema, for keep fit and Pilates classes, and last night for a lovely concert.   Two singers - a soprano and a mezzo - sang songs from the Opera, folk songs and songs from musicals.   These two ladies are professional singers who are freelance, their voices were just right for the hall, tables had been set out and the bar was open so that the thirty five or so audience could sit with a glass of wine and listen to the delightful voices.  It would have been a sad occasion if the audience had sat in a couple of lines across the hall.   As it was the tables filled the hall and made it a very jolly, informal evening.   We came home at 9.30 having had a lovely time.  Isn't it good when things like that are such a success?   TOSH (The Old School House)
deserves to be a success as everyone is working hard to make it so.

Well, as the farmer has just pointed out to me - March has come in like a lamb so will probably go out like a lion.   I shall worry about that when it comes.  For now, on the whole, the fields seem to be drying up a bit, although never a day passes without a few millimetres of rain in the rain gauge.   Have a good week everyone.

8 comments:

Heather said...

It is raining here now and I feel our garden will remain soggy for some time. I am not getting too excited that March has arrived and don't trust the weather not to catch us out with a late winter. Your coffee morning and concert sound like delightful occasions - there is nowhere better to live than a 'good' village.

angryparsnip said...

What a lovely day.
You live in a beautiful place with a wonderful village.
I think that I would enjoy living in a village sometimes cities are just too big.

cheers, parsnip

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

Your outings sound wonderful. There are not a lot of things like that in the US anymore - I supposed the tiny towns might have something similar - but usually when a town gets very small everything nearby closes and everyone has to go to the city for shopping and eating out - and it is not the same at all - what a shame.

Hildred said...

Love your hellebore heading, Pat, and also your outing story. Sounds like a wonderful occasion to look forward to each week, and so indicative of a friendly village life.

Midlife Roadtripper said...

And a good week to you. March roared in here this morning. The lake looks like a witch's brew.

Good day to stay inside and read. Cheers to you.

Maureen @ Josephina Ballerina said...

Hi Pat! How absolutely great to live in such a neighborly place. I agree with JoAnn that towns aren't that way in the US any more.
We have battened down the hatches here this evening in anticipation of way below freezing temperatures and freezing rain followed by a foot of snow. Whoopee!

Anonymous said...

Where I live everyone seems to be working during the day to pay off the mortgage and then retreat to their houses, tired, and to play with technology.
Where I grew up as a baby-boomer, we definitely used to have that kind of village feel, but even those areas have changed now as most of the parents of that era are now in assisted living - so we have definitely lost the village feel.
I would really like to get to know my neighbours but everyone scurries along, the children all too frightened to speak due to 'stranger danger', and everyone's time seems too precious to socialise locally.
Your lovely post is warmly reassuring of a cosier lifestyle. Long may it continue Pat.

The Weaver of Grass said...

March is a real lamb this morning - warm sunshine, no wind. Thanks for calling.