A potted history of a May Bank Holiday day out.

First we dropped our son off at a big boys' play area like this:

Then we went exploring Stoke on Trent with map in hand looking for mugs, plates and the like in the famous factory shops.

Unfortunately we saw a lot of these:

...But eventually some of these.

Have you ever noticed that many of the successful potters in Stoke were called Josiah? (eg. Wedgewood and Spode). I wonder if they could have foreseen the decline of their industry or whether they would be amazed how long the success did last. Anyway, it is a sad sight to see derelict factories at every turn.

We didn't find any ideal plates or mugs but still, we came home a bit brighter having splashed out on a bargain pack of lightbulbs.

The musical medley of an Ashby Saturday morning.

First stop the market stall where the flower seller started humming cheerfully "Raindrops keep falling on my head". Encouraged be the admiration of passers by, he launched confidently at full volume into the whole song. It was actually very impressive, if you like that kind of song.

Round to the church coffee morning where our creative friends were transforming the church into a French bistro ready for Holiday at Home this week. All busily hanging bunting and pinning up doilies accompanied by French songs with a jolly theme.

Out again into the rain and there in front of Boots was a Morris Dancing group with blue painted faces and sticks and bells and banjos and all. They were literally singing in the rain. And dancing and having a jolly old time with old English folk songs.

So this is Ashby on an average Saturday morning. Covent garden of the Midlands!

Celtic Blessings

I incorporated celtic blessings into RE lesson today. The children especially liked this one:

May the roof above never fall in

And may we below never fall out.

If only everyone could just not fall out. What a happier place it would be.

Mind you, I think they liked this one because it was the shortest and I had asked them to write their favourite two. Another choice was:

May you have walls for the wind

And a roof for the rain,

And drinks beside the fire,

Laughter to cheer you,

And those you love near you,

And all that your heart may desire.

A bunch of birthday blessings

As my Mum celebrates her 80th birthday, she was delighted to share with me a surprise with a difference. A bunch of flowers from my sister from a company called BUNCHES. Check them out at bunches.co.uk. The website claims they offer Ethical flowers (whatever they are) and if you click on the charity link you find a long list of international development projects they support. And a surprise box of chocs with every bunch. Oh and a Christian fish!

Mary Mary...

....quite contrary, how does your garden grow?

Answer is "very well indeed". So well in fact that Mary at church is having a plant sale in aid of our youth work. 3000 plants must go!

I am going for a sneak preview tomorrow but the real event is Sat 22nd and Sun 23rd May.

Teas, crafts and good fellowship.

Ask me for details!

A triumph of modern engineering

Had a great evening out courtesy of Triumph who were opening their new dealership in Frog Island in Leicester. Free t-shirts, a hog roast and motivational speaker Digby Lord Jones. He spoke very movingly about British industry and the need to keep manufacturing. He told the story of Triumph and how it went through a period of 7 years of watching and waiting before the time for growth came. So many parallels with church life we felt!

Hog roast was great fun. Did they think...sausages ?.... burgers ? ... oh let's just go the whole hog!

But it occurred to me how this choice of menu reveals their target market. I don't suppose Jews, Muslims or vegetarians were there to eat the hog or buy a Triumph.

My M&S

It doesn't take much to make a good experience a great experience. A surprise gingerbread man each with our coffees at M&S this morning.

Not only that, a new (at least new to us) gadget that flashes and vibrates to tell you your food order is ready. So there we were quietly dunking our gingerbread men. Graham's went in head first, mine went paddling first to his middle, then to his neck... then....BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ... jumping in shock, almost spilling our coffee we realised this was the signal that our toasted teacakes were ready! And 3 pats of butter! What fun. We really ought to get out more!