Q. Theme for today is?

A - Gardens

This morning I made my way to Thames View Community Garden to volunteer - to do what? I did not know...until I got there :)  The garden is a piece of waste land behind the Sue Bramley Centre and next to Thames View Infants school and I wasn't too sure what too expect as I haven't been there since it was turned over to the community for a garden.  I was quite amazed at all the raised beds made with railway sleepers - there must have been at least ten.  Each bed has been given to a different group of the community so I helped Hazel and six members of Panda class from Thames View Infants plant out their raised bed.   I took this photo after all the children had left - there were children from the Infants and Junior school and Sue Bramley Children Centre as well as Police Cadets and also some gentleman from the council plus a young man from Home Base.  Home Base had donated quite a lot of flowers and this young man was busy planting them out into various raised beds.

Our finished bed with elephant watering cans..  As I helped to dig and plant it gave me an opportunity to chat to the youngesters (age 7) and I discovered that they all lived in flats and none had access to a garden.  One little boy held up his flower and said to me 'Miss this is the first time I've planted anything' and the smile on his face said it all.  As they left the garden another chappie said to Joyce (organizer of the community garden) 'Thank you for having us I've had such a wonderful time'.  After they had left Joyce and I looked at each with tears in our eyes - no words were needed.

When I got home I had a cuppa with Nigel then went for a stroll in Mayesbrook Park - before most of it is closed for the Olympics.  This is the new sports centre, which has recently been built and of which Karl is a member; however, during July and August no member of the public will be able to use as it will be used by the athletics training for the Olympics.

Large areas of the park have been turned into natural habitat areas to encourage 'Flora & 'Fauna' and on a sunny day, as today, it does look quite pretty with long grass in various areas next to running streams and lakes.

It appears to be working and it was lovely to see wild poppies and other wild flowers being allowed to grow undisturbed and there were also alot of butterflies.  I snapped this little cabbage butterfly as he came down for a rest.

This evening I shall be attending the Green-Finger Gardening Club in Dagenham and the guest speaker is Lawrence Hobbs and his topic is 'Knowing Your Orchids'. If you read my post yesterday you will know that this very applicable to me at the moment as I endeavour to keep my one Orchid plant alive..

Also I have been invited on to the steering group for 'Revamp the Ripple', which is a nature reserve near George Carey Primary School (for which I am a Governor and Chaplain) plus on Thursday I will be meeting Francesca (London Wildlife) for a Butterfly Transect Walk and this is taking place at the Nature Reserve.

So today really has been a day about Gardens,  a park and a nature reserve. I am always amazed as to how my days vary so much - tomorrow it is Coffee and Chat, then off to Barking Riverside Office for a presentation from The Frederick Handley-Page Association followed by a pastoral visit in the afternoon - the evening is still available to anyone?

Back to earth with a bump!

Oh I didn't want to get up this morning..my bed was so warm and cosy and the thought of going down two flights of stairs (we live in a town house) to make a cup of tea was not at all appealing :(  But we had a lot of things to achieve today as tomorrow it's back to work/ministry/vocation/calling - take your pick! after our lovely few days away.  We (hubby aka Nigel) had set ourselves the goal of being out of the house by 8.30am so that we could get across London, whilst the roads were quiet, to The Salvation Army's shop (S.P. & S. or Trade - as we know it ) to purchase new uniforms etc.. We successfully achieved our goal and task - on arrival we were the only customers in the shop so were served straight away - result :))

The other enjoyable aspect of the journey is that we travel across Tower Bridge. This photo was take on our way home.

And past The Tower of London.  We were here a few weeks ago for the 'Ceremony of the Keys', which you can read about here.

We only had one slight delay - due to road works - and we stood still for a while outside this beautiful church.  Well it is now a Day Care Centre for children. I wondered if there was any 'church' presence in the building at all - whether one of the conditions had been that a Chaplain was still available and maybe a service or two but there was nothing outside to indicate that the 'church' had any role in the building anymore.  My mind went to a Salvation Song written by Albert Orsborn in 1957 (he later became General of The Salvation Army). Albert was thinking about the number of derelict churches and the thousands of Londoners living in the area ..and he said

"They were an immense challenge to my spirit; what were we doing to reach and save them?  Did we care enough? I thought of the One who 'wept over Jerusalem'.

The Saviour of men came to seek and to save

The souls who were lost to the good;

His Spirit was moved for the world which he loved

With the boundless compassion of God.

And still there are fields where the labourers are few,

And still there are souls without bread,

And still eyes that weep where the darkness is deep,

And still straying sheep to be led

Except I am moved with compassion,

How dwelleth thy Spirit in me?

In word and in deed

Burning love is my need;

I know I can find this in thee.

(This is the 1st verse and chorus)

Karmen has now forgiven me for going away :)) and has stopped following me around the house. This afternoon she napped on the lounge windowsill enjoying the sun on her fur.

When we moved into our new house last October - one of the rules, which we both agreed upon, was to try and keep the house and garden simple and uncluttered! in the hope that it would be easier to keep clean and tidy.  It is actually, I have discovered, more hard work to try and live minimalistic - things still keep creeping into the house..  The main reason being that both of us are out all day and then I am currently also taking an MA in Mission - so when assignments are due in plus the normal day to day activities - then literally the house and the garden go to pot!!! until such times, as now, I have an opportunity to restore 'order' once again :))

Our new garden is not even a quarter of the size of our previous garden but it is enough for us to maintain.  I decided that I just wanted a small flower bed at the back of the garden that would be easy for me to keep an eye on and weed etc. Nigel dug a corner over for me and I have planted - a salix caprea ', a red hibiscus, a choicya 'Brica' (this was given to me) and for the border primroses and pancies.  I have joined a gardening club, which meets once a month and I am enjoying that plus I also help to make the tea/coffee that way I get a chance to speak to people too.

This morning, whilst at Trade, I bought a book called 'Finding God in other Christians' by Lorraine Cavanagh so now that I have written my blog and Karl and Nigel are watching the football - I shall bring a cup of tea up to my office (on the top floor) and enjoy a read...

The Beth Chatto Gardens

We decided that this holiday we wouldn't be out gallivanting all over the place, as we normally do and then need another holiday to recover, but would just choose two places that we wanted to visit and take it easy the rest of the time. 

I first choice was to visit The Beth Chatto Gardens and so off we set this morning - the gardens are only about four miles away from the caravan park and the weather was suburb.

The Beth Chatto Gardens began in 1960. From an overgrown wasteland with poor gravel soil and boggy hollows, it has been transformed into an informal garden harmonising with the surrounding countryside (taken from the front of the guide book)

We bought a season ticket for the year at £25 for two people, which is brilliant as I will certainly be visiting the gardens again and again when we are at the caravan - it will be interesting to see how it changes through the year.

Nigel enjoyed taking loads of photos in the hope that he managed to get a 'good one' for this year's photo competition at Barking Salvation Army.

The internet around the caravan is site is s-l-o-w so I cannot upload any more photos - I actually only had one more but it has been a good day.  Plus it was also just wonderful to have the time to write cards/letters to friends and family and post them all off *YAY*

Roll on Maldon tomorrow...