St. Cedd's and the Olympic Torch

A lot of things have happened since my last entry (Wednesday) some of the main events have been :-

Knit and Knatter - here is Catherine and Bowa busy knitting away.. there were 14 ladies who attended and their children!!!

Janine and Holey Moley read the children a story - after the first book there was soon quite a crowd of children engrossed in listening to Holey Moley reading to them..

Friday was also the last day of term and the Year 6 Leavers Assembly was held in the Church - it was so good to see so many parents in attendance and quite an emotional event too as this was the last day of the 1st year of the George Carey Church of England Primary School and also our 1st year 6 pupils to leave :))

But back to today - I strolled along to St. Cedd's church on Lodge Avenue (road next to me) to join in their activities and watch the Olympic Torch go by..

My word what a fabulous morning of entertainment, refreshments and ministry that Ruth and her team put together.  I took this photo of Ruth with the new Vicar for St. Cedd's - Rev. Tony. There was a brass band, dancers, Molly Rainford (semi-finalist from BGT) tea, coffee and The Gideons were presenting everyone with a Bible.  Absolutely fabulous - WELL DONE ST. CEDD's

And, at last, here she is - I must apologize because I do not know who she is!!!  I've tried googling but it just mentions the famous people who will be running with the torch.. but whoever she I am sure she is worthy of carrying the Torch for us down Lodge avenue... Well Done Love :))

There is always time for a cuppa :))

One of the guest performers - Molly Rainford - who was a semi-finalist on BGT

Now I am patiently waiting for Nigel and then we are off to The Town Show in Dagenham where some youngsters from The Salvation Army are performing..

Home Alone

Nigel's at Rotary, Karl's out on a date and Karmen's out wandering around the school playing field behind our house - so that leaves me Home Alone *YAY*

It has been another day where, once again, I have had so many enjoyable, interesting and challening conversations with various people - that to come home to empty house is relaxing and allows me to unwind and mull over the day.  I appreciate evenings, such as this, where I have the house to myself with no one to cook for and I can wander around in my own world talking to myself; however, I was reminded this afternoon that I can feel this way because I know that, eventually, Nigel, Karl and Karmen will be coming home.  

This afternoon I visited Gwen and Bonnie and, in case you are wondering, it is a green tennis ball that Bonnie has in her mouth. Gwen is such a delightful lady - she is a Barking girl and has lived, in her current house, since 1975 before that in a flat on Thames View.  This afternoon I sat and looked at Gwen's wedding photos (I love going through people's photo albums) trying to recognize locations and smiling at the various outfits!!.

Gwen married at the age of 45 and was a widow by the time she reached 50 (my age) so she has no children of her own but two delightful nieces.  Gwen's main company, these days, is her dog, Bonnie, who is a most lively little thing but I becamed conscious, as we chatted, that I was probably the first person she had spoken to today or even in the last couple of days and I wondered how many other elderly people in Barking and Dagenham, who can't get out of there homes as easily as they once did - also find themselves in the same situation.  Maybe we should all adopt a granny or grandad.

I have to point out here that Gwen was not complaining in anyway but after all the interaction I haved had today with the children at school,  plus the conversations in the Rivergate Community Foyer, with the mums attending the parenting course and with staff and teachers - maybe I was more conscious of her situation.

I can enjoy being 'Home Alone' this evening because those I love dearly will be coming back home at some point and, in return, they know that a cup of tea will be waiting for them as soon as they step through the front door :)

Now let me introduce...

Janine, my co-partner in crime, with her puppet 'Holy Moley' - Holy Moley had a lot of conversations too, today, with the children in the nursery and the children of the mums attending the parenting course. The little ones loved Holy Moley's visit and what was more amusing is to see adults talking to a hand puppet!!!

Now for a cuppa and a read...

An Interesting Day

Holiday what Holiday?  ha-ha seems ages ago already :))  It has been another varied but enjoyable day.

(prayer space outside of the Reception Classes)

I started my day at school by attending the assembly organized by Penguin Class - it was very apt as it was all about Noah and the ark..the children did so well :))  Then Coffee & Chat outside in the foyer of the Rivergate Centre - not many attended today but Janine (Church of England Pioneer Missioner) and I had an interesting conversations with the mums who were present. The other week it was all about contraception! this week it was about not being able to have children and the affect it has on women and their relationships.

I received an invitation from The Creekmouth Preservation Society to attend a presentation by The Frederick Handley-Page Association. It was certainly a very interesting talk, especially as Frederick Handley-Page, world-renowed aeronautical engineer, had his aircraft factory and hangars at Creekmouth.  I like to attend these events as I learn more about the area, the people who have lived, worked and raised their families - also it gives me a chance to network and meet new people as well as catching up with folk I have met over the eight years that I have been on the scene.

As the presentation had been organized by the members of The Creekmouth Preservation Society - it was a chance to meet up folk I have met over the years.  This is a photo of me with Iris and behind us the River Thames.  It was a beautiful day and I could have spent all afternoon sitting on the deck area outside the Barking Riverside Office looking out down the Thames; however, after the presentation I decided to go have my lunch by the Barking Flood Barrier before my next engagement at 2pm.

I love this area - it is where the Creekmouth Village once stood; however, the village was destroyed in the 1953 floods - now it is home to the Barking Flood Barrier and The Creekmouth Preservation Society have worked hard to have benches, information points, as well as planting many flowers and shrubs. I come and sit here, when I have time in between engagements, mainly because I am normally the only person and have the whole place to myself - just to sit and enjoy some quiet time in the middle of, what is now, an Industrial Estate.

Today, however, Charlie, Iris and Joyce joined me and, for a brief while, we enjoyed the sunshine, chatted about the presentation and Iris and I took photos of the wild flowers and enjoyed the view towards London. Charlie told me that as a young boy he used to sit on the wall and watch London being bombed during the war.

After I had made my arranged visit at 2pm to Thames View Lodge - I took Janine to Valence House to show her where Linda Rhodes work and, hopefully, find her there for a guide around the archive department.  We met Linda this morning, although I have met her before, a very interesting lady who has written three novels based on true crimes that have happened in Barking & Dagenham. Yep Linda was there and we had a very interesting time looking at old maps of Barking and Dagenham and being shown around the archives. Janine and I finished off our day together with an ice-cream in Valence Park..

To conclude my blog - some favourite photos of the day..

Charlie and Iris (they are cousins) who are members of The Creekmouth Preservation Society

A tug boat with his cargo coming down the Thames

and favourite sweet pea called everlasting pea, which grows wild on Creekmouth.

Chicks and Roses

The nursery at George Carey Primary school have had ten eggs in an incubator - this project has given the children the opportunity to watch chicks being born from their eggs - so I started my morning 'chick gazing' - these delightful chicks were born yesterday and are currently housed in the nursery :))  Oh the little ones (and us bigger ones) all stood around cooing and aaaahhhhing.

Next I was presented these miniature roses from one on the little girls from reception class.. so I proudly wore it as a buttonhole decoration :)) not too sure whose garden they came from!! I know it certainly wasn't hers :)  I smiled inwardly to myself as I remembered yesterday's blog post 'Rose'.

A slightly older chick and her roses :))  Elsie is dear, wonderful lady who I enjoy having a cuppa and chat with and, today, was no exception; however, the first procedure is to clear the armchair of monkey nuts, bird seed and fat balls as she loves to feed the birds in her garden. In fact Elsie's garden is the only garden in Barking where I have watched Jays land and feed from the bird table.

As the sun was shining I took the opportunity to take her photo in her cherished garden next to one of her climbing roses.

I love this meerkat bird table in Elsie's garden

The other reason I popped into to see Elsie was because another resident died yesterday and this resident was a dear friend of Elsie.  So just wanted to make she as OK and 'yes' she was but sad - I always come away feeling that she has ministered to me rather than the other way round.