And an Autumn morning with the trees changing colour but no sunshine as yet. This is my first blog but I want to have it up and running by Christmas. What a difference the Internet has made to my life. I can keep in touch with many of my relations as we live in 8 countries, and friends around the world. And as I love travelling I can book my flights too on line with cheap fares. Am going to see my honeychild niece Karen in Dublin and my special niece Beverley in Geneva in November.
I am a Leisure professional and I love cinema and theatre so I see a lot of films and plays locally. I loved my first Film Festival last weekend at Campus West. 38 films over two days. Some were only a few minutes long. It was great to meet the film makers. The best actor winner was there from Vancouver. It was film about drugs. He was selling them and his 16 year old sister got addicted to Heroin. He was only 20 when the film was made and in the acting and fighting he really did get his nose broken. I have met drug addicts when I was doing the soup kitchen in Picadilly and working in a day centre in King Street Covent Garden in 1971. And with working with the homeless in London every Christmas. I love enthusiastic creative people. This has been an interesting two weeks. Have seen "Swimming Upsteam" , a true story of an ambitious swimmer son with an alcoholic father. I love heroes who overcome great difficulties to achieve their dreams. I have met many in my involvement with Tall Ships sailing. "Machucca" a film from Chile. Then it was our Photographic Club exhibition in the New Maynard Gallery, which is where I see my films. Four of my photos are on the wall. I played badminton a few times which I enjoyed very much. My whole second career started by my enthusiasm in playing badminton at Gosling over 30 years ago. My Women's Luncheon Club had an interesting speaker Brenda Harley "How I became a real Sew and Sew". A passionate sewing lady who created clothes from everyone from cross dressers to greyhounds.
I saw an charming American play "Over the River and Through the Trees" at the Barn. Four grandparents in Hoboken didn't want their beloved grandson to leave for far away Seattle. Beautifully paced. Atmospheric. 3 Fs "Family Food and Fun".
Saw "Bombon el Pero" a film from Argentine. About a man and his dog.
I made nearly 200 photocards from photos from my website.www.photoboxgallery.com/photosbyVal which made the dining room a card factory for a week. It will be fine again for the next dinner with my friends Judy and Alan from Lancashire who are coming tomorrow. I love eating and drinking with friends.
And the residents here... Martin is in Jail for two weeks for breaking his probation order with violence to Niki, his wife, in summer when I was in America. Niki lives in her own bedsit now and has a good job. And I have a Social Services Emergency bed and breakfast client , 16 year old. Jenna for a week. She went to court this week for something minor but what a shame to have a criminal record by 16. So several visits from Social workers. Ibe is in his second year here and I really enjoy having him around. There should be a resident sit com writer living here.
And tonight is a Green Party meeting. How much greener I used to be with saving egg boxes etc and only having bikes. And how much I love travelling and taking planes and trains everywhere. In December I am going to Budapest then Bucharest by overnight train to see Gabi Anda and by then their three children.
I wish I had kept the early visitors book, as hundreds of people have been here during the 30 years I have lived here. And with the joy of being retired and belonging to 18 organisations, 3 of which are travel focussed, lots of people come here.
These are www.womenwelcomewomen.org.uk
www.hospitalityclub.com
and www.couchsurfing.org
It is a warm and welcoming house. This year is our second year for our pond and summer house. We love our pond and frogs and dragon flies we have. We have dinners and social meetings in the summer house and I have slept out there too.