Friday 30 September 2011

...taste like Mary Berry!

For those of you who followed the troll story..."I look like Mary Berry, I smell like Mary Berry, I expect I taste like Mary Berry!" Today I have had my very own Great British Bake Off and as the only entrant, I am very proud to tell you I won. I have made cherry flapjack, cranberry and seed flapjack, chocolate chip and vanilla marble cake, 2x coffee and walnut cakes and 2x raspberry and almond cakes. I took a break in the middle to drive to Dorchester and back which was handy as I needed to pop into Pipers and get some eggs as we ran out! It's been a busy evening but I am running on adrenaline as I am really excited about tomorrow. The hub looks great. It just gets better. Tomorrow I will be running on cake! In fact today I was running on cake as Rach (who did a drop off of her sock creatures to a shop in Ashburton) discovered their fabulous bakery and brought me back a lemon tart.  It was VERY good. 


Early this evening I also met with Sheila who is a 'Margaret Morris Movement' teacher. It sounds really interesting and made perfect sense to me. Sheila is planning to start a course at the hub in the new year. If you would like to come to her taster session in January and would like me to get in touch with you nearer the time with the details either ring or email me your contact details and I will put you on the taster list. 


The 'Phew Moment' of the day was a conversation with Dave who is now fitting our dispensary. It means that Dean (who was going to do it as a favour on his precious weekend) has been given his Sunday back. It is so lovely that people offer help as we sure need it!


Do please pop in tomorrow. The more the merrier! The Craft & Cake Fair will be open from 10:30am-4:30pm tomorrow. There is a comment box by the door and I would love to hear your thoughts about the fair, the hub - in face any ideas you have...


See you tomorrow!



Thursday 29 September 2011

Not Again!!!!

Today I lost my keys three times today! First thing this morning I was hunting everywhere when I resigned myself to the fact that I would have to go over to Simon's house and collect his when Lottie came charging out of school waving the keys at me. I had put them in her school bag. 
Then the plumber needed the door shut to stop the fire alarms going off again, so I shut the door...blooming yale locks - ridiculous invention. My keys were in the hub but I wasn't. My mobile was also in the hub. Remember the days when we held phone numbers in heads just in case of emergencies? I was stuck without a phone, keys, a brain but I did have a nice plumber called Shane with a mobile phone. I phoned my mum as it was the only number I knew and she sent Simon to the rescue. Then after a great afternoon setting up for the fair on Saturday, feeling really proud of our achievements and really rather hungry I did it all over again. But I had learnt something...I had my phone in my pocket this time so I could ring Simon myself. I now have a contingency plan.


The hub is looking great and we are getting things down to a fine art. 


Lottie and I had a go at Saturday's craft activity. We sat on the Cathedral Green doodling. I quick iron and we have ourselves personalised bags. Love it! You can have a go too at the fair for £2.50. These are special fabric pens so the bags will be washable. 





And the jamjar tombola is looking good too...

UPDATED - The Ups and Downs of Wednesday

Rachel’s Abbie greeted me in the playground with, “We found Alan under the fridge!” Alan is their gerbil and by 8:15am Alan and his cage-mate had been captured. Poor Rach. I think there is something in the air today as it started in a mildly chaotic way for a few of us and it continued like that...

  • The plumber arrived to fit the wrong sort of sink in the wrong place and two wrongs don’t make a right!
  • The sink can’t go where we wanted as it would block the alarm system and the fuse box.
  • The plumber set off the fire alarm and noone knew how to turn it off - everyone went out for an early lunch and I was left with a noisy building and a slightly embarrassed plumber. 
  • I was out buying a cherry and almond tart as my first appointment arrived (how could it be 11am already?)
  • Removing a cupboard in my en suite loo means new flooring is needed (Simon if this is the first time you are reading this - we need to talk flooring)
  • Sarah arrived with her screen at the same time Anne Overzee who arrived at the same time as the lovely visitors from The Exeter Institute. People are like buses. And I would have like to have spent time with them all but it didn't quite work out like that.
  • And it’s hard to fit a kitchen sink when it hasn’t been delivered yet
But there are highs too...
  • We have water in the dispensary (picture to follow...I bet you can't wait!)
  • We have new prizes for the jam jar tom bola:
  • Sarah delivered the screen for the office
  • We have put up Simon’s Spice of the Month display  
  • We have more people interested in selling at our craft fair (and running classes too)
  • We have Tai Chi taster sessions in the pipeline.
  • The chip and pin machine is one step closer to being sorted (not a highlight but important none the less)
  • There wasn’t an actual fire and the cherry and almond tart was excellent
  • Anne and Tai Chi Sue were lovely visitors
  • We have figured out how to fit the units AND get access to fuse and security boxes
  • I remembered to deliver the chocolate chips to Rach for her massive crispy cake making session for Saturday
  • I took an order from Josephine for one of our chocolate cakes from the cafe days (the chocolate cake won't be from the cafe days, the recipe will)
  • Zoe’s promised us cake and Becky is making her family biscuits for the fair
  • The bags arrived for the bag decorating craft activity on Saturday so we don't have to draw on the tables - hurray
UPDATE: you can probably tell that I was writing my blog today in a slightly uncomfortable state. I was watching Lottie in the pool (actually not watching her as I was writing my blog...bad mother!) and it was hot hot hot and I was hungry hungry hungry. Sometimes only a Pipers Farm pie will hit the spot (and we had it with baked beans and tomato ketchup as we were feeling rebellious but don't tell Pipers that). 

The Longest Run...

I was told yesterday by the lovely Roger who is the librarian at The Exeter Institution that our hub is part of the longest continual run of medieval buildings in the westcountry! How cool is that?!

Wednesday 28 September 2011

The Craft Hub Club - Monday Evenings 4-5pm

I am so excited to tell you that Hannah and Pip from The Craft Hub are going to run an after school CRAFT HUB CLUB on Monday evenings between 4-5pm. 


Hannah says, "We have decided to start the club on the 7th of November to run for 6 weeks."


They are thinking of a great name for it but at the moment it is nicknamed The Craft Hub Club and Lottie is already booked on.

Hannah then says, "We are offering 12 places for children ( & their parents ) aged between 5-11 years of age. We will book up a half-term in advance. The charges are £4 for a child & £7 for two siblings. We will run to a seasonal theme, with a different type of craft each week, that the children take home."


Hannah and Pip will provide some craft materials, but people coming to the course will be invited to bring things too. I love this, it encourages us to rummage a bit and forrage (that's more of a food word isn't it?!) for bits and pieces and makes our final creations more personal.

The class will be a quiet/relaxed/nurturing/informal space for the children to create & explore with their parent or grandparent.

If anyone is interested and would like to book or you want further details, email Hannah at registration@thecrafthub.co.uk. Registration forms can be emailed out to you.



The Ups and Downs of Wednesday

Rachel’s Abbie greeted me in the playground with, “We found Alan under the fridge!” Alan is their gerbil and by 8:15am Alan and his cage-mate had been captured. Poor Rach. I think there is something in the air today as it started in a mildly chaotic way for a few of us and it continued like that...

  • The plumber arrived to fit the wrong sort of sink in the wrong place and two wrongs don’t make a right!
  • The sink can’t go where we wanted as it would block the alarm system and the fuse box.
  • The plumber set off the fire alarm and noone knew how to turn it off - everyone went out for an early lunch and I was left with a noisy building and a slightly embarrassed plumber. 
  • I was out buying a cherry and almond tart as my first appointment arrived (how could it be 11am already?)
  • Removing a cupboard in my en suite loo means new flooring is needed (Simon if this is the first time you are reading this - we need to talk flooring)
  • Sarah arrived with her screen at the same time Anne Overzee who arrived at the same time as the lovely visitors from The Exeter Institute. People are like buses. And I would have like to have spent time with them all but it didn't quite work out like that.
  • And it’s hard to fit a kitchen sink when it hasn’t been delivered yet
But there are highs too...

  • We have water in the dispensary (picture to follow...I bet you can't wait!)
  • We have new prizes for the jam jar tom bola (spooky picture to follow)
  • Sarah delivered the screen for the office (another photo to follow)
  • We have put up Simon’s Spice of the Month display (photo number four on it's way)
  • We have more people interested in selling at our craft fair (and running classes too)
  • We have Tai Chi taster sessions in the pipeline.
  • The chip and pin machine is one step closer to being sorted (not a highlight but important none the less)
  • There wasn’t an actual fire and the cherry and almond tart was excellent
  • Anne and Tai Chi Sue were lovely visitors
  • We have figured out how to fit the units AND get access to fuse and security boxes
  • I remembered to deliver the chocolate chips to Rach for her massive crispy cake making session for Saturday
  • I took an order from Josephine for one of our chocolate cakes from the cafe days (the chocolate cake won't be from the cafe days, the recipe will)
  • Zoe’s promised us cake and Becky is making her family biscuits for the fair
  • The bags arrived for the bag decorating craft activity on Saturday so we don't have to draw on the tables - hurray
UPDATE: you can probably tell that I was writing my blog today in a slightly uncomfortable state. I was watching Lottie in the pool (actually not watching her as I was writing my blog...bad mother!) and it was hot hot hot and I was hungry hungry hungry. Sometimes only a Pipers Farm pie will hit the spot (and we had it with baked beans and tomato ketchup as we were feeling rebellious but don't tell Pipers that). 

Kitsch Stitch and Yoga Classes

New Classes:
As well as confirming our up and coming Feldenkrais course, I can also confirm Roberta Hutchins yoga class on a Wednesday morning at 9:45-10:45am at The Hub on the Green. For more details phone Roberta on 07747 030629. 


Kim has given me her flyer:

We are getting so wonderfully busy that the only ways to keep up with what is going on is to check the calendar on the right-hand side of the page or to pop into The Hub on the Green. 

Tuesday 27 September 2011

Feldenkrais and Wardrobes

Exciting news...we have our first piece of dolls' house furniture. A wardrobe from Sophie and it is due to be delivered on Saturday at the Craft Fair. Hopefully we won't need dad's land rover for this one!


The fabulous Klaas Overzee, who taught classes at our cafe in Cullompton that people are still talking about for all the right reasons, is starting Feldenkrais classes at The Hub on the Green on Tuesday evenings. If you would like more details please contact me.


My website has disappeared so if you see a poster with the new website www.hubonthegreen.net on it then please refer to this blog for a little bit longer whilst I sob, stamp my feet and try and sort it out. This might be the time I wander upstairs and grab one of 'The Techy Ones'. This is so out of my comfort zone. Please bear with me. 


We also have children's craft after school activities in the pipeline. If you would like to be kept up to date with anything specific, let me know. 


Meditation on Monday nights starts on 3rd October. 


Tomorrow is all about the plumbers! Having mastered the whole B&Q thing and spent this evening learning what a hand trolley is and getting excited about taps - bring on the plumbing!

Magic Carpet Event - Friday 30th September

I would like to share this with you. Magic Carpet is a wonderful organisation that I am just beginning to learn about through The Hub on the Green. I have met many of the people involved in Magic Carpet and like them all very much so I expect this event will be great fun:
 

I hope you have heard about Ashley and Pauls Three Peak Challenge, these two young men plus their good friend Dylan are raising funds for Magic Carpet, to date we’ve raised over £1200!!

This coming Friday at the Queens Court Hotel, Exeter See HERE30th September 2011, there is a special event.
·        Paul, Ashley and Dylan are hosting an evening extravaganza.
·        From 5.30 there will a Barbeque and fruity punch
·        The marvellous Dave Wood (See HERE) will entertain with his songs and words from 6pm.
·        And there will be an exhibition of artwork created in Magic Carpet workshops.
·        Also a raffle with stupendous prizes
·        Followed by an auction with some fabulous items to bid for.

Everything raised will directly support Magic Carpet, the Queens Court Hotel have generously donated the space, their time and food and drink for this event.

To remind you…. The 3 Peaks Challenge is a gruelling 24 hour trekking adventure involving climbing the highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales within 24 hours, including the long drives in between. Every penny from the money raised from this event will go directly to Magic Carpet, specifically the ‘Own Two Feet’ project. This project aims to help make the Charity more self-sufficient financially in the coming years, by developing a series of saleable products, related to the rich source of art work produced by the participants at the workshops. To find out more please click HERE with photos, updates and a brilliant youtube video and the many ways to make a donation.

Daisy, Paul and Ashley


Please tell all your friends, family, colleagues and absolutely everybody you know to support Ashley and Paul and raise much needed funds for Magic Carpet
It’s really easy to donate:
·       Click on The Big Give link and donate online.
·       Text HILL03 £5 to 70070
·       Pop a few used fivers in a brown envelope and post them to the Magic Carpet Office (see our web site for the address)

Magic Carpet is a registered charity no 1122778 and a company limited by guarantee no 6457745

Monday 26 September 2011

Many Hands...(well it depends whose hands they are!)

This morning I was asked to by Rach (Little Stitch) for more posters for the craft & cake fair. I gave her an embarrassingly large amount. I know she is a woman on a mission. But by the time I had finished my first meeting she had run out (and met some real characters along the way) - go Rach! I should get her to blog her adventures whilst on poster drop-offs (Rach are you reading this? I am serious!). After that she taught people to knit and has planned cakes for the weekend. When I grow up, I want to be as organised as Rach! Mum was also spreading the word at her yoga class. 


I had meeting with a prospective teacher at the hub, then Alex from Exeter Community Initiatives (who gave me lots of contacts to get in touch with and lots of existing groups to find out about) and then I had a meeting with some new group leaders who have exciting plans afoot. I can’t wait until they are all confirmed and we can put everything on the calendar. 
One of the gentlemen in the office upstairs came to get a plaster and ask about yoga classes. He had cut himself washing up!  He recognises that by sitting at his desk all day he would benefit from a bit of yoga and likes the ‘break in the middle of the day’ idea. Pop downstairs, bit of yoga and pop back up again. Perfect. Simon always talks about making healthcare accessible to all. This is about as accessible as it gets. 
Simon went up to Cullompton for a meeting and collected the Start Here kiosk which didn’t really work in the way we had hoped at our cafe but I think it will come into its own at the hub. It fits so well with what we were talking about this morning - giving people the information they want or need in a way that suits them. Lottie had a play and now knows all about help available when giving up smoking. Should I be concerned that out of all the options available she was drawn to this one? 
Then I built four kitchen units with the help of Lottie and a power tool. It was slightly alarming when the first line of the instructions said, “Instillation should be performed by a competent person only.” Well there was clearly no need to read any further. These instructions weren’t aimed at me. We looked at the pretty pictures and two hours, one eccles cake, one palmier biscuit and three cups of tea later...job done! 




Simon has been trying really hard to unmuddle the muddle I have caused with the website. www.hubonthegreen.net is coming soon. It is all ready to go as soon as the hosting site gets sorted. Those of you that are waiting for it, thank you for your patience.

Sunday 25 September 2011

B&Q Redeemed Themselves

After a sleepiness night spent worrying about the humiliation one would face on arrival at the trade dept of B&Q, arriving to collect a flatpack kitchen which wasn't going to fit in a tiny Citreon C1... the reality wasn't nearly as bad. Lottie and I only crashed the trolley twice en route to the kitchen's department, we trapped the assistants fingers under a 1000mm flatpack base unit and then crashed into an inconveniently placed sink display. Then my card was declined as I handed over the wrong one and I had to ask the nice man to carry the packages into my car as I couldn't lift them but I survived. Only taps and knobs and the dispensary is done and dusted.


I also collected the dresser from the other side of Exeter and it looks great in the corner of the hub ready to be put into action at the cake and craft fair which is less than a week away. I am going to make chocolate crispy cakes (rocky road ones) this month as well as flapjack just in case Judith turns up again. I need my 9 out of 10 flapjack score to be a 10 out of 10 in October. 


By Friday I hope to have more events in the diary for you and on Saturday I hope to see you all at the fair. 

Saturday 24 September 2011

Current Events List for The Hub on the Green

I am updating the calendar on the right daily as more and more activities are confirmed but here is the list of things I can tell you about so far...

Mondays
Yoga babies (babies from 0-12 months-ish)
11am-12noon
What is Yoga Babies?Yoga Babies is a specially devised series of stretches and movements for babies, gentle yoga for parents, and shared yoga poses to calm and energise. There is an emphasis on yoga postures that focus on opening up areas of the body that can be tight after holding, carrying and nursing babies. Babies enjoy poses that aid development and digestion, with plenty of rhymes and songs. Sessions end with relaxation for parents and babies.What are the benefits?Massaging poses and stretches help babies to digest more easily Helps to ease the pain of gas and mild colic Encourages babies to sleep more restfullyEnhances natural flexibility and development Nurtures close bonding between parent and baby 
POP-UP CAFE TIME (everyone welcome)
12noon-1:30pm
During this time The Hub on the Green is open to everyone to come and sit, enjoy the ceiling, doodle, chat or get involved in the daily activity.  
White Lotus Meditation (everyone welcome)
7:30pm - 9pm
Everyone welcome, sitting on Monday evenings 7.30 - 9pm We follow Mindfulness meditation practice, as taught by Vietnamese Zen teacher, Thich Nhat Hahn.Please bring cushion/ stool if preferred.
Tuesday

Contemporary Craft Workshop (for adults)
10am-12noon
Lisa's workshops invite individuals to meet and make on a weekly basis in a relaxed and friendly environment. Two hour sessions led by an experienced teacher will encourage and develop your existing craft skills whilst nurturing new ones. Elements of contemporary craft and fine art will be covered. Course one: 4 weeks - printing. Course two: four weeks - paper. Course three: 2 weeks - Christmas.
POP-UP CAFE TIME
12noon-1:30pm
During this time The Hub on the Green is open to everyone to come and sit, enjoy the ceiling, doodle, chat or get involved in the daily activity.  
Bonjour Tonton! (preschoolers and their parents)
1:30pm-2:30pm
Bonjour Tonton! is a unique and fun way to help children from 2-5 years discover language, develop communication sills and boost self-confidence. Through singing, dancing and playing games, we learn to talk with Tonton the Tortoise and friends...in French!
Wednesday

Bonjour Tonton! (preschoolers and their parents)
11am-12noon
Bonjour Tonton! is a unique and fun way to help children from 2-5 years discover language, develop communication sills and boost self-confidence. Through singing, dancing and playing games, we learn to talk with Tonton the Tortoise and friends...in French!
POP UP CAFE TIME & Knit and Natter (free to come along) 
12noon-1:30pm
During this time The Hub on the Green is open to everyone to come and sit, enjoy the ceiling, doodle, chat or get involved in the daily activity. 
Margaret's Mosaics
1:30pm-3:30pm
Margaret will guide you through the making of four mosaic pieces in this four week course. 
Positive Parenting Techniques for Parents of Teenagers
7:30pm-9pm
Jane Brown who has years of experience in parental advising is schools, her own children (and grand baby on the way) and an interest in the physiological and brain changes that occur during teenage years guides parents through this sometimes challenging time covering topics such as puberty, internet safety, sleep patterns and lots more. 
Thursday 
We do not have a Pop-Up Cafe Time on Thursdays as The Hub is available for whole or half day rental. 
Friday

POP UP CAFE TIME & Kimbows' Kitsch Stitching
12noon-1:30pm
During this time The Hub on the Green is open to everyone to come and sit, enjoy the ceiling, doodle, chat or get involved in the daily activity. 
ONE OFF EVENTS

Craft & Cake Fair (adults and children welcome)
(the making activity will be decorating canvas bags)
Saturday 1st October
10:30am - 4:30pm
(bring along a cake to sell if you can)

The World's biggest Coffee Morning for Macmillan Cancer Support
Thursday 13th October
10am - 12noon
(bring along a cake to sell if you can)

Craft & Cake Fair (adults and children welcome)
Saturday 5th November
10:30am - 4:30pm
(bring along a cake to sell if you can)

Craft & Cake Fair (adults and children welcome)
(the making activity will be Christmas badge-making)
Saturday 3rd December
10:30am - 4:30pm
(bring along a cake to sell if you can)

Friday 23 September 2011

"No immediate need for a wedding dress but could we have some blinds?"

Wow - what a day!
The blind-fitting lady came late which meant she arrived at the same time as Kim - which meant I kept Kim waiting. I don't like keeping people waiting. It is rude and it makes me multi-task which I am hopeless at and therefore it makes me anxious. I think I have carried that chaotic start of the day with me all day. With hindsight I should have said to the blind-fitting lady, “You are late and I am now busy.” The day would have turned out quite differently. Lesson learnt. 
Kim is lovely. Very calming and gentle. I needed that sort of company. We were having a run-through of her kitsch crafting activity to make sure we had everything we needed. It was great. I learnt so much and came away with my own lavender heart (made with lavender loving dried by Emily  who I now owe for two packets). I am so proud of it. So proud of it, in fact, that I have insisted on showing it to everyone from Sarah, the couture wedding dress designer who works upstairs to Mosaicky Margaret’s friends who popped in to see the ceiling. 

If you are interested in coming to Kimbows' Kitsch Crafting Session from 12noon-1:30pm on Friday 14th October please let me know. 
I took Kim up to see Sarah’s wedding dresses and met the card designer/craft teacher who works upstairs. Sarah gave us her satin and silk offcuts and I mentioned the blind fiasco. She’s offered to make blinds for us - how amazing is that? So she is going to look at some fabrics and let us know. 

Rob from Magic Carpet popped in. Another fabulous organisation that I am really keen to have a the hub. They have plans for us so we shall see. 

Then Rach popped in. She is doing so well at the moment as 'Little Stitch' and still finding time to put posters up all over Exeter to advertise our craft and cake fair. Thank you Rach. 

I am rushing off to see Mr Stink now so this is hasty blog...

Thursday 22 September 2011

Freebie Number 2

Lovely to see Chrissy this morning. We worked together at the Cafe and within minutes of her arrival, I had splashed water all over her whilst filling the kettle...some things don't change.


We had Carluccio's chocolate bears for breakfast:
Dad arrived with the desk and the mirror (see yesterday). I asked the men who work upstairs to come and help me carry them in (we don't have a takeaway nearby so I had to improvise). Then dad rebuilt the desk for me. What would you hope to find in the drawer of a recently purchased desk? Money? A treasured love letter taped to the bottom of the drawer? A gold locket? A nit comb? Guess which one I found?
Freebie number 2
I gently mentioned the dresser I had just bought on eBay to dad as it is currently on the other side of Exeter and it isn't going to fit in (or on) my car. He smiled so I have a feeling we will collecting that together soon. Thank you dad. The dresser is Sharon's clever way of making sure all the tea and coffee facilities are functional and look fabulous in the hub.

Buy a desk... 
...get your mirror for free
A lovely man called Chukes came by to find out what we are up to. In the end I left dad and Chukes chatting and went back to work.  Chukes works in the NHS and when he has recovered from his man-flu I hope we will link up. 

Hannah from the Craft Hub came by to talk. Craft Hub do great things and she has some great things planned all over Exeter. I hope they will hold some events in the Hub on the Green so we can join in the fun. We are talking again next week so we'll see. 

I had a quick key hunt. It is impossible for me to go a month with out a bit of key-drama. I was sprinkling keys and key fobs all through Princesshay but I did find the missing keys at the old centre and without the need for my metal detector- hurray! 

Two lovely ladies and babies came by and were excited about the centre and what it will offer mummies and babies. They liked Abbie's Peppa Pig collection. Mariam (lovely lady number one) owns the beauty therapists at 3 Cathedral Close and serves you tea from a china tea service whilst you are being treated. How lovely is that?! If you can't find me at the hub, you know where I'll be!

Then I headed out onto the Cathedral Green to get some internet reception. When I got to the entrance there was a lady standing reading the boards. It happens all the time. So I went up to say hello as I always do.
"Joey Lee?" she says, "Well I never."
And I recognised her too. I knew I knew her really well. But I didn't know where from. 
"I know you really well," I said, "but I don't know where from..."
"You do." she replied "From a long time ago."
So I stood and I starred at her. And she smiled back. And I carried on starring
I knew I really liked her, and I knew I was really fond of her. It's a strange feeling when you just can't place someone. Then it came to me. Struan's mum - my first boyfriend's mum. I hadn't seen her for 18 years. So we talked and talked and caught up on 18 years in about an hour. I love the hub and we're only just getting started!


The World's Biggest Coffee Morning: If you would like to come to our coffee morning on Thursday 13th October at 10am we would love to see you. I would also love to know you are coming so I can look forward to the day without worrying that it will be me, myself and I! I know I say it all the time but the more the merrier. All the money raised will go to Macmillan Cancer Support. We will be selling Phoenix Cards (Phoenix Trading already give 10% of card sales to Macmillan) and for any cards sold at the coffee morning we will give all our profits to Macmillan which will mount up to quite a lot I hope. If anyone else would like to run a stall or bake a cake or organise something - let me know. 
Have a look CLICK HERE... (type in Exeter and then click on Exeter, Devon) 


Tomorrow themes: blinds, practice sewing, moving boxes from the old place (puff, pant!) and I may be meeting a man about a singing group followed by an evening of Mr Stink at the Northcott complete with scratch and sniff programs. 

Wednesday 21 September 2011

"Would You Like A Free Oak-Framed Mirror?"

"...ummmm...Yes?!"


Well the conversation was a little more elaborate than that but it ended up with two men carrying a huge, solid oak-framed mirror into the back of dad's car. It's those cafe pixies again. My step-mum Sal said something about lucky or jammy or something similar and she's right.


The story goes like this....
Bought desk on eBay.
Dad drives me to collect desk from Teignmouth.
Can't find sellers home!
Phone seller.
"My flat is opposite the Indian Takeaway." (Flat?!! Flat!!! It's a huge oak desk and I have a dad with a bad back...I'm thinking, "How many stairs?")
Find flat and Seller Kim.
Can't lift desk. 
Owner of takeaway offers man-power. 
He collects a customer and puts desk pieces into car.
We thank men-power and off they go.
Kim asks if I would like a mirror.
"Ummmmm...." I reply.
You can take it for free." says Kim, "It matches the desk, seems a shame to separate them. Come and have a look."
I climb up four flights of stairs and see the mirror. Mirror = gorgeous. 
Kim fetches takeaway owner and his customer for a second time.
Up four flights.
Down four flights with mirror. Mirror = heavy.
They put mirror in the car.
I hug Kim.
End of story. 


So we are jammy and lucky. Thank you cafe pixies. 


Before all this late night excitement I met both the Exeter Cathedral Volunteer Coordinator and the facilitator of the Exeter Women's network. Both were very positive meetings and very interesting. I learnt a lot from them both and I am looking forward to collaborating in the future. 
Lisa demonstrating mono-printing
at her class in Uffculme


And I met with Lisa Purchase when she gave me the details of her Contemporary Craft Workshops. Lisa is running three courses this term. Here are the details:




Contemporary Craft Workshops: Printing 
Tuesdays 10am-12noon
start date: 11th October 2010
4 week course
£40 for the course




Contemporary Craft Workshops: Paper 
Tuesdays 10am-12noon
start date: 8th November 2010
4 week course
£40 for the course



Contemporary Craft Workshops: Christmas
Tuesdays 10am-12noon
start date: 6th December 2010
2 week course
£20 for the course

Lisa's Uffculme group making mosaics
Lisa is an amazing teacher and it is a joy to be in her classes. I first met Lisa when she came to offer classes at our last centre in Cullompton. I have been going to Lisa's classes for over a year and I am at my happiest when creating something under her instruction. I am so excited that she is teaching at The Hub on the Green. You see we really are lucky. 

If you would like any more information or would like to book a place on any of the Contemporary Craft Workshops please phone Lisa on 01884 849 259.


Lisa helping the littler ones with their boats