Monday 31 October 2011

The Hub is for Hire

Have you got an event planned and you are looking for the perfect venue? The Hub is for hire in 2011 for just £10 per hour. It is available between 9am - 9pm and at weekends so if you have an event and you would like a special venue for it contact Joey on joey.lee@sustaincare.net or 07950 961751


We have a wonderful range of classes and events booked into our diary but we have kept Thursdays and weekends available for whole day or half day bookings.


The Hub is perfect for groups meetings, recitals, socials, away days, wine and cheese events, promotional events, dances, baby groups, art classes, after school groups...in fact the space is so versatile I am yet to meet a prospective booker who hasn't been excited by it. 



Babies Today, Birds Tomorrow

Wow! I'm liking the first day of the new half term. First dad came in and gave me a Dragon's Den style interrogation. He's going to be my Peter Jones (but without the snazzy socks) and whittle me into shape. It was a great meeting and it helped me get my head around the bit of the business I am not so fond of.


Then Yoga Babies started with a great turnout. I listened from outside the door and loved every moment. I so wanted to join in. They said that next week I could take my teddy bear and join in! I may actually do that. I really wanted to go in and get a photo but I didn't want to interrupt Nikkie's teaching. By the time I went in babies were feeding or asleep in pushchairs. Luckily for me Emily and Audrey were still in position...

Alexander was so relaxed after his yoga

Tomorrow is Lisa's craft class. Last week it was temporarily hijacked by all out families for Halloween so I am really looking forward to getting back to our printing. If you would like to see what we are up to or join in just pop along at 10am. 

Sunday 30 October 2011

Can you Splice?

This week is the start of the first complete half term at the hub. When we opened in the middle of October the first half of the Autumn term was well on it's way. As a result here starts the groups at the hub and so it's a really exciting time. November will also see our 3rd craft and cake fair (5th), Yoga Babies (starts tomorrow at 11am), Feldenkrais classes, Wriggle Rhythms, Positive Parenting Classes and lots more.


We also have Contemporary Craft Workshop on Tuesday at 10am where we will be printing. It's £10 and you can come along on the day. It is such a magical session and Lisa is a wonderful teacher.


Rachael will be back for knitting group on Wednesday at 12 noon so you will be in safe hands. I am going to perfect moss stitch to make a scarf before the winter sets in.


Kim will be stitching with us on Friday at noon. Again you can just come along and see what she has planned. It's another friendly, welcoming, relaxed group at the hub.


The Craft and Cake Fair is this Saturday between 10:30am - 4pm. Everyone is welcome. We have a cafe so you can relax with a homemade cake and proper coffee (cake donations are welcome on the day). At the fair we will have new knitted creations for sale, mosaic demonstrations, you can create your own shopping bag or one as a gift and we will have rope splicing demonstrations...




Above are spliced ropes and my dad Peter is a sailor and a bit of a whizz at splicing. Some people have said we need some less pink and flowery crafts at the fair so here we go - I have ROPED in my dad!!!. So Peter will be showing you how to splice rope to make keyrings, loops for things, knotty things. It's just fun. I remember when he spliced some rope to make me a neck lanyard for my Swiss army knife. I loved it.

I have lost the ability to string a sentence together with acceptable grammar. It's Sunday night and I have so many paint fumes in my lungs there is no room for any oxygen. 

Friday 28 October 2011

Friday was filled with Firemen

This morning started with a visit from the fire safety officer. I answered the knock at the door and it wasn't just one fire safety officer but a whole lot of firemen. I was seriously puzzled... how could a talk about smoke alarms turn into such a party but ever the professional (!) I invited them all in. It turns out that the safety officer had thrown away my number (charming!) and couldn't let me know that the whole watch were joining him. As it turns out it was an amazing visit. They want to know the building inside-out so if anything terrible were to happen and should we need them they would know their way around. We also had to decide what they should save first. The ceiling (that was simple), then me, then the tea cosies... in fact when they were talking salvage and I said, "What?" and they said, "We mean have you got anything of great value in the building?" the easy answer was no. It really was interesting and reassuring that people are helping us with the safeguarding of our grade 1 listed building. And I was invited to the fire station...well, Lottie was invited to the fire station but they said I could go too!


Then Cathy came by with Felix and his partner. They run an Argentine tango group and came to see if the floor is suitable. I had asked Cathy to bring her shoes and she and Felix danced for Jenny and me - with no music. It was very powerful and very impressive. The floor is fine and so it looks like they will be dancing in The Hub soon. 
The photo doesn't do them justice - I should have videoed!
Pop in time at noon was gentle today. It always is on a Friday. John came by and he was great. He owns a garage in Exeter so I have someone to service my car. Sue popped in for a coffee and two more gentlemen - one who is interested in hiring The Hub and one who had a very flashy camera and took lots of photos. All of whom were new visitors today. Sophie came by with her little one and joined Kim, David, Lottie and I making felt badges. Kim did a great job inspiring us and Little Thurza fell fast asleep she was so relaxed.
Kim's badge (I'm wearing mine now)
We had a visit from Nino too who makes the most amazing berry tea cosies and she is going to sell them at our craft fairs. There's a photo below. Nino created the patterns herself (she also makes a blackberry one) so she is one clever lady. I just love them and I think they will be really popular.


Lovely Kim has displayed her Kimbows jewellery in The Hub. It makes the place look so lovely. Thank you Kim. 
Kimbow's jewellery (top) and Nino's teacosies (below)

Kimbows Jewellery

Thursday 27 October 2011

Who needs Vincent and Flavia?

Lottie and I are just back from picking up our Paint Pod Compact! If I am going to spend the weekend painting the old practice to restore it to it's former glory before handing it back to the landlord, I am going to do it with a gadget (and a cut price gadget from eBay at that). It looks a bit fiddly so it will probably be relished on eBay before Monday but we'll see. 


It's Kim's Kitsch Stitching tomorrow. I have been using the bag I decorated with felt flowers last week to smuggle secret pressie things for Lottie home from The Hub. Only the musical biscuit tin started playing when I knocked it against the door so that surprise was ruined. Anyway why not pop in for a cup of something and let the children play (or they could join you for a bit of stitching). We are open to everyone from noon to 1:30pm to drop by and the kettle will be on and Lottie will be our waitress. 


I am very excited about tomorrow because not only do I get to put something else in my present box after stitching group but we have some Argentine Tango dancers coming to test out the floor of The Hub so see if it is suitable. I asked them to bring their dancing shoes but apparently they can just look to see whether the floor is suitable so I had to insist that they bring their shoes. Fingers crossed for a demonstration. 


I am also meeting a local lady at lunchtime who I found on the web who makes berry tea cosies. I hope she will come and be a part of our craft fair. I may have to use the teapot tomorrow especially for her visit. 


Sleep well everyone and I hope to see as many people tomorrow as we had on Wednesday :)



Wednesday 26 October 2011

WriggleRhythms on Fridays

We have a new group starting on Friday 11th November. It is WriggleRhythms which is a sensory music group from 11-11:45am. We do lots of sensory activities from fabrics, bubbles and feathers to heuristic (problem solving, learning and discovery) activities from sign language, parachute games and lots more. It’s perfect for little ones under 18 months old. Sophie who runs the group has agreed to keep the cost down to £3 per session (£2.70 if you refer a friend) provided we are busy enough. Please let me know if you are interested by emailing me on joey.lee@sustaincare.net or ringing on 07950 961751 or contact Sophie directly on 07738 237928. 

School Friend Pops By!

It was a great day at the hub. Roberta started us off with some gentle hatha yoga. If you are interested in joining you can pop along at 9:45am next Wednesday or get in contact with me. 
The lunchtime ‘pop in for coffee’ time was fabulously busy. We had the couple from Wales who I was able to point towards crafty shops in Exeter after they had finished chatting to the man who dropped in for a coffee and a chat (he used to holiday in Wales so there was a lot to chat about). Then came Mel and two her lovely children (seriously lovely children) Theo and Lucy who drew postcards for our gallery of a kingfisher and a ying and yang symbol. Mel is a friend from school who I haven’t seen for 20 years. I didn’t sleep well last night which I hadn’t really thought about until Mel popped by and then the thought crossed my mind that if you see someone once very 20 years today isn’t really the day I would have chosen! Jane came with her knitting and needed help with the instructions. Then came two ladies for coffee who tried to help Jane as they were knitters but couldn’t so I sent Jane through to Jenny in reception and they worked it out together. Emily and Audrey came for knitting only Audrey is weeks old and so not very good yet. In popped Zoe and the kids who couldn’t stay long because they needed lunch. Then Ailsa (how do you spell that?) came by with Alan for baby signing which was a busy session. All in all that was a good day.
Lucy, Theo and Mel
Theo's kingfisher (I haven't taken a photo of Lucy's yet)
I was offered a trip out to the Cathedral to look for inspiration only I was stood up (I hope you are reading this Peter). I will get over it with the help of a large eccles cake from Town Mill Bakery in Lyme Regis. My Lottie and her aunties and cousins went for a fossil-hunting day trip there today and the telepathy worked because when we met up half an hour ago they had my very favourite eccles cake for me in a brown paper bag.
I also started ringing the magazines and newspapers to say we have arrived on the scene. 
Someone (Carol) had a brilliant idea today. We do wonderful Saturday cake and craft fairs once a month but if you or anyone you know would like to use The Hub for coffee mornings, cake sales, crafty events or anything else on the other Saturdays - I would love to hear from you. 

Tuesday 25 October 2011

Start the Week with a Sing

Halloweeny Making at the Hub

This morning Lisa turned up to run her workshop but she knew that there would be lots of Children around for half term so she put on a special halloween making workshop. The clever thing about Lisa is that she always gets the activity just right. We started by making halloween lanterns. They looked great unlit but still we sent mum off to get tea lights and I went scouring the cathedral green for a smoker so I could light one. How come you can never find a smoker when you want one? Anyway eventually I tracked down a lighter and the lanterns came to life. Brilliant. 


Then we made pompoms the traditional way and crazy halloween pompoms the unconventional way. There is a photo of Lisa giving one a haircut below. 


Jane popped by with her family and Joe got well and truly stuck into lantern-making. There were a few unladylike snatches of the paintbrush (you do it Joe, I'll blog it!!!) and then he stuck the paintbrush behind his ear so noone else could use it...men!!! Bloomin' men?!!! I'm bitter and twisted because his lantern was really good and he got a red handle!


There was a point at noon when the crafting was in full flow, the floor was covered in a carpet of tissue paper and the room looked crazy and people started flowing in for coffee time. It was lovely to have so many visitors. A life coach called Eve who popped in, Heidi from Bonjour Tonton and her Theo, Lucie (who is running Reiki workshops) and her three children and then Tom Heidi's husband as well as a steady flow of ceiling-admirers. Then a lovely family came by who had had a crazy night in a campervan in Budleigh Salterton and had a cup of tea whilst the girls played. Today had the right flow of people - it was buzzing and busy and fun. 


After the campers had set off on their way, I visited a community gardening project around the corner which I really hope we will be able to be a part of in some way. We are not sure how yet but give it time. 


Tomorrow we have a one off baby signing for little ones between 2-2:45pm. This class is usually at The Mint but The Mint isn't available tomorrow so Sophie is bringing it to The Hub tomorrow. If you would like to know more ring Sophie on 07738 237928 or just pop along. 












Tomorrow we have a one off baby signing for little ones between 2-2:45pm. This class is usually at The Mint but The Mint isn't available tomorrow so Sophie is bringing it to The Hub tomorrow. If you would like to know more ring Sophie on 07738 237928 or just pop along. 

Raffle For Macmillan

Please could all you lovely raffle ticket buyers please let me have your money as I would like to total up the money pot for Macmillan and get it all send off. 


Thank you everybody :)

Monday 24 October 2011

DreamCatchers at Noon

Today at noon we will be making willow dreamcatchers in the hub until 1:30pm. If you would like a little hideaway from the rain come and join us in the hub. It's always sunny here :)


Proper coffee and all sorts of teas are £1 each and the kettle's always on. We have biscuits too and we just ask for a donation towards the cost of materials on the making activity.  

Sunday 23 October 2011

Can You Help Sad Bunny?

I am a very sad little bunny. Joey found me outside Tesco on Exeter High Street dangerously close to the sliding doors. She picked me up and took me home but knows that my owner must be very sad without me. If my owner loved me enough to take me shopping, they must be really missing me at bedtime. Joey says nothing is impossible and maybe we can be reunited. Can you help? Love Sad Bunny x


Harmonica Mail

I had such a lovely parcel last week. Ben Hewlett, who came to talk to us about his harmonica sessions sent a harmonica through the post to go with the 'learn to play' book he left with us. I was happily free-styling on it whilst doing my early morning chores when I came face-to-face with Rach who had let herself in to collect posters for the craft fair. I thought I was all alone.


It's very addictive - it makes such a good sound and you can carry it in your pocket. I think every pocket should have one. 

Saturday 22 October 2011

Feldenkrais...Do You Know What It Is?

Feldenkrais Classes
with Klaas Overzee
at The Hub on the Green
8 Cathedral Close, Exeter EX1 1EZ
Tuesday evenings 6pm-7:30pm
Starting 1st November 2011 - 13th December 2011
£6 per session


Connecting with our potential
And moving with grace
How can we do that?
We learn how to:
  • restore balance
  • reduce effort
During these 5 weeks we will use Awareness Through Movement Lessons to explore the above topics in relation to our daily tasks, creating a “yoga” to keep ourselves well.
Learning will take place by doing easy movements with care and attention.
Please wear loose, comfortable clothing and bring a blanket to lie on.
These workshops will show you how you can begin to change the habits of a lifetime! Some of our daily habitual movements have caused us to experience discomfort and pain. Often through the speed of our actions we loose our awareness of what we are actually doing. By exploring easy and non-strenuous movements you will discover you have a choice as to how you perform daily tasks. 
I invite you to come and explore the potential of the Feldenkrais Method.  
Klaas Overzee is a group worker at Well Being and Access, part of the NHS Devon Partnership Trust in Exeter. He has been a Feldenkrais Teacher for over 20 years and has a practice in Exeter, Okehampton and Cullompton.


Friday 21 October 2011

Friday at the Hub

Someone said today that they sympathised with me (or maybe felt sorry for me) as they imagined me sitting late at night blogging away on my laptop. I like this bit. If my day was all about having a wonderful time with people and then collapsing at the end of the day to write it all  down I would be one happy bunny. In fact that is my job...but there are a few skip-loads of old office and a lot of painting and decorating to do before it is my only job. We need to get the old office looking like it did in 1991! I am hoping a lick of paint will do it. I may pop a bit of Salt 'n' Pepa on to make it feel like 1991 (I just googled Now That's What I Call Music 1991 and oh boy is that one album to put on my wish list...I have just looked on eBay and the double cassette is only £2.99 - first this this morning we freecycled the cassette player :( bother). 


Thank you to David who came in today and was great company. He drew us some fabulous cats for inspiration for our knitters. Look at these cats he found:



Anyway this week in summary:


Rachael dropped off 200 posters for our cake and craft fair on the 5th November in a 3 hour period. She deserves a medal. It's great to see them in all the shops on the high street.
Knit and natter is growing and we had two new members this week. 
We made felt decorated bags in Kim's stitching group today. 





I ordered my first skip.
We confirmed the details for Peter's Community Choir at the hub (15th & 22nd December 5:30pm start and then tuesday mornings in the new year).
Roberta started her yoga classes.
The Sustainable Health Practice has really settled in and our herbalists, acupuncturists, reflexologists, osteopaths and alexander technique teachers have done great job to move practices so brilliantly. if you would like to have a look around, next time you are in the hub just ask to go through. They are only next door. 
We have confirmed baby signing classes at the hub so if you have a little one between 0 - 18 months old and are interested in finding out more - let me know. 
Would you be interested in Tai Chi classes as it is something we have in the pipeline?


Reminders:
Yoga Babies (starting on Monday 31st October) has a couple more places.
The Craft Hub's Make and Take Club on Mondays at 4-5pm for children and their parents/grandparents/special person have a few more places.
Pop along groups are knit and natter (noon on Wednesdays) and Stitching group (noon on Fridays) but you can pop along at noon on Mondays and Tuesdays too. 





Thursday 20 October 2011

Skippity, Skip, Skip!

The Crafter Dark group at The City Gate Pub was perfect. I had such a bad headache and was utterly exhausted and wondered whether or not I should go. I wanted to see what it was all about and it was lovely. A big group of friendly ladies all sharing in something and learning to relax after whatever the day had thrown at them. Next time it will be wet felting and I am looking forward to it already.


This morning started well. Autumnal but well. Today is my day when the hub is available for people to use for the whole day if they want to so we don't have our pop up cafe time at noon. I have arranged a meeting with John Harvey (city centre manager). I have no idea what to expect but apparently there is a Princesshay Club and as we are on the fringe maybe we can join?


Simon and I did a good bit of wheeling and dealing today. What a team. We were backed up by Jenny (it was Jenny's idea to "do a deal") and we managed to knock hundreds of pounds off some furniture we wanted. I like this bartering thing. So Jenny's dispensary in the health practice is almost complete. I spent the rest of the day up to my ears in dust at the old premises. I did wrap all Simon's old tincture bottles ready to take over to the new place to put on display. One said chloroform and another poison. I don't think I should leave those lying about.


I found some gems in the old place. Everything we didn't want anymore we put on a 'take me home for free' table and it all went...the broken photocopier, the temperamental printer, the print of New York, the microwave and other bits and pieces. I had my own freecycle table.




Now you see the shelves...
...now you don't!
This was my fuel
We have our work cut out!
Remember these?


Bonfire time?!!!


Colin destroyed the dispensary - good job!
Tomorrow my skip arrives. I have never ordered a skip before. This journey is full of firsts! I have until noon to fill it and then I am back to the hub for Kim's stitching group. This week we are decorating canvas bags. If you would like to come and join us, you are more than welcome. 

And this is my new hub cat...


Wednesday 19 October 2011

Knit One, Teach Two!

Roberts started off the morning with her yoga class which she has moved to the hub.

Knit and natter was a great success. Rachael managed to teach two people to knit and sort out my slightly dodgy stitching. Tracy and Emily (with baby Audrey) were fast learners. We also has a lady who was reliving her honeymoon in Exeter in memory of her husband, Catherine who gave us great links for our crafters and another lady who loves what we were doing. I met with a nutritionalist called Hazel and plotted a bit.

Tonight I am off to crafter dark with The Craft Hub. They are going to teach me to knit a bag in a night. I wish them luck!

Klaas dropped around information on his Feldenkrais sessions for those that have been asking and Nikkie has a couple of places left on her Yoga Babies course (starting 4
31st October). Make and Take (t
The Craft Hub's after school group) from 4-5 on Monday's is filling up too so email registration@thecrafthub.co.uk for more details.

Knit one, pearl one, drop three, stiff drink, knot one, pearl one, bed. Zzzzzzzzz

Tuesday 18 October 2011

Celebrations

It's been an amazing week. We are well and truly up and running and there are moments when I know we are going to be alright (and moments where I am chasing my tail). It's the little gem moments that remind me of those cafe days when everything just worked. People felt better by being in and around the buzz of the cafe team and the customers buzzed to and things felt good. We knew that we were making people feel better and that spurred us on to do more. That way of working is infectious - you can't help being caught up in it. 


Now at the hub we are starting again in a new place with new people. I miss the cafe girls and I miss the customers but I love it that some of them keep in touch and we are finding our new 'customers'. It takes time...and that takes patience of which I have very little but having done it before I am relaxed about it. It only takes two to have a conversation, three can make it more of a party, four can be two conversations and five...well that's busy!!! We have had five or more for the last three pop-up coffee times. I am happy with that. And I am still making the coffee. 


Today a wonderful man called Peter has finalised his community choir details. There will be two pre christmas 'Sing Choirs of Angels' sessions on 15th and 22nd December so if you want to come as an alternative to Christmas shopping then pop along. Then in the new year the community choir will be meeting on Tuesday mornings at 10am (for a cup of tea) with singing starting at 10:30am. We will confirm the start date asap. If you would like us to email you when we have further details or to remind you nearer the time then let me know. That's what I'm here for. 


We are also looking into a toddler music group and a baby signing group. Again if you would like me to email you with further details let me know. 


Roberta's yoga classes start tomorrow morning and I have worked out our heating system so we should be lovely and snuggly. 


Hope to see you all soon :)

The Blog is All Quiet but the Hub Isn't!

I have gone all quiet. It's not because I have nothing to say, I am just struggling to find a time to say it. 


The Hub is picking up speed. Our Pop Up Cafe times from 12 noon - 1:30pm are picking up momentum and it is so lovely to stop for a bit in the middle of the day and have a well-earned rest. We have had all sorts of amazing people come through the door and already we have founds an artist to help Dean with a design, advice for someone else, party planners, people who used to work in the building, new mummies that are interested in courses, knitters for the group on Wednesday and I have started to get regulars! I like regulars...they must like what they find in order to come back and that's all good :)



Friday 14 October 2011

The Hub celebrated it's one week anniversary

Well the day started with my new gym routine. It is not something I signed up to voluntarily, it's just that Simon put our office on the fourth floor so I was up and down 4 times. I ran up the first time, walked up the second, and so on...


I figured out the new heating system with the help of a screwdriver. We found out that the only way to dim the lights is to remove some bulbs. I now know that you need smaller bins if you empty them more often. And I have had my first Christmas party invite! That's a Friday that is full of revolutions. 


Kim came in for Kitsch Stitching today. I was already talking to a lovely man called Charles who had popped in as someone had said it would be perfect for a meeting he wanted to hold. He stayed to chat while Kim and I started stitching. I asked him if he wanted to join in. He said he would have a go and he did. He made his very own lavender heart. The last time he sewed anything other than buttons on to his coat was when he was in the RAF. He took his heart home in his pocket with a lady friend in mind. I liked Charles. Jane also came to join us. She stitched for a bit - lapped me in heart making and then rebelled by getting out her knitting. There's a grandbaby due very soon so there was a rush to finish the second sleeve. 


Later on in the afternoon after going to collect lottie and coming back with just a set of bags and no child (due to the lure of milkshake with a friend) I met with Sarah and Ben. Ben Hewlett is an amazing harmonica player. He runs workshops for different ages, groups, purposes...and he gave me a concert - a mini one. I rang Zoe (and lottie and friends) to tell them to come over to the hub quickly. When they arrived, I asked Ben to perform again. There was audience participation and we were all grinning from ear to ear and enthralled. He's good...he's very good and he's very entertaining. If you have a meeting that needs a little je ne said quoi, or a business away day that needs a bit of something special - this is your man. He very kindly left me a book for lottie (who has just turned her room upside down looking for her harmonica with no success) so we will be harmonica-ing very soon. Bring on the blues!
Enthralled by Ben
Mesmerising









Photos of the Coffee Morning

I miss Sophie in the middle of her chocolate cake feast
and caught her when she was all cleaned up!

Lovely Coffee Morning-ers

Playing with the MegaBloks

Look I wasn't peeking when the raffle was being drawn

Thursday 13 October 2011

Did you win?

Thank you to everyone who came to our Macmillan Coffee Morning this morning and those that couldn't come but supported us by buying raffle tickets. And an especially big thank you to Sharon who inspired this morning. We raised a lot of money but as it's still coming in, I will tell you the final total soon. If you haven't heard about winning a prize, it doesn't mean you haven't-I am talking people tomorrow when I have my laptop back (I leant it to someone and am laptop-less tonight so I am a bit lost tonight).

I had a lovely day with our coffee morning-ers, and the Sustainable Health Centre were in and out of the hub today which was so lovely as we had lots of new faces. Tomorrow is Kim's Kitsch Stitching at noon and we will be making lavender hearts. Just come along. Jane and I will be there making something to put in the present box.

Sleep tight x

Wednesday 12 October 2011

Prize List

It's worth popping in to buy a strip of raffle tickets tomorrow...we have a bottle of champagne, £20 Pipers Farm voucher, 4 half hour acupressure treatments, a full reflexology treatment, a hot chocolate set, 2 mediation sessions, 2 tubes of £7.99 BioFreeze gel for aches an pains, a pudding mug, an eggcup set, a welly boot keyring, a rabbit (not real), Phoenix card and notepaper sets and probably some more. Thanks so Chris Bury, Sarah Hewlett, Roberta Hutchins, Sainsburys, Andy S, Gillian Burgess and Pipers Farm (spend your voucher on their fab scotch eggs).



Knit and Natter-tastic!


We had such a surprising morning. Sainbury's gave me lots of things for my Macmillan Raffle. The buying of raffle tickets by emailing and texting is getting really funny. I have so many orders for tickets. Thank you everyone and we have just had relaxation sessions donated too and I will put some lovely Phoenix card goodies into the prize pot. 

Rach came and ran knit and natter. Ellen came to join us and a lady called Deborah (on the right in the photo) popped in. It turns out that her grandmother used to live in the building where we have our health practice adjacent to the Hub and she first came to the hub when she was three weeks old. Then later on in her life in 1979 she came back to work in the basement for Ford Simey. I gave Deborah a tour of the building and she had such stories of grandfathers knocking trays of laps in the top bedroom, knocking kettles over and scalding her feet in the living room on the third floor, running around the garden which is now our car park and giving her mother a fight as she leapt dangerously close to the cellars as well as the now boarded up secret tunnels in the building. I do hope we see Deborah again. What a lady!

I did actually knit this week - I did four short rows all by myself! Good job me!

It is our coffee morning tomorrow from 10am-12noon for anyone who would like to pop by. I would love to see you all (as opposed to sitting alone with a stack of cake!). I am making flapjack, chocolate cake, cherry and almond cake...um...and the others will be a surprise. 

Raffle prizes are fab and tickets are £1 a strip. 

Make and Take Club on a Monday night from 4-5pm for parents and their children is filling up. Email registration@thecrafthub.co.uk for further details or to register.