Hot July brings cooling showers,
Apricots and gillyflowers.
According to wikipedia gillyflowers are carnations, which seems a little strange because in Brideshead Revisited Charles mentions the smell of the gillyflowers under his window and, nowadays at least, carnations don’t have much of a smell. Perhaps natural ones were more highly scented and, like modern roses, it’s been lost. They’re also a band but I know even less about that.
Lottery Project
I haven’t done an update on the Lottery Project for a while because, well, it’s all going smoothly, you can see what an improvement has been effected, and when things are going well it’s easy to forget about them. But on the 4th June we reached a milestone – a rather sad one to be sure – but a milestone nonetheless, when Honia’s contract came to an end. Honia has been our Project Officer since the work began 2 years ago and has overseen all the nature conservancy work, the new tomb trails, the sound trail, the churchyard walks, the moth, bat, wildflower walks – so many of the things that we’ve enjoyed so much.
Not that all this will stop. Gareth will continue to oversee the volunteer gardening groups, the volunteers will continue with the churchyard and wildlife walks and we still have a project officer at Camden – Ben Genovese – to keep an eye on the work. But they’re not Honia and it won’t be the same without her cheery smile lighting up our days. Honia’s enthusiasm carried us through all sorts of setbacks and her range of skills was prodigious. Whether it was wildflowers, birds, bees, beetles or paving surfaces she was ready to take it on. She worked in all weathers – in the most delightful wellies – sometimes cycling across London with her husband to get to us.
I think it was typical of Honia’s enthusiasm for the project that when we presented her with a small gift on her last day she was politely pleased with the gift vouchers and THRILLED with a signed copy of Christopher Wade’s book on Hampstead. And she gave us Carol Klein’s book on the personality of flowers [it’s in the vestry if you want to borrow it]. Honia’s next project is a move to Yorkshire and a new baby and we wish her and her family all the very best for the future.
Father Stephen has written about how we can use our holidays in his letter and much of what he says can be applied to stay-at-home holidays as well. Hampstead has a whole week of Summer Festival from 11th – 17th July and with London spread at our feet there’s always somewhere to go and something to see – much of it free. There are hills to toil up, ancient churches to visit [though not sadly our lovely cathedral which, if you want to see it’s newly cleaned splendour, isn’t free]. Can’t think of a way of getting a free meal but have you tried some unusual and very cheap eating places? For instance the Salvation Army cafés – one opposite BHS in Oxford Street and one at the north end of the Millennium Bridge? And we can all have a holiday from communication devices. Why not try turning off your phone, blackberry, TV, computer etc for a day or two? And if that scares you I recommend The Winter of our Disconnect by Susan Maushart [particularly if you have children]. There are things to do at church too:
Lunchtime events
Literary Hour this month features Robin Saikia reading from his Blue Guide Literary companion to London. Some of these lunchtime events are real gems – in June we were treated first to Laetitia Stott on the French Horn and then to a delightful compilation of poems and songs on the Seasons; future months offer an equally wide range of words and music. They’re designed to last under an hour, there’s no charge [though always a retiring collection for you to show your appreciation] and you can come and go as time allows. In August we have a concert on 3rd and ‘Poems of Daring Do’ on 17th.
Hampstead Players
The Winter’s Tale starts on 7th for 4 performances here and then one in Pimlico on 10th. John Willmer wrote about it last month and details of performances and prices can be found elsewhere in this issue.
Flower Workshop
There’s another Flower arranging workshop on 13th July at 2.30. This one is going to cover the basics of how to prepare your pot and your flowers and how to make it all stay together. Details on page 27. Plans for the Festival in 2012 are growing and gradually becoming clearer – our biggest challenge at the moment is finding the money. If you have any useful contacts please let us know, whether they’re people or organisations that might give us some money or someone with fund-raising skills who could join the committee.
Other events
Churches Together in Hampstead are having their annual picnic on 17th July and details of that too can be found further on.
We’re still hassock mending through the summer though the August one has had to be moved to the second Wednesday and we could still do with more helpers. It’s pleasant in the church in summer and if the weather gets really hot, we can always say ‘It’s cooler inside’.
Whatever you do, whether you go away or stay at home, have a good summer and if you hate it all take comfort in the Bard:
“Summer’s lease hath all too short a date” *
July and August
Judy East