Jan Dewhurst

12th September 2006

Back from 2 weeks at Walsingham helping in The Shrine bar and cafeteria.  The shrine is a world of upstairs downstairs and I was definitely with the downstairs lot.  Very exciting and yet comfortable with my colleagues and wonderful to be working alongside people again instead of puzzling things out on my own.  It has made me rethink many things and I have made some decisions that may mean yet another change of direction.

On  a brilliant note one of my neighbours just told me she is training at "The Hoxton Apprentice" which we visited on our first nervy week at SSE.  She just loves it and I am hoping she can stick with it.  She told me today she was meeting Cherie Blair!! Well done Halima I say and I am hoping we will be invited to her graduation!

Wednesday 23rd August

Its been a long time since the last post. me and John have been on holiday starting at great friend Mary Nawal's in Staffordshire and ending there.  But in the three weeks in between we have seen Scotland and Blackpool.  Highlights were the whisky tastings, Castle of Mey, a fantastic dinner at The Old School house restaurant in Caithness.the islands of Iona and Mull and Tescos scones with cream and jam.  And being with John and not arguing too much, spending time with Mary and meeting John's new baby nieces and nephews.  The downside is three kilos on in weight on a supposed walking holiday and as a result less mobility and sciatica. 

A lot of sadness too.  Debs funeral was held while I was away.  We had dialysis treatment side by side for a few years and knew each other as well as anybody could know a person.

28th July 2006

Summer Project has started with volunteers from Chad's Chums taking young people to the theatre.  I took 4 to see "Footloose"in the west end. No air conditioning on the hottest night of the year meant fidgeting children and one of our YP saying she would prefer to see "The Crucible" which is their GCSE play- it felt like we were in a crucible it was that hot.  Best part of the evening was ice creams at11 pm at McDonald's Liverpool street- in the lights around us and the cooler air with ourYP was so very rewarding

The next day our  next door neigbours wedding meant the normal preparations- 2 raids by the police, the bridegroom threatened with arrest, rows with the neighbours upstairs over a dropped mobile phone, police helicopters overhead- then today the ceremony with a huge hall, lavish Bangladeshi food and not a dried up sausage roll in sight. The honeymoon is in Shadwell- yes that right and we are helping host the wedding party by lending our our front garden as an overspill area.  Life in Bethnal Green is always interesting.  Son's birthday and he and girlfriend took a day off work and joined our neighbours for the meal.  Tonight one of my best friends Mary is staying and she is heping me with my work- very very encouraging

Thursday 20th July

sweltering heat today and a walk with friend Joyce to Amnesty HQ for the SSE awards ceremony. We both live within walking distance and did not realize all that was near.   The ceremony was interesting but far too long.  It was maybe the last time I would see someone I liked very much so it seemed a bit sad really.  Then a meeting with our great project worker and - learning from SSE I briefed her on the philosophy behind the project which she understood immediately- before SSE i would have just assumed she could read my mind or most likely not bothered at all. 

Monday 17th July

3 more steps today.  booked the double decker and minibus for the summer programme.  Then a long talk with the V and A about our banner workshop. The director of the programme is  willing to help us put our logo on a banner instead of the islamic ones which are the theme of the day!  Brilliant person who loves our name and ideas.  Visited a scrap project which has all we need for the collage so will sign up for that.

Yesterday our group had a go at some more songs with Alice and Joan and the most unlikely children did the best. Slowly we are getting on

Friday 14th July

just getting on with my project a bit more.  Met someone very important to its success on Wednesday night for a lovely meal which was a present for me.Heassured me he would help in any way to constitute Chad's Chums and help make it viable.  ALS was great before because I begin to realize that I don't listen to what people are telling me and I am just going to be more careful. Lots of stories of people getting on and having interesting times.  Also met a prospective MP on a day when the conservative leader was in our building.  It felt as if we had been banished to the park- good job it was a fine day.

Yesterday I met my colleagues for a meeting which just coincided with a line dancing class.  Made a contact who said she would get me some dances to some prayers and chants that we can teach the children.  It sounds dreadfully  naff I know but we all love this sort of thing ( I think)

Tuesday 11th July

We had a terrific meeting last night of the church council which includes Chad's Chums.  Our priest was in brilliant form and we had a mass for the feast day of St Benedict who started an order.  We're not all that good at an ordered way of life ourselves. Two people had produced 2 lists of people for a coach trip to Clacton- we may have seventy or eighty people for a 52 seat coach.  Half the names are illegible,some people are on both lists and worse still is no-one has paid a penny!  And it seems Clacton is THE place to be on a Thursday in August- I wonder if I am missing something about Clacton.  What I can guarentee is my wandering around the town on said day carrying bundles of coats, bags, "minding" money and asking myself a fellow ALS members question "why?"

This morning I had had the dubious distinction of failing the GP referral fitness class at my local gym.  My instructor said I had not established a routine and did not follow instructions.  So the gym pass I was hoping to get as a reward is not coming my way as she wants me to repeat the course- this time following instructions instead of going far too hard for ten minutes then leaving exhausted after half an hour and waddling home. She is absolutely right.  But then I did meet some women at the gym who had lost a lot of weight and were fit after serious illnesses- they were busy queuing up to "share a personal trainer" at £40 a month.  But when I saw the trainer i could see why....

Monday 10th July

Yesterday spent the day teaching Sunday school and then looking again at the  holiday programme.  Thinking on an ALS members advice of going for cameras instead of camcorder int he project and wrote to the lottery fund to ask if that was okay.

Today have a meeting about all sorts of things- mostly with church people its all a bit annoying with all the details but noticed the intentions for the Mass is " those who want to help" so it seems a bit bad to complain.  John is stuck at Holyhead with his truck and I get some wrong calls in the middle of the night while a 16 year old  boy lies drunk on our garden bench outside the front door.  Its his 16th birthday and he is no Euan Blair. He looks as if he might be in a coma- friends tell me has has drunk malibiu and brandy but when I say I think I ought to go and get his mum he comes round and staggers off. 

Saturday 8th July

yesterday contacted a likely artist for my summer scheme as decided there is not enough money fr filming but have to have a collage,  Waiting for Eamon to phone me.

Yesterday was the anniversary of the London bombings and found thyself competing with daughter as to whowas nearest last year  being blown to Kingdom Come. Afterwards had to meet someone at Vauxhall so the tube seemed a bit more edgy than usual - perhaps my imagination then back by bus through Westminster to see people queuing for church- a very odd sight.  Then round our way even more people rushing for Friday prayers at the mosque while local churches seemed grimly begging for people to come in and care about them.

Now Saturday and a bit of mourning over a bereavement- no, a lot of it- friend phones up and assures me that Johnny Depp and seeing the film will help.  I'm going but I know it wont help.  There are some things no church building or pirate in the Caribbean can wipe out....

Thursday 6th July

Just went to Happy computers for some training paid for by Scarman but it all went wrong when the course I signed for meant to me the equivalent managing in computer a project equal to building the Thames Gateway with old Prescott keep coming in demanding things,  It was horrible and I was on the wrong course.  Came out a bit deflated but lucky me friend Fiona was in town and she has booked a box to see Billy Eliot tonight so that shows how lucky I am.

Yesterday we had a really good time at SSE and very privileged to meet James from "Changing Faces" and Veronica from Timebank.  I would never normally meet people like that

might take up ballet and ditch the computer after tonight...