Welcome to March’s Newsletter
A word from Christine
Hi Everyone
Hopefully this will be our last Newsletter before being able to open some of our groups. It certainly won’t be the last Newsletter though. We will continue to keep in touch and let everyone know what’s happening.
We are able to start some small groups under the rule of 6 starting on 29th March. They will have to take place outside and because of the restricted numbers allowed places will have to be booked. As you all know this is completely alien to our usual practice of opening our doors and welcoming everyone and anyone. We long to get back to that but I’m afraid it will be a little time yet.
We are hoping for a great summer as the majority of our groups and activities will take place outside. We have been planning and plotting for this.
Some of the first groups we will get going are ‘talk and walk’ session. These enable us to meet up in a local park or safe space and have a good chat about what we want to do next and how we are looking forward to getting back to normal.
Dan and Ken have been busy putting up our wonderful new poly tunnel at the allotment. It’s huge, 12 ft x 25ft so there is plenty of space and shelter. We are planning Therapeutic Gardening groups, Arts and Craft Activities, Cooking and lots of other activities this year at the allotment.
We want to plant lots of fruit, vegetables and flowers we can all enjoy. It’s a proven fact that just being out in the fresh air and enjoying nature is more effective at improving our mood and health than anything. After this last year I think we can all do with a bit of TLC. So even if you have never been interested in gardening your more than welcome to come, enjoy a cuppa, sit in the sunshine and have a natter.
At present we are been told by the Government that if all goes well Community Centres can re open on 12th April. We still have to comply with lots of health and safety to ensure that activities are Covid safe and we don’t put anyone at risk.
Wherever possible our groups will start but will be outside. We have two large events tents we can use to keep everyone comfortable. Again we will have to follow Covid guidelines to keep everyone safe. We can’t simply open the doors and all flood in no matter how much we want to.
We will be looking at arrangements for people to be able to safely access the computers for job search as soon as we can.
The lunch club will continue to be delivered to people for now.
This may not be how you imagined us re opening but we hope that by doing things carefully and making sure we keep people safe we can move back to normal steadily before the bad weather next winter. We prefer to go slowly rather than risk another lockdown and been forced to close the doors again.
We can’t wait to see you all; we really want to get back to working from the Centre and seeing you all face to face as soon as we can. We are fed up of working from home and thank you all for sticking with us during this very difficult time.
Believe me as soon as it’s safe to do so we will be celebrating with a party.
So for now let’s stick together and take one step at a time. We are looking forward to seeing you very soon. We will let you know when things are starting and how to book your place. In the meantime if you have any questions just get in touch. Stay safe, stay strong, we are nearly there. Summer is on its way.
Irene’s bun recipe
Volunteer Irene has kept people smiling through lockdown by baking each week for us to take out with our Lunch club on wheels deliveries. Here she shares her basic bun recipe with us
Ingredients
100g/4oz Self raising flour
100g/4oz margarine or 4 tablespoons oil
100g 4oz Sugar
2 Medium eggs
Method
Cream the margarine and sugar together until light and fluffy
Beat the eggs and add to the mixture a little at a time alternating with a little flour folded in, keep doing this until it is all blended
Put in bun cases on a tray- it will make 12-14
Place in the oven gas mark 4 or 180c for 25-30 minutes
* You could add some flavouring like orange or lemon zest or a small amount of fruit
Jeans fruit scones
Another of our bakers Jean has shared her recipe for fruit scones, if you prefer them plain just leave the fruit out.
Ingredients
· 8oz self raising flour
· Pinch of salt
· 2oz butter or margarine
· 1oz caster sugar or splenda
· 4oz of dried fruit
· Milk to bind and glaze
Method
· Oven on at gas mark 7
· Combine flour and salt in a bowl
· Sieve into a mixing bowl
· Rub in butter
· Add sugar and mix
· Add fruit
· Stir in some milk, just enough to bind
· Take mixture out on to a floured surface and flatten use your hand not a rolling pin
· Using a cutter cut into rounds
· Place on a none stick baking tray and glaze the tops with milk
· Bake in middle of oven for 10 to 15 minutes
Syds Quiz part 2
How did you do with Syds quiz in our last issue? Here are some more questions for you to try.
1. What is the longest river in France?
2. Name the capital city of the Netherlands?
3. Over which territory in France is there a Prince?
4. What is the Capital of Mexico
5. What honour was bestowed on Malta in WW2?
6. Where would you find Madagascar?
7. Who does Montserrat belong to?
8. What is the longest river in China?
9. How many feet in a Fathom?
10. What is the Island State south of Australia?
Answers on the last page
Dan’s Top Gardening Tips For March
March is one of the busiest months in the gardening world. Everything starts to wake up and so should you!
I would leave your plastic sheets on the beds for a few weeks more (we are a few weeks behind the garden shows and tips from darn sarf)
If you haven’t started your Tomatoes inside do it now, onions and beans too and in a few weeks time chillies, cucumbers, lettuce and broccoli.
It’s your very last chance to plant garlic now. I find it’s a good time to split herbs and rhubarb and anything else rooty.
Time to chit those potatoes.-What is chitting you may be asking?
Chitting is where you allow potatoes to grow sprouts before planting this gives them a head start, which for the ones of us that are impatient means a shorter time to wait for the crop. Chitting can also allow for better crop. So if you have any potatoes sprouting in your veg basket don’t throw them, plant them!
You can join our Friends of the Allotment WhatsApp group for more advice and ideas, just get in touch
Poets corner
A poem by an unknown American Poet in the 1960s, sent to us by artist Richard Mort who told us ‘I speak with paint not with words ‘
Spring has sprung
The grass is rizz
I wonders where the birdies is
The bird is on the wing
But that’s absurd
The wing is on the bird !
Here is a poem by Kim Clay that she wrote during lockdown
Stamp your feet as you walk the beat
Walk on walk on
Walk on walk on
The centre's shut
But we're in luck
There groups galore
And plenty more
Walk on walk on
Walk on walk on
Soon we’ll meet
We won't be beat
Walk on Walk on
Walk on walk on
We won't be beat
As we walk the Street
Walk on walk on
Walk on walk on
Syds quiz answers
1. Loire
2. Amsterdam
3. Monaco
4. Mexico City
5. George Cross
6. Indian Ocean off Mozambique
7. UK
8. Yangzi
9. 6 Feet
10. Tasmania
How can you get in touch?
Phone, send a letter, email or ask someone you trust to contact us for you.
Christine: Christine.westend@outlook.com 07853240809
Fran: fran.westend@outlook.com 07743687053
Kathryn: Kathryn.westendcentre@outlook.com 07592003595
A big thank you to everyone who contributed to this Month’s newsletter.
If you would like to contribute to our next Newsletter please get in touch.