What shall we do tonight ?

Hebden Bridge continues to impress me.

This week we went to a Folk Roots festival at the Trades Club, we saw the amazing David Tennant performance in the live beamed Richard II from Stratford upon Avon and have just returned from a showing of a great little film called “ Sunshine on Leith”, based around the music of the Scottish band, The Proclaimers. ( It is one of those charming little films that has you smiling all the way through, apart from the bits when you are in tears).

 

Hebden Bridge Picture House

The live RSC showing at the local cinema was brilliant. Apart from the actual production of Richard II, and the glorious David Tennant, the cinema was packed to the gills. It is a community owned cinema, and the money raised by the showing will be a great help.

The showing of Sunshine on Leith was one of the cinema’s Thursday morning sessions. Again, the cinema was packed. Tea and biscuits  are also included in the Thursday morning price. Tea and cake are always available.....so much better than coke and pop corn ! ( I do have to admit that wine was available to accompany Richard II......and that was an excellent idea )

On Saturday we are going out for a meal in Hebden Bridge, with friends, and struggled to decide which restaurant to book...especially as a new Italian place opened today. We decided on the local Turkish restaurant....we’ll wait to try the new Italian till next week.

On Friday, the Hospice shop, where I now volunteer, is holding a “Glam and “Glitz” night, unveiling the Christmas stock. I’ve just been baking chocolate chip cookies to contribute to the available nibbles. I suspect there will be lots of gorgeous home made nibbles created by the very loyal and dedicated bunch of volunteers. I don’t expect the Glam and Glitz night to be quite as thrilling as Richard  II, but I’m sure it will be good.

 

Mark tells me he has just booked tickets to see Dick Gaughan at the Trades Club in a couple of weeks, and we’re going to see the RSC’s Frankenstein in December too ( another cinema trip)

There is just so much to do in this tiny little town.

 

Having a purpose.

Recognising that just “being alive” is no longer enough, I have started to put some structure back into my life. This means that after a year of no commitments, apart from Drs appointments, I have decided that I want some structure back.....some things that mean I have to get up, get dressed, go out, see people etc.

Being ill can be a very selfish....no, self centred, activity......and the time has come for me to stop having the world revolve around me.

So...... yesterday, after a gym session ( I can still be a bit self centred....I want to be as fit as I can be ! ) I went to spend an hour in our local hospice charity shop. I met the manager and 2 of the volunteers, and “worked” for an hour, learning about sorting bags of donations, stock coding, and pricing. I’m not allowed on the till until my references have been checked out, but I can get on with anything else that needs doing.

I am very excited about it. I sorted the book display out......getting all the cookery books on one shelf, tidying the biography section, the travel section, the sports section and putting the fiction back into some semblance of alphabetical order.

A customer asked me if the poetry books were in and amongst the fiction..... and then as an after thought, she asked me if I worked there.... I told her as I’d only worked there for 20 minutes, I didn’t know the answer, but I would happily help her look through the muddle to see what we could find. (Note to self: establish a poetry section).

I also suggested that a lady who wanted a book about Gran Canaria, change her holiday plans as we had a good selection on Australia.....she did laugh, honestly.

I chatted with a woman who bought some curling tongs, which we decided, upon examination, were brand new, as a protecting piece of card was still attached to the plug.

I priced a couple of blouses, a belt and a pack of teaching resources aimed at 5 year olds. ( I then bought the pack to give to Jess to use on her teaching practice ! ) You will be pleased to know that I sought advice as to how much to charge for the pack, and then added a further 50p, so I could not be seen as pricing something I wanted to buy, too cheaply !

I loved it. I loved the customers I spoke to, I loved the idea of previously owned and loved items being given a new lease of life, and I loved the idea that the hospice benefits with every sale.

I want to work on display, on marketing special events, on supporting some of the older, more frail volunteers, and on getting to know the regulars, the occasional shoppers, and on promoting the work of this brilliant little shop.

I cant wait for next week, when I will be working my first proper shift, 11-4 on Sunday, and then 10 -1 on Monday. My aim is to work at least a couple of shifts a week, and I have no idea where this will take me, but I know it’s going to be fun.

Jess, at the race for Life in Liverpool earlier this year.....purposeful, full of passion and having fun.......Life is good. Lets have more of it !