the village

ok, ok, i swear this is the last coffee morning i will write about! in future i will spin wild tales of drunkenness and debauchery...;-)

sl and myself decided we would grace the BRICC coffee morning with our presence. the function was being held downstairs...so, i did not have far to go.

during one of my smoke breaks, on the verandah the night before, i had glanced into Downstairs. the room looked beautiful, tables set for four, beautiful white tablecloths, china and silver and each table with a small vase of daffodils.

I was learning to appreciate the village coffee mornings! for a mere £1.50 a person is entitled to sit themselves down at a table groaning with delicious home baked edibles and be served endless cups of tea or coffee.this saturday we were doubly spoiled as there were fresh baked scones and homemade strawberry jam...yumdelicious!

of course, there are also tables with goodies for sale and the inevitable raffle...
but... am i complaining.
uh..uh, no way, after nearly sixty years of purchasing raffle tickets...to no avail...lady luck avoided my company as astutely as a summer fly avoids the swatter.
now suddenly, here...in this village...i am spoiled with the winning force. so far i have won a coffee mug and a hot water bottle. easter saturday... Downstairs...
i out did myself and came home with a bottle of bubbly and a very nice chardonnay.

Although Downstairs is used as a meeting place for various clubs, boards etc... it continues to feel like a well loved home. saturday the villagers turned out in force, it was cold and windy outside and inside we were warm, cosy and well fed. I felt it for the first time, the village heart beat...
the feeling of belonging, being part of something more, a sense of inclusion in a large extended family.