April
Belated Easter greetings! The Emmaus team wish you a good April and hope the sun continues to try breaking through the clouds. I expect Moley is “full of the joys of Spring”, in his own very laid-back, regal sort of way. He loves to smell the Spring flowers and hopes you get the chance to as well. (He'll be less impressed by the “April showers”, but at least that means he can stay indoors and relax. The Emmaus shops, hubs and Royal Oak cafe also provide space to relax – for both dogs and their owners. Last week, a lovely Labrador came into the Dales shop and enjoyed watching me hoover the carpet!)
If you're planning some Spring cleaning, the Dales shop sells a range of eco-refills, such as washing-up liquid and eco all-purpose cleaner. Moley recommends their lovely, fresh smell.
The Dales got ready for Easter with two Easter-themed teapots on sale, as well as a chocolate Easter Egg-mould kit and a hen-shaped doorstop. Also, if you look on the Emmaus Suffolk Facebook page, you'll see photos of how the Carr Street shop and the Royal Oak celebrated Easter. The Carr Street photos show a lot of beautiful Easter decorations, handmade by hub attendees. (All on sale in the window there for a donation.) Plus, the photos of the display tube at the Royal Oak reveal that it filled up well with the beautiful Easter Egg tokens which I mentioned in the March blog. These were hand-painted by hub attendees too. Moley is very impressed with all their hard work! These tokens represent all the donations already given (at the Royal Oak), which will provide hot meals to the people Emmaus Suffolk supports. Many thanks from the team (including Moley) to the hub attendees and to everyone who has generously made a donation. It says that an amazing £336.10 was raised! Moley sends his cuddles! He's also found out online that egg decorating began some centuries ago and that the idea of the Easter Bunny leaving eggs (initially painted ones) began in Germany, with the “Easter Hare”. Choccie eggs, on the other hand, were started by Fry's in 1873. (Moley wishes that dogs were able to eat chocolate – it just smells so good!)
As for April Fool's Day, Moley likes to pretend that he hasn't had his lunch yet – even when the crumbs left in his food bowl suggest otherwise!
For those who also own/wait upon a dog, you can treat him or her to a smart food bowl/water bowl from the Dales shop, as these get donated there quite a lot. There's currently a dog-bone shaped one! Whereas cat owners/staff may like to honour their feline by purchasing the cat-shaped teapot, the cat-themed table mats or the set of tiny sleeping cat ornaments. Additionally, the book section currently has a guide to puppies and a book by Dr. Noel Fitzpatrick. (TV's “The Supervet”.)
The Dales is also already full with everything you need for preparing for either a summer holiday or enjoying the summer at home or in the park. Some camping chairs recently got donated and there's a large selection of suitcases on sale. You can also find picnic basket sets, children's water bottles, sun hats, jackets, shirts, skirts, dresses and floral tops. By the suitcases there's a large teddy, wearing a straw hat, just waiting to join somebody on their travels.
When I attended this week's Tuesday hub at the Dales, I enjoyed doing some colouring and trying another of their free paninis – a delicious ham + cheese one. Other available activities included a puzzle and Yahtzee. Volunteers also join in during their breaks – this time one volunteer had a sit down and a chat with everyone. She told me that she enjoys the company there at the Dales.
At the Emmaus allotment in March, there was quite a bit of weeding to do. Fellow volunteer David also pulled up the rest of last year's cabbages and beetroot. (Sadly, last year's weather meant that most of the cabbages and beetroot didn't grow properly enough for eating, so they've gone on the compost heap.) The broad bean shoots are getting taller and growing little flowers. David (who's a gardening expert) replanted last year's onions and turned over the soil around them. He said that planting could start in April. Many thanks to staff member Emma for ordering seeds for planting.
The Dales shop sometimes gets plant pots donated, as well as gardening books and garden decorations. There's currently a pair of hanging baskets too. For rainy days, however, you can also find baking equipment, cake stands, puzzles, stationery and craft supplies, including knitting needles and sewing patterns. There's also some packs of plain white greeting card-sized envelopes – 50p each. Antiques enthusiasts can sometimes find Toby jugs, Royal Family memorabilia and clocks, etc. And if you love sitcoms, the shop has previously had David Jason's autobiography and an ornamental “Last of the Summer Wine” - themed plate. Popular authors like Philippa Gregory and Frederick Forsyth are also on sale for bookworms, plus a book for football fans about Alex Ferguson.
A couple of reminders from Moley – there's no longer a retail section at the Royal Oak and the Dales shop no longer has a children's section. But if you have a good look, you might find things dotted around the Dales for both children and the young at heart. E.g. there's been a “dinosaur excavation kit”, a soft toy cheeky monkey, a “High School Musical 2” puzzle and family films on DVD. Children's books are sometimes available in the same area as the other books – Moley recently spotted a copy there of Roald Dahl's “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, which is just as much fun for adults as it is for children! (It didn't contain a Golden Ticket, but whenever Moley's around, you might just win the opportunity to bask in his presence!)
My second pick from the Dales shop's bookshelves to review is a non-fiction one - “Peaky Blinders: The Real Story” by Carl Chinn. (Whose own ancestors included a peaky blinder.) If you're a fan of the TV series “Peaky Blinders”, this book gives a lot of historical background to the programme's storylines. Therefore, there are many descriptions of violence, including against women and the police. The incidents mentioned were at times upsetting to read about, though it also makes clear that most working-class “Brummies” of the time weren't involved and that it was scary for them to live alongside the gangs. (Moley reckons the peaky blinders might have been less angry if they'd taken more naps.) The series creator is also apparently descended from real life “peakies” - the Sheldon brothers, who partly inspired the fictional Shelbys. Whilst some real female peakies (recognised by their long fringes) inspired the formidable character of Aunt Polly. As I started watching from the penultimate series onwards, I liked reading about other characters from the earlier series too and what certain ones were like in real life, such as Darby Sabini. I also found the old photos, testimonies and newspaper extracts really interesting - one photo shows the real-life Garrison Tavern. And I enjoyed finding out the similarities and differences between the series and real life, e.g. their haircuts and outfits. (Appropriately, in March, the Dales shop happened to have a “Peaky Blinders”-style hat on sale!) As little Moley will have sat this review out to hide behind a cushion, I've chosen a gentler read for next time. (“By order of” Moley...) In the meantime, he's going to catch up on the hour of sleep he missed when the clocks went forward!
All the best this Spring, Heather.