Heather’s November Blog
It's Fireworks month already - though Moley hopes nobody sets any off during his shifts in the Dales shop's office, as the noise hurts his little ears. (He would like to add that loud noises should only be made by him, thank you very much...)
Speaking of which, Moley's enthusiastically applauding the fact that the Royal Oak's Sunday Roasts have returned! Take a seat in the cosy dining area and warm yourself with a roast for £12.50 and a hot drink. You'll need to pre-book by booking at the till, emailing cateringmanager@emmaussuffolk.co.uk or calling 01473 721570. (With your choice of roast: Turkey, Beef or Vegan, party size and choice of time – either 12 or 1pm.) Moley's also really happy that Emmaus have launched their Christmas Dinner Appeal again this year. You can give a donation at the Royal Oak or donate online, enabling Emmaus to provide free hot meals for homeless people.
In October, Emmaus Suffolk won some free community tickets for a showing of “Footloose” at the Wolsey Theatre. Many thanks to the theatre and also to hub coordinator Debbie, who informed volunteers about this and distributed the tickets. (Moley would have attended too, but admits he wouldn't have been able to resist climbing up on stage to join in. He does so love to have an adoring audience, especially if the cast could improvise a new song, just for him, about nap time...) This musical is set in America, in a place where the local preacher has banned dancing and popular music. His daughter, a new boy in town and their friends rebelliously set out to change things. (Moley's in favour of people singing and dancing to such catchy tunes – except for when he's asleep...) It was a fantastic show with a really talented cast, who sang classics such as the title song, “Let's Hear It For The Boy” and “Holding Out For A Hero” with great gusto. They also had great comic timing - the characters Rusty & Willard and the waitress at the diner were particularly hysterical! It was interesting that the stage musical has more songs than the film version. (Which the Dales appropriately has the dvd of! Alas for Moley, it's too high up for him to reach...) This musical was a delight from start to finish and I highly recommend it.
One Wednesday in October, gardening expert David advised that it was getting too cold for many more tomatoes to ripen. I helped untie and pull up the stakes which held up some of the tomato plants and put them away so they can be reused next year. On the Friday, as I weeded the allotment, the resident robin was having a long, loud conversation with a smaller bird. Sweetly, they flew between the trees together several times. The robin perched high up in a tree which overlooks the allotment, the Emmaus community garden and the neighbouring gardens. The smaller bird perched at the very top of the tree. They continued chattering away until the robin spotted something in a neighbouring garden and dive-bombed out of sight. (As speedy and graceful as a fighter plane – Moley wonders if maybe this robin was a Spitfire pilot in a past life? Later, when it was time for me to finish, the robin emerged onto the fence, chirping as if to say goodbye. In November, I helped pick the final beetroots and tomatoes. David said there wouldn't be any more allotment sessions now until February, as it'll be too cold to plant anything new. In the meantime, the soil is full of worms for the robins to enjoy.
Inside the warmth of the Dales shop, antiques aficionado Moley spotted Toby Jugs, a “Charles & Diana” decorative plate and a Wedgewood trinket box. He also perused a box of 50p items and boxes containing selections of wool and cotton reels. Other items included an ironing board, a Snoopy + Woodstock badge, a “Mr & Mrs” ornament and Moley-approved signs which read “Beware Of The Cat” and “A House Is Not A Home Without A Dog”. (Alongside a sign saying “Be Happy and Smile” - a motto which Moley certainly lives by.) A dvd of the “Men in Black” film tempted him as well. (“Galaxy Defender” Moley hasn't found any aliens yet at the Dales, but as he did find a tiny 2-in-1 microscope/periscope and a stargazing book, he's well-prepared, just in case...)
People have kindly continued to donate mirrors for Moley to admire himself in and he continues to be tempted by boxes which might contain food but are actually either filled with something else or are empty! (E.g. a “Camembert” box contained a set of plates – not a scrap of cheese in sight!) Not to mention, there was a large painting of some teddies dressed as pirates – Captain Moley's rather jealous of their treasure chest filled with gold...
During the November chill, bookworm Moley will have contented himself on the sofa with books about Bear Grylls, Judi Dench and Gloria Hunniford and a novel about a bookshop. Also, Michael Morpurgo's wonderful “War Horse” and the charming “Little Women”. If you're looking to continue Halloween for a little longer, there's still creepy-sounding titles such as “The Charmer”, “The Black Candle” and one of the newer Poirot novels, “The Mystery Of Three Quarters”. (Monsieur Moley's own detective skills helped him discover a pad of Stars Wars stickers and a selection of £1 items too, such as witch hats, a wig, Halloween bunting and a tray shaped like a boiled sweet. The clothing section also had a Darth Vader costume and a child's Scooby Doo costume!)
The Dales shop led up to Remembrance Sunday with lots of poppy-themed items, including a glass cake stand, a dining table set, a serving bowl and a painting. There were also women's clothes in a poppy shade of red, a souvenir jug and coaster set from Duxford Air Museum, a rubber duck dressed like a G.I. and a glass dish commemorating the 1936 Coronation of King George VI. Also, a little sweetie tin, with “Churchill” on the side. The dvd section had a great selection of war-themed films, including “The King's Speech”, as well as a set of documentaries about the RAF, Army + Navy and a set about British history. Moley was thrilled to spot a boxed “Flight Simulator”! (Just what he needs to fulfill his dream of flying, without having to leave the comfort of his own home.) Moley recently found a photo in the East Anglian Daily Times of a Suffolk Regiment in World War 2. He's very proud of these local heroes.
To fit with the Remembrance theme, I picked a book from the Dales called “Forgotten Voices of the Second World War” by Max Arthur. It consists of testimonies by men and women who lived through the war, including those who were children at the time. (Transcribed from taped interviews in the Imperial War Museum Sound Archive. The museum is well worth a visit, but its website has plenty to look at, too.) It's divided into sections for each year of the conflict: 1939-1945. Although it predominantly documents British memories, there's also some by German, Italian, American, Canadian and Polish fighters, as well as a German Jew, a journalist and an SOE agent. So it was really interesting to see how the war affected people on both sides and from various walks of life. The black-and-white photos really added to the descriptions of both warfare and life on the “Home Front”. For example, the rather chilling photo of a woman and baby wearing gas masks, along with one of RAF pilots relaxing, which belies their terrifying experiences in the air. (Just to forewarn, the book does refer to certain words and attitudes which are no longer used today. Additionally, there's some graphic descriptions of injuries, deaths and cruelty, including in the concentration camps.) The battle accounts are so detailed that you can almost feel the North African heat and the chill of the Norwegian winter. Along the way, you'll learn about such larger-than-life characters as the “Red Shadow”. Also, about the parachutists' amusing radio success signal and why the Gurkhas had such a fearsome reputation. As I enjoy war films, it was fascinating to read the real experiences of people involved in events portrayed in films such as “Dunkirk” and “Operation Mincemeat”. Moley will have been pleased to see that a dog was mentioned in the Dunkirk section! (This terrier was rescued by British troops, who named him “Kirk”.) Later on, there was also a photo of a canine mascot, “Pat”. Little details such as this were one of my favourite things about this book, as well as the way that the British eccentricities and sense of humour prevailed throughout the war. E.g. one British parachutist recalls how the Canadian members of his team played sports in their spare time in the run-up to D-Day. He affectionately contrasts this with the “not worrying, not bothering, and having a good nap while you can, of the British.” (Which also perfectly describes Private Moley's daily routine...) Though, as you will see, in battle they became very serious indeed. Therefore, the many tales of heroism and tragedy also make this door-stop sized book a poignant and heartstopping read.
Until next time, Moley's holding vigils by the poppy items. May we remember them, Heather.