SEVEN

By Mary

In March, the Drop-in service at Round Chapel, Old School Rooms took addresses, where possible, of our guests so Urban Table (marking 15 years) could become a delivery-only service. Throngs of volunteers came forward to enable increased provision and home deliveries. It has been truly inspiring to see this welling up. Some coordinators have carried the lion’s share in time & effort and continue to do so. 👏👏👏 And some volunteers find doing UT THE only (socially distanced) activity they do and hugely enjoy it. 

(I’ve secretly wanted to do something with a soup can for years. Thanks, AW.)

In times of loss particularly, the natural world can offer restoration that quietly builds on the inside. We are more fundamentally connected to it than busy lives can let us know. I found out recently that phytoncides, produced by some plants and trees, increase the number and activity of a type of white blood cell so our immunity is built up also. Mind, body, spirit.

Yellow socks show solidarity with young people, many of whom have felt lonely during the pandemic. They shout out ‘Lonely but not Alone’.

Who could have known that 00 lager would be so good and replace - at times, at times I say - 🍷

(The ‘can’ thing was catching!)

Many neighbours are around and working from home. We see one another lots and it feels like a real community here. Some have become friends, one even donating £s to cover nearly 1000 UT meals.

I’ve wanted to read ‘A Time of Gifts’ by Patrick Leigh Fermor for over twenty years. During a lockdown clear-out, someone left it in the lobby to take. It is a remarkable work of poetic beauty and erudition which traces a journey on foot from the Hook of Holland to Esztergorm in northern Hungary (on route to Constantinople, covered in a second book) by a nineteen-year-old Englishman in 1934. Books take you places and it was amazing to read it this year when travel has been limited.

My adopted dog changed my life! She is highly social and can run up to 40mph. During lockdown, I couldn’t but meet lots of lovely humans - socially distanced of course! We’ve kept one another laughing, every day for months. And in the absence of human hugs, Lotte gets a lot.