About half past ten last night I took a walk in the garden. It was that twilight time, the sky was clear and a shade of blue grey. There wasn’t a breath of wind and not a sound. And then the smell hit me, night stock white and purple, pure as the driven Snow White lilac, blood red rhododendron, and thriving tomato plants. Some one once said ‘nearer God’s heart in a garden’. I got a seat and enjoyed the experience. Smell is so important, just a whiff can bring back memories good and bad but when it’s good it’s very very good, like last night.

This morning brought another memory, an outside water tap that wouldn’t turn off so there was the doubtful pleasure of seeing and hearing and trying to divert the Nigeria Falls. Thank goodness for Francis and Tom who came to the rescue, no water at the moment, tap on the way, cup of tea in the offing! Just another day!

Holby City cast ‘only told of cancellation an hour before the public’

So Holby City is coming to the end of its run. After 23 years the needles will blunt and the batteries on the life support will flicker and die and I won’t miss any of it. Recently the acting has become very stayed, not easy for them I grant you with social distancing and masks the minute the camera swings away. But we won’t miss them altogether, there’s always Casualty; apparently both programmes are set in the same hospital something I didn’t realise although I watch both, so perhaps there will more interaction between the doctors and nurses.

I hope it works out for all the actors who obviously were treated very badly with the announcement, they must be shocked and terrified they won’t get work in the future. That’s the problem with long term parts in long running soaps, you become identified with the role and often can’t get away from it. Will Adam Woodyatt be anyone but Ian Beale, will William Roache be able to take on any other character than Ken Barlow.

Hugh Quarshie, who played the role of Ric for 19 years

Hugh Quarshie said that the cast were “reeling too” from the news.

“My understanding is they only found out an hour before released to the press – so no one saw this coming,” he said. It’s sad that an organisation like BBC so respected for so long should suddenly become horrid and dishonourable yet these actors will keep turning in the best performances possible under such a cruel blow.

Apparently a petition is being launched asking the BBC to reconsider terminating Holby but that won’t do any good, surely by now everyone knows BBC doesn’t do reconsidering. Nor, I bet, will they change their minds about the licence fee.

Everything from a needle to an anchor. 

That used to be the boast of old fashioned hardware shops, they carried all manner of goods long before shops specialised.  St. Vincent de Paul is a bit like that, maybe not a needle nor an anchor but a lot else.

It’s a great relief that charity shops are open again, people depend on them for giving items that are no longer wanted or, more importantly, to buy items that are necessary but the budget is limited.  

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But what do such shops want?  I visited the North Regional office and thriving shop where I met Brendan McKernan, chair of the regional retail committee.  It was  a fascinating chat.

I wanted to know if they are snowed under with donations now that  people are out an about again.  “We had an abundance of clothes offered after the first lockdown, especially difficult as we have to quarantine everything for 72 hours before they go into the shop, so it has built up.  However, it’s a quick turnover when the shop is open and this time we are coping better and we welcome donations.” He explained that with the lockdown  people  going shopping for new clothes has been very limited, most are holding on to what they have so there is not the same volume of donations coming in. 

Should clothes be in good repair and washed and ironed?  Clean yes but not necessarily ironed was the reply as everything is steamed before going onto the rails.”  They do not sell damaged clothes so what happens if a bag contains items that are not fit for the rails?  “Don’t worry!  We’ll take everything and what we can’t use,  rather than going to land fill and to fulfil our green credentials,  we’ll sift through and send anything unsuitable to a recycling company.  Some material items will go to Third World, rags will be shredded and whereas once they were excellent for car seat padding they are more often today treated and use for sound proofing, for soft areas in indoor adventure playgrounds and mattresses.   We’d appreciate it if people put damaged clothes and bedding into a separate bag and marked it recycling, saves us some time.”

Although the shop network has only existed for the last 30 years, this charity has been on the go in Ireland since Famine times in the early 1840s and the first  Northern conference, as groupings of staff and volunteers are called, was established  in Enniskillen in 1846 to support those struggling for food and the basic necessities of life,  still the same ethos today.

Sum Up What You Do.  

“We do what’s needed.  Our whole purpose is to look at what is needed.  We visit hospitals, homes and families, we’ve pensioners groups and holiday homes.” They run social events, visit prisons and hold educational programmes.  “Most important is our home visitation which has been difficult during isolation.”  But not impossible.  With video and voice calls they keep in touch with families and those living on their own.  At Christmas, rather than leave people alone and unhappy, some volunteers took stools and went from home to home and talked through the window and left gifts.  “There’s so much isolation we want to be a good neighbour.”

Of course it’s not only clothing in the shops, books and brick-a-brac, furniture, soft furnishing are all there to browse through.  Books are interesting and there are thousands of them in the 33 outlets in Northern Ireland. “Volunteers are experienced in what to look out for, we had a first edition recently which was valued at £400 so we’re all watching for a first edition Harry Potter!”  A farmer brought in a full tea set of Royal Dalton because, before she died, his wife made him promise the china would go to St. Vincent’s as he would have no need for it!   It made £200 which was enough for a bed and bedding for a child.  Often a young couple will arrive wanting to furnish their first home but without enough money to go shopping in town and city stores.   Here they can find the works, beds and tables, plates and duvet covers, from sofas to milk jugs.  Even little children can find the perfect doll to bring home and love. 

 

How Is Pricing Arrived At?  

In city centre shops prices might be higher than out of town in order to cover expenses.  In smaller outlets prices are appropriate to the area.  Again it’s all about balance, if someone comes in and buys all round them, maybe a landlord furnishing a number of flats, although that is not what St. Vincent’s is there for,  any money made will be ploughed back into the charity and the vital work they do.  

Is there anything they don’t want?

“Electrical goods, cookers, televisions, shades but not lamps and car seats for instance as we have no way of testing and we can’t take any furniture which does not carry a fire retardant label.”  

Above all, St. Vincent de Paul is a caring organisation, no matter your beliefs or your background.  Many customers call a couple of times a day to browse and to chat, they consider the charity part of their family and the same goes for those who run the charity, about 2500 volunteers throughout Ireland and more are welcome as long as they are over 16.

The Society of St Vincent de Paul is a vast organisation and the Yearbook 2020 has just been published and goes into detail.  These can be picked up at any shop.  If you wish to talk to someone about your situation, advice on benefits for instance or financial difficulties or to find out where your nearest shop is, phone the regional office at 028 90 351561.  More details at www.svp.ie