Rainy Days and Summer Haze

at William Morris Specialist Provider - Eastington

William Morris Summer Fayre

Saturday morning, bright blue skies splashed with heavy looking white and grey cumulus clouds – “we might just make it” muttered the hard pressed Interim Manager of marketing William Morris, as he heaved another sheaf of summer grass off the back field in preparation for the annual summer fayre parking fest.  

Gazebos up, stall tables in place, grass cut, and roses blooming to order.  A chance to show Eastington that we’re still here and still part of the community. He began to tick off a mental list: Bric-a-brac stall, jewelry stall, Canine Partners - doggy support stall all paws in line, BBQ ready to go, café stocked with cakes and goodies, the ’love reggae’ band was tuned up, Community Orchard gang in place, Canal Trust happy that they didn’t need to use their own gazebo, fresh grown herbs in conveniently handy sized pots swaying invitingly in the faint summer breeze, the silk scarf artist in place, mask making workshop open for business, face painter focused, workshops open, Equine horsey therapy stall up and ready, ice cream stall open, butterfly trail in place, football challenge set out and ready to go, art exhibition and student display in place, massage & reflexology all fine and dandy,  hula hoop workshop poised and drumming / organ combo set to start, human fruit machine briefed and happy, all over hung by the sweet aromatic perfume of the curling jasmine from the balcony and just think all the risk

assessments done!

What could go wrong now?

“What could go wrong now?” repeated the

increasingly damp Interim Marketing Manager as the torrential splats of monsoon like rain drops began to hammer into the flimsy tree canopy that he had selected as his personal refuge.

“A dash of water livens us up” said

Carolyn as she deftly handed out yet another delicious ice cream confection to the heaving throng in front of Merton residence, “yeah” said the staff on the bric-a-brac stall, in a collective shout of gruff enthusiasm, “cools us down - can’t wait for the rainbow” they grinned.  

 Hold on, was that a faint sunbeam lighting the entrance to the sensory room ‘swimming with dolphins’ experience (no charge)…..

Blimey the band was still giving it a go, and people were emerging like butterflies as if from nowhere and starting to move around. A member of staff wanders by, painted as a lizard or possibly a dinosaur, definitely a dinosaur, he thinks as the music picks up into another summer beat and the heat haze begins to give the old place that real festival feel. “Another go! Have another go you can’t lose!” wafts up from the café as the human fruit machine really get in their stride and start to ambush unsuspecting members of the public. “You only need another lemon!”

Then Jack, our Jack who lives here with us here in Merton, picks up a tambourine and begins to synchronize in perfect time with his mum who is really ‘digging in’ on the mike - with a rendition of ‘Delilah’.

Then he begins to dance.

That’s Jack dancing, dancing under the trees with people singing and the sun out again,

               go Jack, go!

Thank you to every one who turned up to support us.

 Thank you Eastington !              

                                                                         Jon Nissler

“Grufflary ice” intoned our own Parish Councilor Alex Bomberg as he fought and won the battle to subdue a burger into manageable internalized sections.

“Very nice” he thought recognizing a distant and distinctly rain-washed looking District Councilor (see above) under a canopy across the green.

“Hi-yah” said Graham, Chair of Trustees brightly,“turning out nice again isn’t it”.

What! Didn’t he notice the sheet of water with holes in it that passed for rain round here?