London in glorious spring sunshine

Well I said it when I started and I said it when winter arrived, I suspected there would be more smiles, thank yous and posts in the spring and summer with the sunshine than there are in the gloom of winter and I was right.

Spring arrived in London in glorious fashion; the blossoms seem more abundant and perfect that ever.

Now you may or may not have heard of the London Book Fair, and if you haven't it's a trade fair for people in publishing which for the last few years has been at Earls Court in West London, (it's moving next year to Olympia), anyway, all you need to know is it's an enormous trade fair that descends on Earls Court in April.  

If you can find half an hour or an hour to get out of the Fair at lunchtime, everywhere in the Earls Court Road is packed and used to dealing with one time customers; either people attending an event at Earls Court or tourists passing through so it's not known for it's service.  That is until I discovered Gusto this Fair.

Gusto on the Earls Court Road, (corner of Kenway Road), was such a pleasant surprise.  It looks like any other sandwich bar from the outside but when you step in, you're greeted with smiles and excellent service.

We were in a serious rush and Milo and Sonni got us in, served, and out again in the time we had while not only not feeling rushed, but feeling cared for and looked after.

Milo didn't want a picture so here's two lovely smiling ones of Sonni.  Thanks and thumbs up to you both

(p.s. we liked it so much we went back the next day too!)

Day two of the Fair and my route to Earls Court on day one was a disaster so I decided to get the Overground from West Hampstead to West Brompton.  Good decision.  Not least for the journey time and comfort but because I started my day with a lovely smile from Alan at West Hampstead station and a nice chat.

One of the downsides of people wearing headphones is that they can't hear you when you say "excuse me".  I could hear my train pulling in so I went to run down the stairs at the station but the woman in front of me wasn't catching that train and because of her headset was totally oblivious to us behind trying to get past her to catch it.

Fair to say unfortunately, due to her obliviousness, I missed the first train but Alan, who was on the platform and who saw what happened came to chat.  

The sun was shining, picked up lots of good gossip about rumoured tunnels to link the three stations at West Hampstead, (currently the tube, the Thameslink and the Overground all go from separate West Hampstead stations which can be very confusing if you don't know where you want to be), and I was still an forty minutes earlier arriving than the day before so all in all, a great start to the day.  

Thank you Alan and a thumbs up to you too.

Don't forget, if you want to say thank you to anyone, just send us your post and we'll get it up in the future.

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Winter Smiles

As I suspected when I started this blog back in the summer, the quantity of smiles one gets during one's day greatly reduces as does the light and temperature.

With the grey, wet weather we've had this winter, I can't say I'm coming across as many smiles as I was back in July and August however, that does however mean the ones I am seeing, are all the more lovely for the sparsity.

Tuesday, 21st, (January), all too quick to get a photograph or a name, I'd like to give a nice thumbs up to the female bus driver of the number 13 who stopped and waited on the Llanvanor Road stop on Finchley Road for the lady running to catch it in the morning .

The other Tuesday thumbs up goes to Richard, a waiter in Carluccio's in St. John's Wood.  Although there were some problems with our order; our wine wasn't available, we didn't order the lemon Pelegrino or the tomato pasta, Richard made us laugh and feel like important patrons.  Thank you Richard, and a thumbs up .

In light of this blog, I am also taking the 100 Happy Days Challenge - if you don't know about this, check out http://100happydays.com  and the hashtag #100HappyDays on twitter, instagram and other social media sites.  The challenge is to yourself - no one else - to try and find something that makes you happy in your day for 100 consecutive days.  It can be a puppy wagging it's tail, a good coffee, a smile at a bus stop, whatever it is, big or small, try and remember it and "log" it.  Take the challenge!

So move forward a week, the weather is even worse with miserable cold rain everywhere, (although I shouldn't complain thinking about all the flooding in Somerset and surrounding areas, those poor people www.bbc.co.uk/news/), and a friend, the lovely Lauren from St. John & St. Elizabeth Hospital, and I are on the top deck - best seat in the house at the front - of a 139 bus in the West End on our way to see The Book of Mormon.  We're stuck in traffic on Oxford Street and on the bus in front we can see two inspectors really checking an empty top deck; under and behind the seats.

Lauren and I are chatting away, looking at the Christmas decorations, (still up), when suddenly right beside us are the inspectors from the bus in front.

Now this guy, who wasn't allowed to give us his name, couldn't have been more fun or nicer on a dark, wet, Monday night in January.  Regent Street seemed to just whizz by.  So Mr. Inspector, a thumbs up from us for the banter, thanks.

Another bus thumbs up ; this time to the driver of a 460 (unnamed/unphotographed - to protect the innocent) who allowed me to travel two stops without my pass and without paying as I was accompanying my mother.  Thank you, that was a lovely gesture.  

But it isn't all thumbs up to bus personnel this post: two thumbs down: Monday, 20th January, the bus driver who was at the stop outside Holland & Barrett in Swiss Cottage and knew I was there, that I knocked on the doors and said excuse me but still decided not to reopen the doors and drove off and also to a restaurant manager that when I told him we had a reservation, didn't look at us or smile, but instead answered a phone, walked off at the same time to adjust a pastry plate, carried on talking on the 'phone and the most we got was a raised finger .  You guys know who are you.

Now, you must be getting a bit bored of my voice by now so why don't you send us your guest post, (details on how below), and use this blog as your opportunity to say thank you to someone who made you smile, or something else?

A Guest Post from Ruth Cherrington - COLLECTING FOR MARIE CURIE - THE GOOD FOLK OF LONDON, N1

Few people could have missed a couple of big things going on this month: one is that the sun has shone, quite a bit, actually. The other is that it’s the month when the Marie Curie cancer care charity do a helluva lot of fundraising for their work, which includes supporting many hospices up and down the country. They’ve been on the radio, in the press and on the streets with tins and lovely little daffodil pins.

Nothing perhaps is more symbolic of spring in this country than bright daffodils, a sign that better weather is coming, a sign of hope. This is exactly what Marie Curie offer to thousands of cancer sufferers and their families: a bit of brightness and a bit of hope that their last days can be spent in a dignified, comfortable manner.

I signed up this year to donate an hour of my time after hearing the radio campaign earlier back in January (that was such an effective ad!) It didn’t seem like much but the money I could collect would all be useful to help them continue their work.

 

I hoped the terrible winds and monsoon rains would go away and do you what?  They did.

Saturday March 15^th dawned bright and sunny- how lucky was I and all the other collectors that day, at least in London. I had requested to collect in the Angel Islington area in the early afternoon so set off for St. Mary’s Church on Upper Street to collect my tin, tabard, official permission and those lovely little daffodil pins. 

The women organizing the collection/drop off centre also offered me smiles and encouragement. (an everdayfolk thumbs up and thanks to them ) It had been many years since I had done street collecting for a charity and wasn’t sure how it would go.

It went really, really well as it turned out, thanks not only to the beautiful weather but the lovely people who came over to me to put money in the tin, to have a quick chat, pass the time of day or even to ask directions. Mostly though they donated and did so generously. (An EF thanks and thumbs up to all who donated ) I had barely picked my place in the sun than people started putting coins in the tin. I picked a busy little spot at one of the entrances to the N1 centre in Upper Street, with my face turned to the sun and blue sky and the general public. 

I was pleasantly surprised at how busy I was and the hour went by so quickly I decided to stay a bit longer.

I want to thank here all those who gave that afternoon, ordinary everyday people but many of them touched by cancer in some way. They were of all ages. A group of children out shopping came over, really wanting to get a few more daffodil pins for their collection. They put some money in the tin. A boy in the group asked me how much you have put in and would 2p be enough: I said whatever he had to give and 2p would be enough. It’s better surely to encourage the act of giving. He put a bit more than that in, in the end.

A group of trendy teenagers found their way over to me to donate, one of them saying ‘I really like this charity, they do great stuff.’ Two women came over who were keen supporters. One of them, wearing a nice pink sweatshirt first became interested in finding out about Marie Curie when she was only 2 and her dad was diagnosed with cancer. We chatted a bit comparing notes about Marie Curie herself and my girlhood role model Florence Nightingale. Her companion was a nurse and had referred to the North London Marie Curie hospice that the money in my tin was bound for.

I said goodbye to them but the lady in pink came back over with a bottle of nice cold water- it was a warm afternoon and thirsty work. That was a very kind, thoughtful so a big thank you to her! (Another EF thanks and thumbs up )

And to all the other folk who made the afternoon such an uplifting experience for me and a worthwhile one for Marie Curie.

I will definitely do this again!

To donate to Marie Curie or find out more about the wonderful work they do, please go to http://www.mariecurie.org.uk/

We would also like to give an everdayfolk thumbs up to Ruth herself for donating her time to Marie Curie, thanks Ruth.

Ruth Cherrington can be found on

twitter @CHistorians and at 

http://www.clubhistorians.co.uk/

p.s. If you're trying to follow the blog, apologies, Google is having an issue with all blogger sites and the follow button.  We hope they'll resolve the issue shortly but if you want to complain, write to Google,  thanks.  In the meantime, please do follow via email or, if you use it, Google+.

The South Coast and a Lovely Man

Sunday, 9th March was the most glorious, early Spring day and my friend Ruth (@CHistorians) and I decided to make the most of it and walk along the South coast from Deal to Dover. Ruth organised everything and we got an early morning train from Kings Cross via Ashford on the new high speed line.

Now, as you all know, train guards checking tickets aren't renowned for their smiles or humour but James here, put paid to that myth. He was so helpful and smiley to everyone so, James, thank you and a thumbs up . 

I'm mentioning Ruth lots in the hope that it will prick her conscience as she has promised me a guest post about Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Walking along the front between Deal and Dover, somewhere near Walmer, I stumbled across this bench dedicated to the lovely and sadly missed Nick Webb. jimwilliamsbooks.com/nick-webb-1949-2012/   

Now Nick is no longer with us but I would like to give him a posthumous thumbs up and thanks for making all our lives richer. Thanks, Nick. (And a thumbs up to Jim Williams for the beautiful obituary which so well captured the man, thanks )

Courtesy of Kevin Davies

Just a short post for now but am promised two new guest posts very soon.  One from Bristol, one from London.  Watch this space.

 

p.s. If you're trying to follow the blog, apologies, Google is having an issue with all blogger sites and the follow button.  We hope they'll resolve the issue shortly but if you want to complain, write to Google,  thanks.

Some Caribbean sunshine

On the island of Bequia in the Grenadine Islands it's hard to find anyone to write about for this blog... since everyone smiles at you and is so helpful but here are a few special thank yous; 

Amanda being shy

Dawn's

To Amanda, (who is very shy and said I could take her picture if I could catch her!), at Dawn's where we had a few lunches, and even a breakfast, thank you so much for helping us with those difficult questions like what to have today.  Thanks and a thumbs up .

Amanda's lovely face

To Audrey, (who also said I could take her picture but she wouldn't pose for it!), who owns our favourite breakfast stop, Bee's on Lower Bay, and who, last year, when my ankle was broken, was especially kind and helpful to us. Thank you to you and Joan and a big thumbs up .

the view from Bee's

Audrey at Bee's

To everyone who gave us lifts up those hills; Andre, Tootsie, Alexandra and all those whose names I neither got or have stupidly forgotten. You get especially big thumbs up as even though those hills should get easier each day, instead they seem to get harder and harder.

Also to Stefand (?) the water taxi guy, who helped us brilliantly getting a message to our lovely Italian friend on his boat, thank you and a thumbs up .

But our best lift, because it was the least expected, came on our last night when four of us; me, the man and two friends from Denmark, (via Canada), were standing at the bus stop at the main junction between Lower Bay and Friendship.  Being four of us at night, we didn't even dream of hitching, we were too many, so we were either going to get the Dollar Bus or, if we saw a taxi, grab one.  Then, a jeep stopped, unbidden and out-stepped the culinary, mother Theresa of Bequia; Cheryl Johnson.

Cheryl doesn't just run the Fig Tree Restaurant in town and the (only) book shop, but she is the driving force of the Sunshine School http://www.bequiasunshineschool.org/index.html a wonderful school for special needs children. 

So as well as giving Cheryl a big thumbs up for picking us up that night, I also want to give her a special one for the work she does and, I'm going to ask you to donate to the school.  They always need new equipment and if you look at the wish list, http://www.bequiasunshineschool.org/wishlist.html you'll see you can send books, musical instruments and, of course, money.  Please look at the work they're doing and think of sending something along.

But back to Bequia smiles and thanks; now as a special treat, we went to Fernando's Hideaway, not once but three times this trip and each time was more lovely than the time before so to Fernando and his sisters, Lorna, Felicia, Barbara and Aggie (Agnile), an especially big thank you and thumbs up . 

(some of) the sisters at Fernando's Hideaway

Jacqui

And last for Bequia for now, but definitely not least, to Jacqui who runs her organic shop down at Lower Bay, Nature Zone, for introducing me to various fruits over the years but especially prickly pears this year.  Yum, yum and a big thumbs up .

  

To everyone in Bequia and the islands thank you and until we can return, stay well.

However, I have to add a little Barbados postscript; to the lady working for British Airways in Barbados giving out menthol towels to the people in the queue, thank you for your wicked sense of humour and for making us all laugh .  

If there is someone you would like to tell us about or say thank you to, why don't you send us your post, (details below).

p.s. If you're trying to follow the blog, apologies, Google is having an issue with all blogger sites and the follow button.  We hope they'll resolve the issue shortly but if you want to complain, write to Google,  thanks.