Afternoon Tea a Success

On Friday afternoon residents from Iddenshall Hall came to the Community Centre and invited residents to join them for afternoon tea. This is the first time they have held such an event in Tarvin and the afternoon went well. About a dozen residents came in the minibus – although not all at once! – and about the same number of visitors came and enjoyed tea, cake and scones.

A big thank you must go to the members of Tarvin W.I. who pulled out all the stops with a display of their craft work and a demonstration of making a delicious 'Baileys Cream' drink. The arrival of some Mums and children on their way home from school also added to the liveliness of the afternoon and a small impromptu concert from some of the little ones raised delighted smiles from all the visitors.

One thing that perhaps the Tarvin residents had underestimated was the sheer hard work involved in getting Iddenshall Hall residents and their wheelchairs and walking frames to Tarvin. The Hall's Activities staff, led by Lynne Loughlin, put a lot of effort into the job of ferrying people to and fro. They certainly felt that the effort was worth it and the smiles that the afternoon generated showed that the Iddenshall Hall residents agreed. Lynne hopes to make the visit a regular one coming maybe once a month.

The idea behind the afternoon tea is to create a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere where all may enjoy themselves. This is not in any way a 'befriending scheme' but the chance for all to exchange friendly words and perhaps have a bit of a natter. The presence of youngsters is appreciated as an aspect of simple 'normality' and much appreciated by folk whose social lives have become a bit narrower as their mobility has become limited and their horizons constrained.

If these afternoons do become a regular feature then I hope more local people will mark the event in their diaries and become 'regulars' as well. The desire for a change of scene and the feeling of 'connection' are simple human needs whatever our age or condition and if this can be met from a cup of tea and a cake at the Community Centre then I think it shows what a great place Tarvin is.