scenes from village life

Because I was at Old Persons Heaven in Hassocks last Monday, I missed the Monday Club at the Unitarians. They had the milkman as their speaker and someone told me that he was the best speaker they had ever had as he had led such a fascinating interesting life, well that`s Ditchling for you. Last night it was the Village Choir Concert plus other local musicians. The hall was absolutely packed, a complete sell out and Herbie Flowers our local entrepreneur was wonderful. The air was electric.
I now have my new hearing aids, I must be careful I don`t jump in the swimming pool with them in.they are so light and small.   I had lovely visits from old friends last week, on Thursday and Friday, life here is a social whirl.     

There is a place just up the road from Ditchling in Hassocks run by Age Concern which is an Old Persons Heaven. I go there once a month to have my feet done by a kind and gentle chiropodist, but I can also have: a tasty lunch, waited on by women like Ethel and Doris who are older than I am, (the chef is a Sumo wrestler ! ) there are free paperbacks on offer, an excellent charity shop, I could do Keep Fit, have a Sing Song, go on an Outing, play Scrabble or Bingo, all is provided by the cheerfulest kindest men and women you could hope to meet.    My neighbours at lunch were all in their nineties and enjoying life. What a treat.

The dreaded talk was over in a flash, I think it was OK,  and I loved my trip to Woodbrooke, the heartland of the Quakers, once the home of the Cadbury family and presumably built on the proceeds of chocolate. Everything there is good and wholesome, and as the Q`s would say, `in right ordering`
I came back in time to go to another film in Ditchling Village Hall, they are all winners. This was `Departures`
a Japanese film about a cellist who lost his job and became a mortician by mistake. I feel I want everybody to see it as gives a completely different view about death and the way we deal with it.
I have been travelling a lot on buses lately: twice lately in central London, in Birmingham and often in Brighton of course. I love the camaraderie and talking to the mothers and babies, and all the feisty old people with their big shopping bags and determined expressions.