Keeping The Lights On - 2021
17 January 2021
Dear Members and Friends,
Doesn't it feel like the only constant at the moment is dramatic change? We had all just gotten really good at the post-lockdown version of the garden, running socially-distanced versions of old and new activities. Now all of a sudden we're back to a nearly empty garden, albeit an admittedly very serene, beautiful and birdsong-strewn one. However, despite everything, we've all shown huge resilience in the past year, finding different ways to be there for each other, and we hope you know the garden is still there for you, either at the end of the phone, or in person for those in urgent need - if you are in urgent need of social support from the garden, please contact apcgvolunteers@gmail.com or call 07851 150434.
We're hugely grateful to all of the volunteers who help keep the garden growing and moving forward, and to all of the funders and supporters who help, quite literally, keep the lights on. If you are in a position to help support the garden financially at this challenging time, your donation would be received with gratitude at our Local Giving page: please click here.
One of the huge successes of the past year has been the resilient way the Faversham Community Kitchen has adapted to the constantly changing circumstances to keep uniting members, and now a wider online group, with the pleasures of cooking and sharing food. Why not join them this week? Cooking along live is optional, tuning in just to watch and chat is encouraged!
In its latest incarnation for the current lockdown, Alex and Karen will be running twice-weekly sessions on Zoom, beginning with 'Veganuary'-inspired dishes. The details are follows:
- Members cook-a-long: every Friday from 11am - Meeting ID: 675 702 0894, passcode: apcg
- Family-friendly cook-a-long: every Friday from 3pm - Meeting ID: 894 0025 7155, passcode: 659251
If you would like to join in but are a bit unsure how to get connected to a Zoom session, please contact our (amateur!) tech-support personnel at tom.abbeyphysic@gmail.com
This blog will be your weekly update from the Abbey Physic Community Garden in lockdown, bringing you the latest from the garden, tips for your own garden, and anything else that may have happened in the past week - such as Alex and Karen's recent appearance on BBC Radio Kent, scroll down to find a link.
If you have any submissions of any sort you would like to see included in a future edition of this blog (a picture, a poem, a video clip, a message to your fellow members...), please don't hesitate to let me know at tom.abbeyphysic@gmail.com - thank you!
And, as ever, the same goes for anyone who would like to get in touch for any reason at all, send us an email at tom.abbeyphysic@gmail.com, or call 01795 539915, we're looking forward to hearing from you.
- Tom
Alex and Karen lit up the airwaves this week, appearing as live guests on BBC Radio Kent's Dominic King Show on Tuesday evening, to talk about the garden and the Faversham Community Kitchen's online cooking streams. Please click on the image to listen again to their interview on the BBC website (skip to 2 hours, 11 minutes).
Paul is back with new episodes of his 90 Seconds' Gardening series. Each week Paul will be giving advice on a simple job you could try in your own garden during lockdown. This week's two part video focuses on seasonal pruning of Clematis and other flowering plants. Please click on the image to watch on YouTube.
Lissie, the once, and we hope future, choirmaster of the popular Abbey Physic Community Garden singing group, has returned to producing videos for members, combining relaxation and breathing exercises with sing-a-longs for every mood. Please click on the image to watch on YouTube.
The first weekly video instalment in a new series, keeping you in touch with what the team have been doing at the garden to make sure it's looking great for when everyone can return - this week: we've made an almighty mess! Find out why... please click on the image to watch on YouTube.
With very best wishes to all of our members and friends - The Abbey Physic Community Garden Team