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The Garden at St Augustine's- Rome wasn't built in a day.
Monday 22nd November 2010 1:13 PM
Written by Steve Blacksmith
There was a rectangle of twitch grass and those kinds of prickly suckering shrubs that are so hard to weed among.
Gary and I set to work with pick and spades. Slowly, week by week (we only work Tuesday mornings), we moved a trench along the bed from one end to the other. We got all the twich and shrub roots out down to a depth of about a foot. Luckily, it was deep loam, without the rubble and clay you usally find round modern buildings (like round the new part of St. Augustine's).
The great thing about this bed, outside the dining room, is that it is edged by low stone walls. These are good for laying produce on after it is harvested to stimulate coversation. So not only are the rows of vegetables easy to see and talk about with centre users but we can also talk about different ways of using them, different national cooking methods etc. It is a real conversation stimulator. You make friends with people you talk to, the subject is irrelevant. There may be some benefit for people who are improving their English as well.
This first year we ate from that little patch: radish, carrots, potatoes, bettroot, spinach beet, curly kale, runner beans and French beans. There are still standing rows of kale, spinach beet and parsnips to use in the winer, though the parsnips will be under-sized. They were a bit crowded in by the tomatoes, and sown late, not watered enough at a crucial stage (limits of only being here Tuesdays).
The only failure was the tomatoes. Actually, they produced a good crop but some vandals for the them before thet were quite ripe and threw them at the windows. No damage done, just a nuisance. There have been vandals since the fall of Rome. We will keep building.
Posted 1:13 PM | 0 Comments | Permalink
Introducing St Augustine's International Scarecrows
Monday 1st November 2010 3:02 PM
Written by Tracy Armitage
In June of this year, Tracy and Zayna became volunteers at St Augustine's Centre and began facilitating a series of creative workshops- Scarecrow making.
We took over the dining room and for many weeks there was a hype of activity of making paper mache heads, stuffing and dressing bodies. We had some great pointers, stuffers, hairdressers and sewers on the team. We took people through the creative process of putting a scarecrow together. As the weeks went by, the scarecrows took a life of their own with many staff having to look twice as it appeared we had new members in the building. Such was the enthusiasm for making, we had to remind people to stop and have lunch, any one walking through the door was invited to have a go and they took up the challenge. Some people even went on to making scarecrows at home- thank you Dan.
Two of our scarecrows 'Bat man' and 'Gardeners World' found fame at Norland Scarecrow festival where they were admired by the public and it gave us an opportunity to showcase the important work that goes on at the Centre.
St Augustine's International Scarecrow Festival
St Augustine's proudly held their first Scare crow festival on Tuesday 7th September 2010. It was a lovely day- the weather held out for us despite the forecast. The scarecrows were positioned in the garden and around the centre. We had a cake and tombola stall and refereshments were served. There was a mini scarecrow making workshop for children.
What next? a Scarecrow Tour?
We don't want to put our scarecrows to bed yet and would like to have them at another venue. Any one who can help with this please contact the Centre.
Thank you to every one who took part in the making of the scarecrows, from blowing up balloons to donating items of clothing and accessories. It was a great pleasure being part of it, lets do it again next year.
Posted 3:02 PM | 0 Comments | Permalink
'Dine to make a Difference'
Thursday 17th June 2010 11:37 AM
In this tough economy, it's so important to look after those who are less priviliged. This July (July 2010), we are seeking people to invite friends in their home and host a 'Dine to make a Difference' evening to help raise funds for the St Augustine's Centre.
It's simple...Each guest you invite pays £10 in return for some fun, food and good will. All money raised will go towards the St Augustine's Centre's summer activities, which are aimed at alleviating isolation, poverty and raising the health and well being of centre participants.
If you'd like to host an evening please contact kate.fawcett@staugustinescentrehalifax.org.uk or call 01422 342 719. Please state when you plan to 'Dine to make a Difference' and how many guests will be invited. Once you've signed up, you will then be sent an information pack to help you prepare for the evening.
Posted 11:37 AM | 0 Comments | Permalink