Well, it’s time for Spring Cleaning – and Capel Ladies Club chairlady Mary Butters has certainly been dusting the cobwebs away and freshening things up on the Capel Ladies front! She has been busy recruiting members to join a new WhatsApp group called “CLC Connecting” to bring us all closer together and make it easier to CONNECT with all members instantly! This will be invaluable when it comes to sending out memos, dates, times, etc., to everyone, particularly if there has been a change of plan or cancellation of something at the last minute! Our new club mantra is going to be CONNECT, too, so all very appropriate!

The Club has been successful in its bid for a Parish Grant, and has received £150, which will go towards the purchase of a card-reader for electronic payments at meetings. This will be a great help to the Treasurer and make things more efficient. We are certainly being dragged into the 21^st century!

Finally – in last month’s Capers, Sharon asked for reports about new Lockdown activities that people have tried… so here’s the story about…

Mary’s Mighty Mushroom!

(From our Chairlady Mary Butters)

Having received a family Christmas present of a mushroom-growing kit, we set it up following the instructions, (which came in ten languages!), and waited for the suggested period of three weeks for results. As time went by there was little evidence of much happening – except for just ONE tiny mushroom. Gradually this little bump began to develop – and then it literally MUSHROOMED before our very eyes! Fearing it might explode we decided to pick it (carefully!) and prepare something edible… It weighed in at 165grams – the weight of a normal punnetful!  We found a suitable mushroom recipe for a lunchtime delicacy on toast – and it really was DELICIOUS! The growing kit suggests at least three crops are possible, and currently a second one of at least six is coming along nicely, as is our new enthusiasm for Fungiculture! Watch this space for future Lockdown activities!

I recently came across this poem written by a British poet called Donna Ashworth, who writes uplifting poems, many of which have women in mind. The theme of this poem will resonate with many readers of both sexes, I think!

Today, I dared to let myself dream,
That the world will one day open again.
That the locks will loosen, the walls will fall,
The doors will fly open and reunite us all.

I dared to imagine the warmth of a cuddle,
A group of my friends all locked in a huddle.
I felt all the heartbeats, drumming with mine,
I heard all the laughter, I tasted the wine.

I thought of the feelings I’ve missed for long,
The room full of music, united by song.
The freedom to roam, to plan and to meet
To hold someone’s hand, to meet, to greet.

Just for a moment I dared to dream of,
The flights I would board to the places I love.
The moment those eyes would meet mine at the gate,
The feeling of joy after so long a wait.

Today, I dared to let myself dream,
That the life we once had would happen again.
That we’d no longer fear the danger of air,
That our lives would not depend on such care.

They say that we mustn’t wish time away,
But it’s hard, my friend, when faced with a day,
So long in blank hours and so wiped of laughter,
It’s tempting to drift away to thereafter.

So yes, I dared to dream just a while,
Of life coming back, it brought me a smile.
One day I know, this will be in the past,
And hugs will be free, again, at last.

Donna Ashworth
Author of ‘To The Women’ and ‘History Will Remember’. Available here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08LRGWY74/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_HubdGbPF31SR5

Well, here we are in February, and although my report is a little bit on the thin side I found a positive quotation on the internet recently…

“Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.”

-Victor Hugo, born 26^th February 1802, died 22^nd May 1885.

…and I thought it just fitted the way things are at the moment. We must all try and stay optimistic that we will see the end of the virus in the-not-too-distant future!

Someone who was feeling particularly positive just before New Year was Cathy Sweeney, the Capel Ladies Club member who won the virtual draw for the Pamper Hamper during our virtual Christmas Social! Here she is being presented with her prize by our Chairlady Mary Butters! Our second winner, who won the Food Hamper in the same draw, was Beryl Backler. Thank you to Penny Thompson and Wendy Keeble who were responsible for filling the hampers with goodies!

We are now keeping our fingers crossed that we will actually be able to meet as a proper club by Easter… watch this space! Meanwhile stay safe and Keeeee-eeeep Smiling!

“THE SHOW MUST GO ON!”

Even though we were still unable to meet up face-to-face as a club because of THAT VIRUS, the Capel Ladies Club Committee had some festive plans up their sleeves to cheer us all up and to keep the ball rolling, as it were!

Our planned annual Christmas Social, due to be held on 17^th December in the Vine Lounge at Capel Community Centre, was switched to a Virtual Social via ZOOM. Members were invited to dress up in their Christmas party finery and have drinks and nibbles to hand in their own sitting rooms and share some of the glitz and sparkle of the festive season with each other. During this “Virtual” party we were still going to hold the usual Members’ Draw for the Christmas Hamper. This year there were to be TWO hampers – one with traditional edible contents, and one – a “Pamper Hamper” with luxury items such as soaps, creams and lotions with which we could indulge ourselves in between the festivities!

There had been plans for a Christmas Quiz, which could still go ahead, not live – but with a fun sheet of questions which was to be delivered to all members inside their Christmas cards from the Club. Well done, Committee, it’s great to know that in spite of everything THE SHOW GOES ON!

Speaking of which at the next meeting of the Committee in January the main topic on the table will be how to take the Club forward into 2021.

Meanwhile, wishing all our members, prospective members and everyone reading this a Happy and Healthy New Year! Come and join us in 2021!

– Sue Woolgar

As Christmas approaches, in case I am missed,
I thought I would jot down my own Christmas List.
I don’t want a jumper, some gloves or a hat,
But what I WOULD love’s more important than that.

I’d like no pollution, no plastic or fumes,
No wars and no hatred, no more dooms and glooms.
No famine or discord, no cancer or pain,
And no global warming with protests in vain.

Why can’t we be happy with life and new birth,
On our beautiful planet, our green Mother Earth?
So, as Christmas approaches, think seriously
And pray for a world full of peace, Covid-free!

– Sue Woolgar

Once again, I have no Capel Ladies Club activities to report on, but recently this poem was doing the rounds on the internet, and as it made me smile I thought it was worth including it here! So – for all CLC members, past, present AND future, and for non-members of a certain age – here is this lockdown poem composed by Jan Beaumont. Enjoy! And let’s hope we’ll be back at CLC soon!

Sue Woolgar

I’m normally a social girl

I love to meet my mates

But lately with the virus here

We can’t go out the gates.

You see, we are the ‘oldies’ now

We need to stay inside

If they haven’t seen us for a while

They’ll think we’ve upped and died.

They’ll never know the things we did

Before we got this old

There wasn’t any Facebook

So not everything was told.

We may seem sweet old ladies

Who would never be uncouth

But we grew up in the 60s –

If you only knew the truth!

There was sex and drugs and rock ‘n roll

The pill and miniskirts

We smoked, we drank, we partied

And were quite outrageous flirts.

Then we settled down, got married

And turned into someone’s mum,

Somebody’s wife, then nana,

Who on earth did we become?

We didn’t mind the change of pace

Because our lives were full

But to bury us before we’re dead

Is like a red rag to a bull!

So here you find me stuck inside

For 4 weeks, maybe more

I finally found myself again

Then I had to close the door!

It didn’t really bother me

I’d while away the hour

I’d bake for all the family

But I’ve got no flaming flour!

Now Netflix is just wonderful

I like a gutsy thriller

I’m swooning over Idris

Or some random sexy killer.

At least I’ve got a stash of booze

For when I’m being idle

There’s wine and whiskey, even gin

If I’m feeling suicidal!

So let’s all drink to lockdown

To recovery and health

And hope this awful virus

Doesn’t decimate our wealth.

We’ll all get through the crisis

And be back to join our mates

Just hoping I’m not far too wide

To fit through the flaming gates!

by Jan Beaumont

P.S. As a Post Script to this CLC contribution I have to report that my doorbell rang yesterday morning – and when I opened the door, I found a present wrapped in yellow tissue with my name on it! Our CLC chairlady Rose waved from her car and said “Enjoy!”

Inside the package was a chocolate Easter egg which had originally been intended as a gift for our “Easter Fun” meeting which never took place, of course! So every Capel Ladies member received their chocolate egg yesterday instead – the day when our Summer Social had been planned  – bringing a smile to all their faces as it had brought to mine!

That was brilliant timing – a cheer-up chocolate treat during lockdown! Cheers to all the CLC Committee for their Delicious Deliveries! Looking forward to catching up when times are more normal again! THANK YOU, Capel Ladies Club!

The regular biennal Festival of Trees & Lights was held in St Mary’s Church as usual this year. There were over 20 beautifully decorated Christmas trees which, following this year’s theme of Famous Buildings Round the World, were each displaying appropriate items to give clues to their particular building. Quiz sheets were available at a cost of £2 each to fill in the correct names, and monies raised will go towards the restoration of the East window which is in need of repair.

Three members of Capel Ladies – Di Barker, Shirley Ward and Pat Bradford, decorated our tree to represent the Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona.

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