Clerk B Goes To A Book Swap

From this...

 I'd never been to a book swap before, so I was wondering whether I'd be sitting in the cafe on my own for an hour and a half, before sheepishly packing up my four contributions to take them home again....

...but after ten minutes of feeling like a billy-no-mates (having bagged the biggest table in the place, I felt slightly conspicuous), I was delighted as a slow but steady trickle of Friends started to come through the door. With books.

Lots of books.

...to this.

Oddly enough, I seemed to be the only person who was happy to go home with more books than I'd brought - so I spent a very happy hour going through the pile, while everyone else sighed and averted their faces like people on a diet trying to resist cake. But I am glad to say that hardly anyone left entirely empty-handed. At the end, though, it seemed that I was the main beneficiary (unless you count guilt-free decluttering as a benefit, which maybe we should) - apart from Oxfam, who received the leftover spoils.

I am now looking forward to being a Great Spiritual Authority. Well, once I've actually read all my new books, anyway!

But my overall favourite moment of the day was when a Friend said (and I quote): 'I just don't know how I've managed to get to my age without having read any Teilhard de Chardin.' I know exactly how you feel, Lorraine. ;)

Tunbridge Wells Lantern Parade

Last Sunday I heard that this had happened... and felt very irritated with myself that I'd missed it! Next year I am definitely going to take part. Making lanterns and then parading with them (along with making lots of noise in a non-anti-social way) - what's not to like? 

Several people from our Meeting were at the parade, anyway, so I thought that was enough excuse to share this video (and thanks to Helen Martin for letting me use it):

I don't want to hijack this for Quakerism, as from what I can see on the Internet this is a creative community event, nothing to do with religion of any kind... But then I wondered what religion is, if not the shared creation and celebration of light?*

*Not to mention the hijacking of suitable metaphors wherever they happen to turn up... ;)

Welcome!

Hello, Friends, and welcome to the new blog for Tunbridge Wells Quaker Meeting.

Alison and I meet, as you know, every other Friday morning to compare notes, check that all the right emails are going to the right people, eat cakes and generally clerk about. And one of the things that we came up with this week was a site for us all to come and see updates about whatever's happening in and for the Meeting. So... here it is.

We will be trying to keep you posted here, but don't worry, we won't stop sending the emails!

To anyone not a member of Tunbridge Wells Meeting, welcome! Whatever brought you here (possibly a typo?), please take a second to have a look. As you can see, this is a very new blog, so please be gentle... ;)