Eye - 04 November 2016

From friendly florals to busy buzzing

Friendly floral festivities

Quakers in North Wales have been stretching their creative muscles in a recent community festival.

St John’s Church invites various bodies in Porthmadog to take part in their Flower and Craft Festival, held at the end of July. Frances Voelcker, of Porthmadog Meeting, told Eye that ‘as this year the theme was “Peace and Reconciliation”, we too were invited’.

Friends rolled up their sleeves and crafted a cheerful display, containing: ‘Siw Wood’s Peace Banner; Moragh Bradshaw’s beautiful ecumenical embroidery and her rainbow; cloth and paper doves made by Deborah Dawe, Moragh and a friend; new peace posters; tablecloths; vases; washing line; pegs; stones; moss – and yes, lots of flowers from Del Yale, Moragh and Frances’ gardens.’

Their efforts seem to have been appreciated by those who attended the festival: ‘Much of the bilingual literature left out for people to take was taken. The festival coordinator reported that many visitors had commented favourably on the Quaker display, enjoying its informal character.’

Busy buzzing

The gentle hum of industrious bees has been heard on the roof of Friends House in London for over a year (see ‘Eye – 18 September 2015’).

Anne van Staveren, media relations officer for Britain Yearly Meeting, told Eye that there are now ‘80,000 beee-autiful bees’ in the two hives.

It seems that they have been enjoying one of the recent renovations at Friends House: ‘Their favourite tree in our garden? This “tree of heaven” – ailanthus altissima.’

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