Thursday 10th April
A very interesting day today. Started the day by visiting Ritchie and his two boys and little girl. It was his eldest's birthday, I can't help but like Ritchie. I have an invitation to go tenpin bowling tomorrow with other male carers. Hopefully I will get to meet Carol who runs the network and in effect cares for the carers. Ritchie reckons it saved his life, real words I think, not simply TV words.
I went on my patrol, which in itself was no great shakes but we did see one street which was to be demolished and met the final resident, an old lady, who was about to move out of her home. Her daughter was very upset. The shutters were going up as quickly as the sofas were coming out. We chatted with some old and some young lasses in a hall nearby which will also be knocked down for the housing developments that everyone believes will follow. No-one seemed particularly happy about the neighbourhood going.
Then we found a gem! Jimmy's Farm. A three part undertaking called The SPYRAL (Sandhills Project for Youth Recreation and Leisure) Project. One part of it is for teenage kids to grow their own food in - for £1 per week they get their own allotment, with chickens and pigs. Another part which is currently home to two smelly goats, will be an orchard. Then there is an area for animals, ducks, doves, pheasant and wallabies! Plus rabbits. As well as caring for the animals and learning about how to care for them, everything 'spirals' into learning, through the growing of vegetables and animal care, then into biology, geography and history...
