All Things Markets and Beyond!

Thank you to everyone who came last Sunday to our market. I think Chef Vee’s Grub Club is a great addition. East Barnet Food Bank hub is hoping to have a surplus fruit and veg stall at our next one. We won’t be holding a market in November but re-doubling our efforts in December. I’m planning an event for Small Business Saturday on December 4th, which will be a day of wreath making and our usual market on the 3rd Sunday of the month. After December, Theo of Theo’s cafe sadly won’t be available to help - neither of us anticipated when we came up with our plan for the market just how busy our own work would become post lockdown. I cannot carry on without his help, so I’ve spoken to the stallholders who are more than happy to help with the logistics, promotion and marketing, which is a great relief. Every Monday morning during term time, a young offender creates a flower arrangement which we then deliver to the Ark Academy, our nearest secondary school. The boy I took this week who’d made their stunning arrangement was quite overwhelmed by the occasion. First, he hadn’t set foot in a school he told me about for 3 years, and secondly, he was touched by how the staff reacted to his flower arrangement (see photograph.) On Tuesday I completed a run of 6 workshops with Age UK at the Hope Community Centre in Underhill. We re-convene after half term for another 6 sessions. Later that day, Cathy, the London wedding florist rang to ask if I was interested in surplus flowers from a film shoot - I hot-footed it down to Alexandra Palace to pick up a boot load of white hydrangeas, dendrobium orchids and roses. Moments later, mid-transit, I received a phone call from Ije, who wondered if we could prepare a pedestal arrangement for her daughter’s scaled-down graduation party the next day; of course, I replied and asked if she believed in Serendipity. If anyone has access to pampas grass, please let me know as I love it in an arrangement - all offer considered. Have a great week. Ursula