making history

This is a somewhat bleary blog written on a short breather from the Heritage Lottery bid millstone. Can I say thanks to laura, christine and helen for keeping the old blogging blarney stone warm here at GWL? (What is this stoney theme about so early in my message? Ask Shakespeare’s sister – or perhaps one of our proposed GWL bibliotherapy consultants…)

I wanted to log that in the shameful months I have been silent in this quarter I have been active in the real world. Landmarks to report on of late have been Laura and Syma and Pauline joining us in Womenslibraryland. And what an impact they have made! We have had huggings of events and gatherings and courses had come and gone.

What about tomorrow? Now let’s see…maybe not a typical snapshot but a snapshot all the same. So, Sue and I will be rattling on with the Heritage bid but I need to checkin with Laura and Syma am to make sure we are all ok. Claire (oh Claire’s new too, one week as a volunteer receptionist and she’s already indispensible) will arrive in time I hope to answer the barrage of buzzering and Big Ben chimes that announce the arrivals of the wonderful ESOL learners prompt and positive as ever and arriving en masse from 9.30on. Hot on their heels will be the massed ranks of the Introduction to Family History regiment. Also prompt but often happy to charge up the batteries in the kitchen before they start work with Alison at the helm. Then Ellie Lamb, famous print and papermaker will arrive and the elaborate alchemical processes and preparations begin involving gallons of water, dandelions and onionskins newspapers and foodmixers ready for her posse getting stuck in by 1pm. In the afternoon Siobhan and colleagues from the Collective Gallery in Edinburgh will arrive to hang their amazing banner made with women from the Space 44 group for our exhibition launch tomorrow night as part of the 16 days of activism to stop violence against women. Around the time that our Heritage Lottery support workervisits to check progress and give further mystic musings on the Grail that is the application form. The banner starts a UK tour with us and we are marking it being here with our own wee exhibition of images of past bannermaking by women so new (indispensible) volunteer Rachel will join Laura up ladders hanging our work ready for the launch. In the evening the launch tea party guests will be joined by the Stitch and Bitches who are creating a storytelling chair, the book group who are tackling Angela Carter, the classification bee group who are aiming to reach 2000 pronto and a new ALN learners group!

All will be well. More than well. And you are welcome to join us!

Josie, if you are tuning in let’s chat about London links soon. Post Heritage (30th) would be wise, oh and our Jerusalem artichokes are thriving!