Happiness is ...

… the Atrium café re-opening today!

I went up to church this morning to fill up my section of the café card stand. As it was the first day of a new term for all the groups, I ended up giving a bit of a hand to the volunteers who man the Atrium reception desk by helping direct some of the new mums to the right room or by holding the outer door open so they could wheel their big buggies through.

It was lovely to see all these new people streaming in. The whole idea of the Atrium café is to be a place which connects the church with the community, and it is certainly fulfilling that dream. Some local people come here just for a chat, while others pop in for coffee on their way in to luncheon club, Pilates or the children’s groups. Once a month there’s a ‘vintage tea’ in the café for the elderly, with musical accompaniment. On days when there are baby or toddler groups the place is a sea of buggies, with mums and children alike enjoying the facilities and the buzzy atmosphere. 

This was the cup of coffee that was bought at the café counter for me by none other than Smithers, who turned up at the café unexpectedly after I’d been there a while and sat with me, while various friends came over and chatted to us. I so love this place.