IT'S THURSDAY - SO THAT MEANS...

...it’s Community Fridge day!  Thought I would show you some of the more unusual things that are on offer for our lovely customers each week.

I don’t remember seeing Ugu Leaves, Fish Tea Soup Mix or catfish Fillet Crumbs before, but even our customers who aren’t from the UK didn’t take them, so they will just stay on the table until next week!  I didn’t know what Ugu leaves were, so looked it up and they are apparently known as pumpkin leaves, and are the dark green leaves of the fluted pumpkin plant, which is native to southern Nigeria.  We do have several customers from Nigeria, so I can only imagine they would rather have potatoes, onions and carrots and they were plentiful today.  

There were lots of lovely scones and although I mentioned putting them in the microwave for about 30 seconds to soften them slightly, most of the people taking them said they knew that.  There were also lots of lovely cakes on offer and although they aren’t the healthiest of things, sometimes people’s budgets don’t stretch to buying these, so most of those were soon gone and I’m sure that Mr. Kipling would be delighted to know his “exceedingly good cakes” were being enjoyed by those who wouldn’t normally buy them.

We often get large bags of babies disposable nappies and these are sorted out into packs of about 10 so that everyone has a fair chance of getting some.  There were also lots of smaller bags of washing powder there today - and I noticed that most of those went too.

There was still the usual fruit and vegetables and I bagged up so many mushrooms that I really don’t want to see too many for a while.  Again, whilst bagging them up for people to take, I asked how they would cook them and there were many and varied ways.  The customer from Guatemala said that he liked them in a sandwich after being cooked in a little oil and then adding some cheese - not sure that would be my preferred way, but he said he has that for his breakfast, so was happy to take a large bag for tomorrow’s first meal of the day.

I also had a good chat with an English lady about how we throw so much stuff away - and that dates on packs weren’t nearly as good as our own noses.  If something smells “off” when we open it, then it’s fine to bin it, but if it smells OK, then we both agreed that we would cook it and have a taste to make sure we wouldn’t poison ourselves or our families.  I recounted to the lady the story of when Mr. HCB and I were looking after a 95 year old Aunt of a friend, and as I was about to throw some rancid bacon, which I had found in the back of the fridge, in the bin, Aunty snatched it out of my hands and said it would be perfectly good to eat.  She cooked it for her lunch and declared it “absolutely fine”!  Aunty lived to be almost 100 years old, so it didn't do her any harm - but we often laugh about that many years later!

After leaving the Community Fridge I had to go and collect some things from a lady to go in the Bags of Hope - it was quite a way from the Church, but I knew the area vaguely.  After collecting the large box, I drove back along Beech Avenue in the Pinehurst area of Swindon.  I have lived in Swindon for most of my life and didn’t realise that the reason it was called “Beech Avenue” was because there were many beech trees lining the edge of the road - and it’s quite a long road.  I stopped to take some photographs as they were so beautiful.  The top shot in my extra collage is a pile of rubble and rubbish which looks as if it could be a bonfire on the roof of a house, which is being renovated, and which is almost next door to the Church - nothing spectacular about it, but it just caught my eye!  Quite a modern sculpture really on a par with "Tracey Emin's Unmade Bed" for those in the know!

After I have cooked our meal, I will be ready for a rest - I can feel it’s getting cooler - and perhaps there will even be a frost tonight, so I will be under my electric throw, that's for sure.