'Stroud welcomes Refugees' Christmas tree

I went into town this morning as I made a sudden decision to have a haircut at Simon’s barber shop. You have to make an appointment online which actually suits me rather than turning up and queuing, as we formerly did. I feel the need to be presentable tomorrow as I have an interesting meeting to attend in the morning.

Simon is a good barber and has an extensive clientele as he is in demand for young men’s fashionable hair styles which seem to be ever changing, unlike mine which is both receding and basic. I could go for a cheaper haircut but really like my natters with Simon.

Once I’d been shorn I wandered up a few streets in town to the organic ‘health’ food shop to buy some dried apricots which H. thinks would be good for her. As the shop was very close to St Laurence church I thought I’d go back and say hello to Camilla at the Christmas Tree festival. Today it was heaving and I deduced from the clientele that there had been a older persons gathering which was just ending. Before I met Camilla I bumped into several acquaintances who’d just popped in as well to see the trees.

I found this tree to blip which was created by a community group called ‘Stroud welcomes Refugees’. I thought it was very apt to Blip as we will have three young Afghanis coming to have lunch with us on Christmas Day. Helena has been helping two of them for the last year, and the sister of one of them is now living near to Stroud around as well. They came here after needing to flee from difficult times in their home country.


The sign beneath the tree says:

‘TOGETHER WITH REFUGEES’
STROUD DISTRICT

(Stroud welcomes Refugees' Christmas tree)
THIS TREE CELEBRATES WELCOMING REFUGEES
The orange hearts contain messages of welcome to refugees written by local people in Stroud.

Please write your own message of welcome to refugees on an orange heart and add it to our tree!