Showing posts with label Friends of Crumpsall Park. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Friends of Crumpsall Park. Show all posts

Friday 22 March 2024

Spring Equinox: Day 5


Rob was on a long shift today, so I decided to spend the day mostly wandering around (sometimes by myself, sometimes with others).

A Walk in Crumpsall Park




First up, I had a meeting in the park with Friends of Crumpsall Park. And I spotted the first of the daisies!

Milk Cake and Chai



After the park meeting, I walked over to You, Me and Tea in Crumpsall for some Pistachio Milk Cake and Pink Chai (which both looked suitably seasonal).

A Walk in Blackley Forest




Then after the cake, I wandered through Blackley Forest for a bit, enjoying some springtime peace and quiet.

A Walk in Heaton Park





Later on in the afternoon, me and my mum went for a little walk in Heaton Park.

Bailey’s Wood Spring Equinox Walk




Finally, I led a community Spring Equinox Walk in the Woods for the Friends of Bailey's Wood, sharing stories and folklore of the season.

Wednesday 20 March 2024

Spring Equinox: Day 3


Another day of celebrating the beginning of spring, and today was a bit of a busy one. Lots of seasonal fun today!

Crumpsall Park Spring Equinox Walk




I started the day by leading a Spring Equinox walk for Friends of Crumpsall Park. The sun was shining, and it was warmer than it's been, so it really did feel like spring was in the air.

Blossom Watch



On the way home from the park I saw two beautiful cherry blossom trees in bloom. They look like candy floss!

Hannah’s Bookshelf Spring Equinox Special





Today was the first ever Spring Equinox Special on Hannah's Bookshelf, my weekly radio show on North Manchester FM. I talked about spring folklore, played some spring-themed music, and then shared some original Equinox-inspired bite-size short stories by contributors to the show. I also made some more white chocolate and Parma Violets cupcakes for the volunteers at the centre where our studio is based.

Chocolate Popcorn



Okay, this one's advertised as an Easter treat, but as far as I'm concerned anything with a bunny rabbit on the packet is perfect for the Spring Equinox! Little snack for after my radio show... Trio of Chocolate Popcorn from Joe and Seph's!

Ostara Wax Melts



We bought a new wax diffuser last year, but we couldn't use it at Imbolc in case it aggravated the horrible coughs we got with one of the many colds we've had so far this year. But we've fired it up for spring, and this season we've got bunny rabbit shaped Black Plum and Rhubarb melts from Mysteria Melts.

Vivaldi’s Four Seasons by Candlelight



Going to see a performance of Vivaldi's Four Seasons by Piccadilly Sinfonietta is now an annual tradition for us. It was part of our Imbolc celebrations for the past two years, but this year their performance at St Ann's Church fell during our Spring Equinox celebrations. It felt like this made more sense, as the Four Seasons does start with spring after all!

Hot Cross Bun Pie



We stopped off at McDonald's on the way home from the concert. Again, this seems like it might have been intended as an Easter special, but I think a Hot Cross Bun pie is seasonal enough for the Spring Equinox.

Sunday 10 March 2024

Events in March 2024




Virtual Writing Retreat
Sunday 10th March
10.30–5.00pm
Hannah's Bookshelf
I'm hosting an online writing retreat for creative writers with writing exercises and structured writing sessions
Members Event

Spring Equinox Walk in the Park
Saturday 16th March
11.00–12noon
Friends of Crumpsall Park
I'll be leading a sociable walk in the park to enjoy nature and the changing seasons
Booking Link

Hannah's Bookshelf Spring Equinox Special
Saturday 16th March
2.00–4.00pm
Hannah's Bookshelf / North Manchester FM
I'm hosting a special seasonal edition of my regular radio show on North Manchester FM, including Spring Equinox-themed flash fiction
Submission Link

Spring Equinox Walk in the Woods
Monday 18th March
5.30–6.30pm
Friends of Bailey's Wood
I'll be leading a sociable walk in the woods to enjoy the changing seasons
Booking Link

Bailey's Wood Spring Equinox Walk and Talk
Wednesday 20th March
11.00–12.30pm
Friends of Bailey's Wood
I'll be leading a gentle, social walk in the woods with a Spring Equinox theme
Booking Link

Spring Equinox Poetry in the Park
Wednesday 20th March
1.00–4.00pm
Castlerea House
I'm running a seasonal poetry and storytelling workshop session in the park for residents at Castlerea care home
Private Event

Hannah's Bookshelf Live Poetry Special
Saturday 23rd March
2.00–4.00pm
Hannah's Bookshelf / North Manchester FM
I'm hosting my annual live poetry radio show on North Manchester FM, with performances from 12 poets
Submission Link

Easter Stories
Wednesday 27th March
2.00-4.00pm
Castlerea House
I'm running a seasonal poetry and storytelling workshop session for residents at Castlerea care home
Private Event

Interested in booking me for an event? Click here to find out more.

Thursday 21 December 2023

Countdown to Christmas: Day 4


Today was mostly about work (and shopping for later in the week), but I injected a little bit of festivity into one of my meetings at least.

Friends of Crumpsall Park





Friends of Crumpsall Park committee meeting but make it Christmas... featuring stollen and Mulled Cider tea from Bird and Blend Tea.

Advent Tea



Behind Door No. 4 in my Bird and Blend Tea advent calendar... 'Tis the Squeezon!

Advent Jewellery



And behind Door No. 4 in my Avon jewellery calendar... a silver bow pendant!

Sunday 10 December 2023

Countdown to Christmas: Day 3


It's the third day of our festive celebrations, and it was another cold one today. The snow settled a little bit overnight, and the temperatures didn't get up to much today. We had some festive missions today though, so time to wrap up warm!

Crumpsall Park Litter-Pick





Freezing cold litter-pick with Friends of Crumpsall Park, followed by mulled apple juice and mince pies in the park.

Christmas Earrings



I wore my lovely new Christmas earrings today... a pair of mince pies from So Berry Crafty.

Mulled Apple Juice



I had a little bit of the mulled apple left from this morning, so we took it round to my mother-in-law's for a little festive drink.

Christmas Trees





Today's main festive mission was helping my mother-in-law put up her Christmas trees. My mother-in-law takes her Christmas trees very seriously, so this is a big job. We were rewarded with the second roulade of the weekend.

Advent Tea



Behind Door No. 3 in my Bird and Blend Tea advent calendar... Candy Floss at the Fair!

Avon Advent Calendar



And behind Door No. 3 in my Avon jewellery calendar... a pearl pendant!

Wednesday 1 November 2023

31 Days of Halloween: Day 25


Today was a very big day, with three separate (and very different) events on the cards. We also did some festive stuff at home afterwards, as we moved into the final week of celebrating.

Crumpsall Park Halloween Story Walk





I led another Halloween Story Walk this morning, this time for Friends of Crumpsall Park. This was such a fun event to do - loved working with the kids to come up with a spooky story about the park. The Crumpsall kids did come to a different conclusion than the Blackley kids on Monday though... they decided I must be the werewolf! One of the kids drew a picture of me as a witch, being transformed into a werewolf by a tornado and it's my absolute favourite thing.

Castlerea Halloween Film Afternoon





We had our annual Halloween Film Afternoon at Castlerea Care Home this afternoon. This year we watched Frankenstein Created Woman, with spooky movie snacks of course. I also did my traditional dramatic reading of 'The Raven' for the housemates (with audience participation)!

Green Quarter Weird History Walk




I led a Halloween weird history walk for GRUB MCR tonight, taking walkers from Angel Meadow to Red Bank and telling tales of bodysnatching, swimming baths, ragged schools and railways along the way.

Samhain Candle




We lit our Samhain candle from Chalice Creations tonight. Rose, sandalwood and orange to scent the season.

Pumpkin Lantern



Rob carved our pumpkin lantern tonight! And what a fine lantern he is too!

Little Gem Squash



Another lovely recipe for our Groobarbs Autumn Squash Box... South African Style Baked Little Gem Squash!

31 Halloween Films: Saw



Tonight's film from our Halloween list was the one we were sort of thinking would come up last Saturday! But it was so good to watch Saw again after seeing Saw X!