Forgive me, this will be a very short post from me this time. Working 12 hour days, leaves no time for anything else….other than much needed sleep….Zzzzzz!

It is also a more thought-provoking post than I would normally write.

Setting the scene….

At the beginning of October, I attended a year-long planned reunion. Ten of us, from near and far, from our class of 25 pupils (we couldn’t track some and, sadly, we have lost a few over the years) met up to celebrate 70. We left the final year of school 51 years ago, and we are all 70 before Christmas. We last met up about ten years ago. The reunion involved a two-night stay in what could have been the absolutely perfect venue for the Traitors (a UK challenge programme with extremely dark, almost sinister, plots and challenges) or ideal for a Dracula play. The house built in 1607 was extremely dark in reality with black Tudor woodwork everywhere, minimal wattage in the bulbs combined with antler ceiling lights, suits of armour, giant dining chairs with almost life size heads at the ends of the wooden arms, to describe just few items….oh, yes, and old creaky floorboards everywhere. We were a little jumpy the first night….it is definitely a venue none of us will forget!

 

 

 

 

 

Our wonderful organiser gave us a PowerPoint presentation using an old 1969 school photograph (the long entire school type where pupils from each year stood on a different tier) as the starting point. Together we managed to recall names of all the teachers and also managed to name everyone in our year (76) along with many, many anecdotes.

‘Knock and open the hatch before you enter through the door’.

Anyone entering one dark passageway was in for a surprise! It was also on route to my very darkly atmospheric bedroom! Although it looks bright in these photos it was NOT!

 

 

There was much laughter along the way, along with excellent feasting befitting the Tudor surroundings….however, the ‘70’ balloons we used for decoration and us all singing Happy Birthday ’To Us’ might not have been recognised by any ghosts!

 

The very long drive back got me thinking about Threads, ties, weaving and tapestry, four extremely significant linked words that apply to most of us. I’m not thinking about the thread we stitch with or the warp and weft or even the wearing of a tie etc, but rather how we relate to each other.

 

I see ‘thread’ as the element, or aspect that unites us. On this site here, we share a love of textiles and are united by fibres of every sort. It is the one continuous thread that links all the posts, however varied, and each of us to the other….which, we as authors, get to appreciate in the comments from our audience.

This leads nicely on to ‘ties’. They bind us together in a common cause or goal. This can be emotional, social, family etc providing connections between people, countries and for many of us the groups to which we belong.

I belong to a few groups covering aspects such as topical discussions, socialising and a textile group. Each challenges me in different ways – keeping abreast of the world around me, remembering how to socialise, (therefore not becoming a recluse as I age), providing learning opportunities and also ensuring I keep my skills honed. You’ve already noted….I’m not a member of any sport group!!!!

‘Weaving’ – We are tied by a common thread, but the weaving is how we jointly move together. The path forward may be simple or skilled and quite complex. We can move as individuals, or as multiples lacing quite complicated patterns, some over many years.

Finally, we all have a ‘Tapestry’ – Most commonly known as our tapestry of life. The intricate combination of the different people we are involved with, or we have met, blended with shared experiences or events to create a unified whole….our life!

Thus far I’m happy to report my tapestry has been richly woven although a few bare patches have undergone some patching along the way!

 

I certainly find it fascinating that these key life words are all textile/fibre related. Do you have interesting thought-provoking words flying around inside your head?

 

Ps….

With our venue described in detail via the phone, my EPH (Ever patient husband) did a great cartoon imagining us as….refined (dare I say it – aged) ladies receiving a guest!

Pps….

We have all agreed that hence forth….we will meet up every two years!!!