1^st April 2018

Dear All,

Street Pastors last night was chilly and damp but not quite as busy as expected for pay day and a Bank Holiday. At the beginning of the week we had teams of four for both the patrol and the cafe, plus a prayer pastor, however three people dropped out during the week so we were down to the bare minimum of three for each activity. During the first patrol we were summoned to Fez in Market Passage to tend a large youth who was heavily intoxicated, incoherent and vomiting profusely. As there was no prospect of a taxi taking him home his parents were summoned from Cottenham and when they eventually arrived it took four of us to load him into the car. The main highlight from the rest of the evening was the appearance of Neil Carpenter, who had been imprisoned for attacking a Street Pastor. He was very loud but fortunately affable and followed us for some time entertaining us with improbable stories. Otherwise it was reasonably peaceful but when we went to the Café at the end of the night they had been left a dog by a street life character who then disappeared! – what to do with a dog on a lead with a quilted coat at 3.30 am? We decided to walk him round town to try and find his owner. Fortunately again the first rough sleeper we encountered said he knew who he belonged to and took him off our hands!

The main activity this weekend has been joining the cricket club repainting the pavilion. New cupboards and surfaces have been installed and the walls painted two shades of grey. 13 turned up to help on the first day – an instance of quantity rather than quality but with only three the second day it was the reverse!

The walk on Thursday started at Great Easton near Stanstead and took in Monk Street, Little Cambridge and Tilty. There was plenty of mud after a wet week but also plenty of spring flowers – daffodils, primroses, violets, celandines and hawthorn. The River Chelmer had flooded fields on either side and often the pathway too.

By the Chelmer

Tilty Water Mill

Tilty Church

Hawthorn

Threatening Hedge!

We had another funeral on Tuesday. Bernard married Pat and joined the walking group three years ago after they met via a dating web site. Sadly he contacted cancer after a couple of years.

Love

Mike & Kate