Happy New Year - fancy a walk?

Happy New Year to everyone in Surrey West. After an exciting and busy year in 2010 with so many things going on, now it really is back to real Guiding. This year we are going to focus on our volunteers to thank you for everything you do, and to help build a strong community of supporters. Without you all there is no Guiding - you are the most important people in Guiding and we shouldn't forget that.
We have 1600 volunteers in Surrey West and there is no way I can know you all. Neither can I send an email to everyone. So, I know it is late notice but it was in the last Weekly News although not everyone received it, do you want to join me for a walk on New Year's Day? If you would, then meet me at Waverley Abbey car park (or if it is closed, Crooksbury Hill) at 1130. We will work about 3 miles to Sands where we will stop at the Pub for lunch - they are doing an all day breakfast. The pub is dog friendly so bring yours along if you want. Then we will walk over Crooksbury Hill back - another 1.5 miles.
If you are going to be too busy partying to get up then have a fantastic time - don't drink too much and, if you are driving, please keep safe.

Happy Christmas

List of things still to do:

• Make stuffing
• Make stock for gravy
• Make mince pies
• Make red cabbage
• Cook ham for Boxing Day
• Clean cutlery
• Check we have enough napkins
• Make mother-in-law's bed
• Make bread
• Make non-alcoholic punches
• Read all the paper work just received from CHQ (Yes really)
• Deliver presents
• Go to a party in our close
• Move table into dining room to add to the one in there
• Move garden table into kitchen.

I may have forgotten something.

I hope you, like me, will find time to relax between Christmas and New Year. What ever you do, I hope it is a happy time for all of you.

Snow

Last Thursday 14 of us went to see the Railway Children at Waterloo Station. It was very well done and we had a fabulous time. We were lucky that the very bad weather hadn't set in properly so the trains were still running - had it been on Friday or at the weekend we may not have been so lucky.
That same evening my daughter returned from University with a friend due to fly home to KL at the weekend. And that is when Heathrow was, more or less, closed. As she hadn't seen her family for some time she was desperate to go home although we told her she was welcome to stay as long as necessary. We tend to have a revolving door policy in our house and are not often sure how many mouths we are feeding. However, she preferred to go to Terminal 4 and wait there on the off-chance of a flight. We loaded her up with a pack lunch and a sleeping bag. 24 hours later it seems she has got a flight although until she has actually taken off we shouldn't make assumptions. I am sure she will be home before Christmas though.
If I don't blog before Christmas, can I hope you have a happy and peaceful time.

Team Twenty Ten publicity

Today I received a copy of Girlguiding Today. I don't know what the circulation list is but I got it as a member of the QG database. There was a whole page on Team Twenty Ten and swimming the Channel. I don't know if you can get hold of a copy yourselves so I hope it will also be in Guiding magazine which, I understand, is due out shortly.
Well done - everyone and, yes, Lindsay, you are mad to want to do it again but solo.

Student protests

As I was walking to work today across Parliament Square the barricades were out again and police were being transported in - although I don't know if a student protest is expected today, it looked like there was something in the wind.
Looking back on the student protests in the past few weeks I believe that the right to protest is a sign of a democratic and civilised society. However, that does not include the right to violent protest which is why the protests last week were so disheartening. In the second protest there were pictures of a police van being attacked but a group of teenage girls took up position around the van to stop the violence. What courage that must have taken! Would you have stood up to a teenage boy (probably), angry and causing criminal damage? Yet these girls - who looked like they were school girls rather than university students - did it. What a great sign of good morals.
How sad that the criminal damage and defacing of national symbols last week got so much publicity. How much did it damage their cause?
The stronger message was the defence of Right NOT the attack on authority.

Every (snow)cloud has a silver lining

It might be cold and my son might be driving me mad throwing snowballs at the window but there is one bright spot - my floor is being installed two weeks early so will be finished well before Christmas. The fitter was due to work in Reigate but couldn't get up Reigate Hill in the snow so he reorganised to do our work. Of course it is quite noisy working from home with the drilling, sawing and hammering and I am contemplating sitting in garage for a conference call in a minute but at least it will be finished by the weekend.
I understand Margaret's op went well. Let's hope she makes a swift recovery on her new knee.