some ukes, some stitches and a slice of cake

We're setting some challenges for you at our Tuesday 19th February meeting .  We've invited members of the punk band 'The pUKES" to come along and teach some lucky people the ukelele, perfect for any of you who have a new year's resolution to learn a musical instrument!   There are only 12 ukes available, so if you have access to your own uke, do please bring it along so more people can join in. We're on the hunt to borrow more if we can - but no guitars please.  We're also offering a little craftivism.  The #imapiece project supports the Save the Children race Against Hunger campaign which urges our Prime Minister to  use his presidency of the G8 conference in 2013 to help to do something about the 2.3 millioin children who die each year because they do not get enough food.  The idea is that you send an embroidered message on a fabric jigsaw piece.  We'll bring the jigsaw pieces - all you have to do is sew your message.  You don't have to be an expert sewist but you may want to keep ithe message short!  This is a really lovely little project and we very much hope you will want to join in. 

As usual we meet at 7 for 7.30pm at St Margaret's House, Old Ford Road, E2 9PL.  Tea, coffee and light refreshments available, including wine (donations invited).  Visitors are asked to make a £3 donation towards costs.

Our coffee morning is at 10.30 am on Friday 22nd February at Fabrications in Broadway Market.  Fabrications is a shop/ workshop run by Barley Massey who has offered us space in her lovely Imaginarium to have tea, coffee, our own cake (so we know it will be good!) and some jo;;y company.  You can come along for the chat, bring some knitting or finish off your jigsaw piece.  Just turn up and join us.

personal power

My head was spinning a bit last night after John-Paul Flintoff's talk about how we can change the world.  All those inspiring stories about small steps building up into big changes.  I especially liked the idea of growing too many tomato seedlings and sharing them with your neighbours to encourage them to grow their own, and the fabulous reminder of how Rosa Parks changed the world because she'd just about had enough that day. I was very taken too with the process John-Paul took us through.  Find your spark, try getting your mates to help out with ideas, write them down, try small steps, watch them grow, change the world.  And as for the big reveal of that home-made shirt... it was a tour de force.

Big thanks to John-Paul for g-whizzing over to the East End and donating a copy of How to Change the World* to the honesty library at the Mill too (Isabel was delighted).  We hope you enjoy your marmalade, jam and Knit-Nurse's Granny's boiled fruit cake because we think that a decent piece of cake can make the world a better place too.

So come on people - how are you going to change the world? Let us know.

* you can borrow a copy at Tower Hamlets Idea Store