From the time of arrival here in the pretty village of Iden I have felt the warmth of the community.
Being part of any community is a wonderful safety blanket. It is satisfying to be secure in the knowledge that there is always someone to turn to in an hour of need. Someone to give a friendly smile as you pass in the street. Someone to exchange a cheery good morning / afternoon with. Someone to agree with about how awful, or nice, the weather is.
In these uncertain times it is reassuring to know that there is a support network to be tapped into if needed. Since I was fairly recently widowed, I have found it very easy to become integrated into the community. Easy because I have been welcomed and encouraged to do so.
Of course, it always helps to give the first hand, I firmly believe in the dictum “Do unto others as you would wish others to do unto you”. A warm smile given is usually rewarded with a warm smile in return. A gesture of kindness often returned twofold.
In essence, I believe a community means that, although everyone within the community has their own lives to live, their own agendas to satisfy, it is not to the exclusion of being open minded and welcoming to others.
Besides the church, the pub and the village stores, the village hall is often the heart of a village and the village hall of Iden is no exception. Sterling efforts go into ensuring there are many options open for villagers to partake in different events. Regular events include a bingo night, a fortnightly pop-in and, of course, no village would be without its Women’s Institute and the wonderful work they do.
In the summer, an afternoon tea was held and very well attended. Recently, a very moving service was held at the historic war memorial on Remembrance Sunday, followed by a wonderful exhibition in the village hall with details of all those lost during both the first and second world wars. Even more recently, a quiz night with supper was very well attended and made for a most enjoyable evening.
Personally, joining and taking part in the weekly short mat bowls group has given me much pleasure, that and the pop-in gatherings have proven to be great sources of enlarging the group of people I can now count on as friends, as well as being a source of enriching my life.
Image Credits: Jan Hook .