I can’t believe that a whole week has gone by and I haven’t had time to tell you how my charity tea went!

I managed to get the tea towels printed through the help of a fab chap in Folkstone and dashed over there on Tuesday afternoon to collect them. Nobby had done us proud and produced fantastic big towels with the logo just as I’d wanted it!
I spent the whole of Wednesday getting the garden and furniture ready for the great day. I discovered where all the cushions had been hidden -by me, of course, but things get moved by others! That’s my excuse anyway! I finished off some cakes, making more as I panicked incase we didn’t have enough…my friend Sandra came with her cakes and told me not to make any more! ( I didn’t listen and she was right! She has more experience of these things!)
Some of the committee popped round at tea time with more cakes, and we sat on my swing and enjoyed the glorious sunshine, whilst I kept spotting things I wish I’d done!

Thursday dawned with fantastic weather!…well, let’s face it, with my Mother and Daughter nagging him God didn’t stand a chance on the weather front! My darling friends popped round to help and I had a ‘mild’ headless chicken moment when I couldn’t remember how to make icing for the cakes….yes, I know now how simple butter icing is, but I didn’t then cos of panic, OK?! Sandra came to the rescue with her vast experience of doing cricket teas and whipped up all we needed!
The farmer had very sweetly mowed the opposite verge under the trees for people to park, and all the signs were up with directions…

I was so grateful to the loads of friends and others who came to the tea party, spent money and enjoyed my terrace…I saw old friends I hadn’t seen for ages, met new ones visiting from overseas, heard stories of loss and recovery which made me want to hug everyone, and cry at the same time. My fantastic friends took over serving teas and cake so I could chat to people, and made the whole thing a huge success!

We raised just over £700 for Teenage Cancer Trust, and I am so proud, and happy that my first charity do here was a success. It taught me to have a go again, and what wonderful friends I have…though I know that already!

I think Ally had a great time too, watching us from wherever she is, knowing that through our fun we are helping to build special units so that other teenagers won’t have to go through the hell of hospital wards as she did, and will be surrounded by others in the same predicament.

So thank you those who came, those who donated, and those of you reading this who will go to the Teenage Cancer Website to learn more from this site, and perhaps will help us.
Thank you.