Take the last train to Oxfam and I'll meet you at the station...

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 29 July 2007 23:25:19

Today has been a lovely day. Along with some folks from my cell group (that's our church's term for house groups, before you worry that I've joined some terrorist network) I've been to Sandwell Country Park, just outside Birmingham. We had a lovely picnic and (as inevitably seems to happen when we all get together) ended up doing some very daft things indeed. Particularly daft was our attempt to hold an egg and spoon race, despite the fact that we had no eggs or spoons at our disposal. If ever you're planning a school sports day, I can thoroughly recommend a "cherry tomato and shortbread biscuit race"; just make sure no one's holding the tomato on with their thumb.

Anyway, once this ridiculousness was over, we went inside to look at the museum and farm. It's not that big in terms of what's there - some ducks, a few cows, lots of pigs, and a cat which bizarrely seemed to be the main source of excitement for most people - but it was fascinating to see how the farm is run. That said, the smells were quite strong, and on more than one occasion I had to walk away from the pigs because the aroma of poo was just too pungent. Then we went out into the kitchen garden at the back and looked at the various crops and vegetables growing (or spaces where they'd just been harvested) and for some reason I was quite moved looking at the many benches in the garden which had been dedicated to the memory of various regular visitors to the park by their relatives. Then I got followed out of the garden by a peacock which probably wasn't meant to be in there in the first place - I think he may have been looking for the ice cream vans out in the car park.

We finished off by popping into the cafe for a drink, and here little Becky came into her own. Becky is about three or four, and her parents have recently joined our cell. She is extremely cute and often very funny without trying to be, as in the cafe when she tried to work out who was married to who and who should get married to who (I am apparently not marrying anyone from my cell, it would appear). Becky then decided she was going to drive the train and Claire, who was lucky enough to be sitting behind her, would be her passenger. When Claire asked where the train was going, Becky stopped and thought for a while, before eventually deciding its destination was... Oxfam. No, not Oxford - Oxfam. So Claire asked how much the fare was to Oxfam and Becky told her it would be £40, and Claire stumped up some invisible money and Becky set off for Oxfam, making the appropriate train noises. On arriving at Oxfam all of about twenty seconds later, Sue asked where the train was going next and Becky told her it was going to Toys R Us, so Sue asked how much that would be and Becky said it was £1; at which point Claire was somewhat shocked at the incosistent pricing policies of the railways, and I suggested that if she ever wanted to go to Toys R Us in the future, she should get the bus to Oxfam and then catch the train from there, as it would save a lot of money.

Now, I've spent the last few years wondering and constantly changing my mind about whether I ever want to have children. After spending time with Becky today, I think I definitely do. Yes, I know it's not the same when you have other people's kids around - they're often better behaved in polite company, and if they're not it isn't your responsibility to discipline them and all that - but I'm just thinking the positives seem to outweigh the negatives. Of course, there are bits I wouldn't look forward to, like the pooey nappy stage and the terrible twos and the sulky teenage rebellion, but I reckon overall it'll be great. I'm probably not ready yet, but maybe in a few years' time...

Ahem. Enough broodiness already. Today was brilliant; good company, good weather (at last!) and a lot of laughs. What more could you want?