Cards for Good Causes

From 2001 to 2015, I worked alongside Jane.  We saw many changes to the charity that we worked for, lost funding, gained new contracts, moved building (twice), gained many more new staff and a lot of new customers; sadly, we also saw a number of staff and customers die over the years.  When I retired, Jane and I kept in contact through email, ‘snail mail’ and Twitter.  Jane has always shown a weird fascination with the Tea Towel Blog, Collection and, of course, the Museum.

This Christmas, Jane sent me a present (Tea Towel, of course) with a story and it is this story I wanted to post in the ChariTea Towel Collection:

“Dear Barbara,

The story of this tea towel.  I guess the influence comes from my Mum.  Mum loved to write letters (usually with a drawing by Mum attached).  Mum also loved taking care in selecting a nice card for people and especially sending Christmas cards.  So it would be Mum that first introduced me to buying Christmas cards from the “Cards for Good Causes” charity shop.

Every year, in Leicester, the shop has been in a variety of locations.  I think my favourite location was when they were in Leicester Cathedral and as I walked into the Cathedral, to the shop, a band was practising some Christmas carols for an evening concert there.  This made the browsing, and purchasing, of the cards very festive.

This year the shop was within the Bishop Street Methodist Church.  After enjoying a hot chocolate, and treating myself to a slice of chocolate cake there, I enjoyed purchasing my Charity Christmas cards, a pack to support the Alzheimer’s Society (in memory of Dad), a pack to support Age UK (who deserve much praise for their care of my Dad) and a pack to support Leicester Animal Aid (Mum loved supporting the animal charities).  Just as I was purchasing my cards at the till, the volunteer ladies in the shop had a problem with the till roll – so my eyes wandered back over the shop whilst they sorted it out.  There in the corner of my eye was the enclosed tea towel and a celebratory Tea Towel at that!  Instant thoughts: ‘Barbara would love that’ and then ‘so would I’, so I purchased one for you and one for me.  About time I had a few nice tea towels.  Enjoy Barbara and Merry Christmas!

Love Jane”

It’s not often I get a tea towel for me, with a great story.  I have found it difficult to get new additions for the ChariTea Towel Collection with a story.  What a great start to 2020.  Thank you Jane and a Happy New Year!