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First Impressions
was Jane Austen's original title for her novel, Pride and Prejudice. I
think most people agree that first impressions are important though they
can be misleading or inaccurate, often resulting in prejudice. However,
when first impressions are good, they colour the way we perceive people
and places in a positive way.
Some years ago, before we moved to Suffolk, we had a caravan on the cliffs
at Dunwich. One day, driving along the road from the A12 to Dunwich via
Westleton, we spotted a table with benches attached - perfect for outside
the caravan. It was for sale at £40.00 and there was an honesty
box. We liked it, thought it good value, and managed to scrape together
£40.00, but we needed to check that it would fit in the Volvo Estate
that we were using. Well, after much twisting and turning, we discovered
that the table was one centimetre too big, whichever way we tried to squeeze
it in.
As we were putting it back in position, the owner of the wood yard arrived
in his pick-up truck. We asked if it might be possible for him to deliver
the table to the caravan site for us - we'd be happy to pay. He looked
at us, then at the table, and was quiet for a few moments, then he said:
"£25.00 and I'll throw in delivery." I was confused.
"No, no, we're happy with the price. It's just that we couldn't fit
it in the car so we didn't put the money in the box straightaway."
"No," he said, "that's been there a little while so £25.00
is fine."
Eventually, we knocked him up to £30.00. But you can see how that
encounter, that first impression, coloured our view of Suffolk.
Another story: some friends in Nacton were having a visitor from London.
They had told her which bus to catch and which stop to get off at. She
duly asked the driver, who promised to tell her when they arrived at the
stop. Her friends had told her, roughly, how long it would take, so, when
it was five or six minutes over that time, she was getting anxious and
asked the driver if they were almost there. The driver had forgotten.
He was mortified and duly asked the other passengers how they felt about
taking the young lady back to her stop. They all agreed, the bus was turned
around, and she was taken the mile or so to where she should have been
dropped off originally. Another first impression!
All right, I know it doesn't always work like that and we've probably
all had some experience of less than honest, unhelpful people etc, but
in a cynical, self-motivated world, it's good to remember true stories
like this, and other kindnesses and good manners. Don't you think?
(We are grateful
to Jean Hardman of Willisham for this letter)
CHURCH FLOWER AND CLEANING ROTA
Somersham
Aug: 1, 8 Christine Jarrold
15, 22 Frances Southgate
29 Sept 5 Judith Newman
Sept 12, 19 Angie Osborn
26 Oct 3 Pat Woolhouse
Cleaning: Aug: Team
B Sept: Team C
Flowton
Aug: 1 Mrs. Ward
8, 15 Mrs. Munson
22, 29 Mrs. Laflin
Sept: 5, 12 Mrs. Fawcus
19, 26 Mrs. Grimwood
Oct: 3 Mrs. Ward
Cleaning: Aug: Mr.
and Mrs. K. Grimwood
Sept: Mr. and Mrs. Ward
Offton
Aug : 1 Mrs. Leita Minns
8, 15 Mrs. Maartje Rondeboom
22, 29 Mrs .Sue Pryke
Sept: 5, 12 Mrs. Anne Chapman
19, 26 Mrs. Silke Pinson-Roxburgh
Oct 3 Mrs. Sheila Pinson-Roxburgh
Cleaning: Aug: Mrs.
M. Rondeboom
Sept: Mrs. S. Pinson-Roxburgh
Willisham
Aug: 1, 8 Mrs. E. Hodson
15, 22 Mrs. J. Somerville
29, Sept 5 Mrs. T. Southall
Sept: 12, 19 Ms. J. Hardman
26 Mrs. M. Fisher
From
the Registers:
Christening:
Poppy Erin George
on 18th July. Daughter of Sarah Jarrold and Stephen George.
Confirmation
Phillippa Payne and
Jo Hakes were confirmed by the Right Reverend Jeremy Walsh in Needham
Market church on 4th July.
May they continue to grow in faith
Farewell to:
Maureen Goodess who funeral took place on 9th June followed by interment
in Flowton Churchyard.
Lilian Hnatiw who
died on the 9th June and was buried in Somersham on 17th June.
May they rest in peace
The Police to say
that there is to be a slight change in the faces we see around the area.
PC255 Tina Fairness will still be our Police Officer, but PCSO3090 Matthew
Brown will be keeping an eye on Somersham, Nettlestead, Offton, Willisham
and Barking,
and PCSO3183 Vince Whitrow will be around Bramford, Flowton, and Little
Blakenham.
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