by Admin | 29 Sep 2024 | FRONT PAGE NEWS, latest, volunteering
Imagine stepping into the cosy, aromatic haven of a community café nestled within the heart of Cricklewood. The scent of freshly ground coffee beans mingles with the sweet and spicy cakey aroomas, creating an irresistible invitation that beckons you to come closer. Now, picture yourself not just as a visitor, but as a volunteer barista, crafting these delightful experiences for your neighbours.
You might be seeking new ways to fill your days with purpose and joy. Volunteering as a barista offers the perfect blend of satisfaction and new skill development. Every cup of coffee you prepare becomes an opportunity to learn and grow, from mastering the art of creating the perfect espresso shot to frothing milk into a creamy, cloud-like consistency. The process is as rewarding as it is enjoyable, with each step providing a tangible sense of accomplishment.
But it’s not just about the coffee. It’s about the community. The café, located conveniently in the library, serves as a vibrant hub for Cricklewood’s residents. Here, you’ll meet people from all walks of life, each with their own story to share. You’ll find yourself building connections, one smile and one conversation at a time. The camaraderie among fellow volunteers and patrons alike fosters a sense of belonging and support that is truly heartwarming.
Imagine the satisfaction of seeing a regular’s face light up when you remember their favourite order, or the joy of a newcomer discovering their new go-to drink, thanks to your recommendation. These small moments of connection can brighten anyone’s day, including your own.
Full training will be given, and you can do this at your own pace. Please ask any barista for more details – they’ll be happy to advise, and to share what volunteering means to them. Alternatively, complete the volunteering form here and I’ll be in touch to discuss.
by Admin | 26 Sep 2024 | activities, FRONT PAGE NEWS
This free taster workshop will be led by experienced Accredited Forest Bathing Guide, Elisabetta Murgia of Bluebells Forest Bathing.
Follow Elisabetta on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn.
Forest Bathing is an immersive and meditative experience in nature that improves our wellbeing. When taking groups to a forest, Elisabetta helps people to slow down, to stay silent, to connect to nature, to feel more of their sensations, more of their body and less of their racing thoughts. She uses breathing techniques and sensory exercises to slow down the nervous system and gain a sense of relaxation and peace. While connecting with nature, we can connect more with our inner self; this experience can arouse emotional and personal reflections along with creativity and heartfelt desires. Elisabetta works with nature to create a safe and supportive environment.
Meet at the library at 0900 on Saturday 23 November for introductory talk. The session will move to Gladstone Park around 1030. Please wear suitable warm clothing for the weather!
Head over to our Events page to reserve your free place.
by Admin | 28 Aug 2024 | events
Due to popular demand, we are delighted to be joined for a third visit by the charming and talented Lacuna Trio. Lacuna are made up of Jo Taylor (vocals, clarinet), Sarah Jane Rimmer (vocals, banjo) and Malcolm Thacker (vocals, guitar). Formed in the strange hiatus caused by the pandemic, Lacuna trio provide catchy, folky tunes, thoughtful lyrics and pure, clear vocals, and are becoming firm favourites on the booming alternative folk music circuit.
This concert sold out last time, so don’t delay – get yours today!
Doors open 1900, music starts 1930. There will be a short interval at 8pm. Music finishes 9pm.
Don’t forget to order your pizza!
by Admin | 27 Jul 2024 | events
We have something a little different for you this month.
British-Canadian soprano Margarita Wood began her music studies in Nova Scotia, where she was raised. She holds a Master’s of Music in Performance and Literature from Western University, and in 2017, completed the International Artist Diploma at the Royal Northern College of Music.
Roles have included Iris (Semele), Gabrielle (La Vie Parisienne), Rodelinda (Rodelinda), Valencienne (The Merry Widow), Cupid (Orpheus in the Underworld), Nella (Gianni Schicchi) and Queen of the Night (The Magic Flute).
Rita has been the recipient of the Dr. Don Wright Scholarship for excellence in music, the Richard Newitt Fund, the Leverhulme Arts Trust and of the Nova Scotia Talent Trust Scholarship. At the RNCM she was awarded the Clare Croiza Prize for French Song.
Scottish tenor Michael Gibson is in his second year as a member of the Jette Parker Artists Programme at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Roles in the coming season include Borsa (Rigoletto), Young Servant (Elektra), Normanno (Lucia di Lamermoor) and Pong (Turandot) in the Royal Opera House’s 2024 tour of Japan.
In the 22/23 season, mainstage roles included Heinrich (Tannhäuser), Pong (Turandot), Gastone (La Traviata) and Ruiz (Il Trovatore) and in the Linbury Theatre, Male Chorus (The Rape of Lucretia) and Varo (Arminio).
Michael and Rita will be accompanied by conductor, pianist, répétiteur and organist Edward Reeve on piano.
Edward joined the Jette Parker Artists Programme in the 2022/23 Season. Over his two seasons at the Royal Opera House he has worked as assistant conductor on Jephtha, Madama Butterfly, Tosca, Turandot and The Rape of Lucretia, and as répétiteur on Don Carlo, Tannhäuser, Das Rheingold, La Bohème, Elektra and Wozzeck. Edward has previously worked at the Bayreuth Festival as Assistant Chorus Master on all their operas featuring chorus, and he has appeared regularly on the Music Staff at Glyndebourne since 2018. Edward was Organ Scholar at Queens’ College, Cambridge, graduating with a Double Starred First in Music in June 2017. He subsequently completed a PhD there in the orchestration of Wagner’s operas as the Aliki Vatikioti Graduate Scholar.
The programme will include works by Quilter, Liszt and Britten.
Pizzas are available as usual. Head over to our box office to reserve your tickets.
by Admin | 22 Jul 2024 | Cricklereaders, Cricklereaders Read
In August the group is reading Before the Coffee Gets Cold, the million copy selling Japanese cult read.
Deftly written and nimbly translated, Kawaguchi’s life-affirming tale of café-based time travel and symbolic hot beverages has all the hallmarks of a beloved cult classic.
What would you change if you could go back in time?
In a small back alley in Tokyo, there is a cafe which has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But this coffee shop offers its customers a unique experience: the chance to travel back in time.
In Before the Coffee Gets Cold, we meet four visitors, each of whom is hoping to make use of the cafe’s time-travelling offer, in order to: confront the man who left them, receive a letter from their husband whose memory has been taken by early onset Alzheimer’s, to see their sister one last time, and to meet the daughter they never got the chance to know.
But the journey into the past does not come without risks: customers must sit in a particular seat, they cannot leave the cafe, and finally, they must return to the present before the coffee gets cold . . .
Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s beautiful, moving story – translated from Japanese by Geoffrey Trousselot – explores the age-old question: what would you change if you could travel back in time? More importantly, who would you want to meet, maybe for one last time?
Meet at 1030 in the library to discuss!
