COINCIDENCE? Chance? I wonder? I relocated to Helmsley from London in February of this year. I had been visiting Ampleforth Abbey for the past three years, where I now work, voluntarily, on the gardening team.

As you might know, there has been a great deal of uncertainty regarding local bus services; in particular the 31X, which is my bus. I thought that it was high time that I invested in a local paper in order, not just to find out if there would be any news of the bus dispute, but also to make myself conversant with the local and district news and events.

I was most surprised and very interested to see the photograph in the Gazette & Herald on October 1 of Pickering County Junior Schools sponsored spelling bee in aid of Dr Barnardos.

Settling in to a country town has been rather difficult for me, after my very hectic life in Redbridge (which calls itself London). However, I am now on the parish team of St Mary’s Church and have joined the extremely active WI group, where I have already been slotted in to do a talk and small display in March. I specialise in knitting from the 1930s to the early 1950s.

I found your newspaper very interesting with something for almost every taste – the leader on Dickens appealed to me; also the letters page.

I am enclosing a poem I wrote about the Barnardo Reunions, and indeed about reunions in general:

The sounds of welcome; conversation,

Recalling far off years.

Fellowship and celebration,

The laughter and the tears.

We talk so much, we all have tales

To tell of long ago,

“Remember this,” “remember that”

A glance, a smile, “Hello”.

Old photographs show many faces,

Some with us, some now absent,

We point out once-familiar places

And wonder where the time went.

Strolling through the grounds at noon

In friendly groups, and taking

Photographs of church and pals;

New memories in the making.

But, pause a while, and bring to mind

Those who have passed away.

Their youthful faces, fresh, unlined

Are with us still today.

Turn the lights out, say “goodbye”

Another year has gone

But, shaking hands, our hopes are high

For the next reunion.

Suzan Widmark, Helmsley