A few years ago, my daughter was chosen by her teacher for a year’s worth of theatre training in association with the Garage Theatre. It has helped so much with her confidence, social skills and relationships. So grateful.
There have been feelings of why we were chosen. What kindness to know, though, that others cared and my daughter has blossomed so much since.
Every year at Christmas we put a few fairy lights on the little trees in our garden, and year by year we add another bauble or two. We do it to bring a little happiness to our ordinary corner of our village. When we first did it, when we moved here 14 years ago, the lights were ripped out and thrown in a nearby hedge by an unknown nasty person or persons. I went out and bought some more the next day and replaced them. This happened for the first three years. But we moved them each time a bit further back, out of reach.
I broke my glasses and hit my head. A group of students crossing at the same time helped me up and rescued the pieces of my glasses. Luckily I knew I hadn’t broken any bones. I crossed the road and a man offered to call an ambulance, but I felt I didn’t need one. He walked me to a short way towards Euston to make sure I felt okay to continue.
It was so kind and unexpected of him and lovely of the students to stop and help me up and cross the road.
A long time ago, I was travelling in Ireland in the days when bank cards didn’t work abroad and there were no mobile phones.
My boyfriend and I ran out of money and realised we would have to head for the next ferry. We hitched from Cork to Dublin, but missed the 11am ferry and had 12 hours with no money and nothing to eat.
A kind cafe owner took pity on us and gave us a nice plate of sandwiches, cake and a pot of tea–all for nothing! Now that’s a real Irish generosity for you.
Having moved from hectic London with a three-day old baby and a boy just about to start school, Norwich has inspired me by its kindness. People chat to each other. Its creativity has inspired me to be myself and to be bold and do what I love, make, and inspire confidence. So thank you Norwich, you’re one of a kind!
I had just moved to Germany and was feeling very homesick. One day, I wandered up to a church. The service had finished and the vicar came out, saw me and started chatting. I told him I was experiencing homesickness. He invited me to have lunch with him, his wife and his son. I never saw them again after this, but have never forgotten their hospitality that day.