Page 25 of The Seaside Supper Club

With no time like the present, she dialled the number for the Kirkton Care Home, ready to check the date with them. Fingers crossed once again.

*

Cath felt a little nervous as she waited for the call to be answered.

‘Hi, it’s Cath Taylor, can I speak with Julie, please?’ Julie was the care home manager, a lovely lady who kept a tight ship, as well as having a heart of gold.

‘Hi Cath, it’s Linda. I’ll just pop you through.’

A click and a pause, and then Julie’s voice came through. ‘Morning, Cath. And how are you?’

‘I’m good, thanks.’

‘Are you calling in to see us this week?’

‘Of course. Can’t let Reggie and the others down. That’s exactly why I’m phoning, actually. We’ve had an idea, myself and the supper group that is, with more than a little prompting from your residents, too.’ She couldn’t help but grin, as she pictured all those eager faces.

‘Oh, tell me more …’

‘Well, as the Christmas lunch went off so well, lots of your residents keep talking about it. In fact, several have been asking for another event …’

‘Hah, they’re not backwards in coming forward, are they.’ Julie chuckled. ‘And yes, I’ve heard them talking about it too. They so enjoyed it.’

‘Well, I suppose when time’s at a premium, you have to pack it all in while you can,’ Cath agreed with a smile. ‘Anyway, after chatting with our group, we’d love to host another social event. And this time we’ve come up with a summertime afternoon tea.’

‘Now that sounds a delightful idea. How wonderful.’

Cath was cheered by her positive reaction. ‘And if, like last time, you could organise transport over to the Tilldale Village Hall, then we’d be happy to host the tea and cover all the other expenses.’ She realised that she hadn’t actually discussed this directly with the group, but they had done it as a charity event last time. It felt right to continue in the same vein. Fundraising was going to be the next task on her growing list. ‘We need to set a date. I’ve pencilled something in with the village hall and was wondering if Sunday, third of August might work?’ She held her breath, knowing that was the only Sunday left in the village hall calendar for the whole of August.

‘Uhm, give me a mo. We’ve got a diary system on the computer here. Oh …’ The line went quiet for a second or two.

‘Ahm, it’s just that a Sunday’s better for our helpers,’ Cath explained. ‘Several have businesses that open during the rest of the week.’

‘Yes, I can quite understand that, and we’re so grateful to you all putting yourselves out to host another function, but … oh dear, yes, we seem to have a clash of dates. There’s already a residents’ outing booked for that day. We’re going on trip to Seahouses for fish and chips. It’s been set in the diary for a while, and a deposit has already been paid for it. Now let’s see …’ There was a short pause before Julie added, ‘We can certainly do the Sunday after?’

‘Ah, that’s booked up already. The village hall’s become very popular, which is great, but it means we’re limited to dates. It would be so lovely to host the event there again, and support our village community, though.’ After all the hard work they’d put in last year with its renovation, it seemed a shame to have to use somewhere else. The newly revived hall felt so personal to them all. It was a part of their community.

‘Yes, of course. What a shame about the timings,’ said Julie.

‘Don’t worry, I’ll just have to go back to the drawing board. Are there any alternative Sundays that might work, perhaps early July,’ she mooted. ‘Or possibly a Saturday.’ A Saturday would cause all kinds of issues for the shop lads and Will, Cath mused, but she really wasn’t sure where to go with this now. Lily had mentioned her family holiday planned at the end of July, and if she made the date any earlier in the summer, then that would leave exam-laden Lily out of the equation. With Lily being the baking queen, and so excited about the whole thing, it didn’t seem fair to miss her out.

Julie mooted a couple of alternative dates, which Cath noted, but knew she’d have to discuss them with her supper team. With so much happening between them all, it was going to be a bit of a juggle, and inevitably someone might not be able to help on the day, putting further pressure on the others. But she was not going to let herself feel deflated.

The pair of them then had a brief chat about the latest escapades at the home, with Cath closing the conversation with, ‘Okay then, leave it with me.’ Trying to sound bright and cheery, despite her hopes having been somewhat dashed. ‘I’ll go back to the drawing board, speak to the team, and try and get a date that suits us all.’

She’d have to put out a message to the supper clubbers, and have a further chat with Veronica. With timings and logistics to consider for the home, the hall and all six of them, the challenge was on.

*

The next day, after speaking with Veronica and pencilling in an alternative Saturday in August and a possible Sunday in early July, Cath held a video call with the supper group early evening, to discuss the date dilemma they were faced with.

Cath explained the care home’s diary clash for the Tilldale Afternoon Tea, and then mooted the Saturday date, with Andreas responding apologetically, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry, petal, I really wanted to make this event work, but Saturdays in summer are so difficult to cover for the shop. And you’re our usual port of call, so that won’t help at all.’

‘Yes, we’d have to bow out on the Saturday date,’ Dan confirmed.

‘Okay, yes, I knew a Saturday was a long shot. It wouldn’t have been good for you, nor Will either, so that leaves the first Sunday in July then,’ Cath proposed.

Will then piped up, ‘Sorry, I’ve got a big cycling event on that day, The Cheviot Challenge. I’m booked to be on hand as a marshal, and I’m the main man on the mobile cycle repair squad – well, that’s basically me and Josh. We’ve done it for the past ten years.’