Almost a whole month has gone by since I posted anything here. And I can't say its because I have been busier. Or can I?  The weather has taken a definite downward turn, so the garden and the allotment are definitely in the background at the moment. Tho' 10 or so bags of weeds do keep calling me to move them.

Just what have I been up to in the last 4 weeks? I thought it might be interesting to make a list and then review,  whether in my view, it is enough activity- or not!

2 sessions in Elizabeth Gaskell's garden- planting bulbs and clearing leaves.
4 full days in the house- running the tea room and room-stewarding. Last week, 8 members of my reading group came for a visit, so I showed them round and entertained them to tea and cake. When Elizabeth Gaskell moved in to Plymouth Grove, she said she wanted the house to give pleasure to others.  That spirit seems to be being revived satisfactorily.

In the interests of increasing my knowledge I attended a showing of Gaskell manuscripts at John Rylands library. As always, on these occasions, the knowledge of other Gaskell Society members put me to shame. I wonder if I will ever be as expert? Not without reading alot more I won't!

And finally on the Gaskell-front I put in an extra helping session at a visit by the Lancs & Cheshire Antiquarian Society last Saturday. Helping was minimal, so I was able to sit in  on a couple of talks. This is the great side of volunteering- it is, at its best, mutually beneficial. I get to gradually learn more about a writer that I am interested in- and at the same time can help others to discover her as well.

Has there been anything else? Well, our local independent cinema has recently reopened and needed to be visited. In the last month I have been twice, to see Suffragette and a collection of archive footage of the suffragettes and their context- odd little film that! I missed both Hamlet and A Winter's Tale for different reasons- will have to learn to book up in advance as the venue is proving very popular.

2 outings with "old" library friends i.e. good friends as opposed to aged ones. Once in my current favourite cafe Sugar Junction, once to new Tapas Restaurant Lunya- both v enjoyable. Also a lovely meal out locallywith good friends, ostensibly for my birthday which was months ago. That really is the birthday over and done with now!

We went to Leeds to visit the son and heir and attended a concert by the Hepton Singers in Chetham's Baronial Hall which was lovely. Last Sunday we had our occasional Christmas outing to Little Moreton Hall- always a lovely place to go at Christmas time (or any other). I can recommend their cafe highly. Expensive of course, unless you are National Trust Members

And otherwise- shopping ! Visiting Mum, starting to write Christmas Cards, reading (am just getting stuck into Purity by Jonathan Franzen)- and a tiny-weeny bit of housework.

I'm glad I've written all that down.It looks like quite a lot of activity and a pretty sociable month too. One of the anxieties about finishing work is  that one might get cut off from other people, That doesn't  seem to be something I need to worry about at the moment.

I think a new year resolution will be taken about another volunteering role -more on that later. In the meantime- time to get festive!