Love Is All Around Us

Four weeks ago I mentioned in this blog that a resident of Pilsdon had fallen foul of the golden rule of Pilsdon and was asked to leave. In the last week, three more residents have left, leaving us a slightly quieter and smaller community. Of these three, one of them (a recently arrived guest) broke the same rule. The other two, however, committed a different but equally serious offence, which is known variously as “forming a relationship”, “becoming an item” or simply “going out with each other”.

One of these loved-up offenders happens to be my co-gardener, and until fairly recently the only other volunteer here. He has taught me everything I know about vegetable growing (i.e. not that much). For the sake of argument we’ll call him Geoff. His partner-in-crime was for much of her year here the only female guest at Pilsdon. For the sake of another argument, let’s call her Linda.  I’m sure there will be an argument about these pseudonyms. Both in their late twenties, they were subject to a certain amount of gentle rumour-mongering well before they “came out” due to the amount of time they spent together; rumours which turn out to have had a very solid basis in truth.

There are of course valid reasons why Pilsdon has to have such a policy on newly-formed sexual relationships within the community, it being a place where sometimes quite vulnerable people find security.  This policy does not extend to couples already married when they join, hence we have two sets of wedded couples as members already and another planning to arrive next month (bringing with them a couple of young boys to increase the noise and mess quotient). To my knowledge no two secret lovebirds have tried to test the limits of this policy and slip off quietly to the registry office, returning to announce both their love for each other and the fact that they are now husband and wife.

Geoff and Linda were given a good send-off with a card signed by us all and hampers packed full of hand-made gifts and whatever garden produce I could find still growing. They haven’t gone far, having rented a flat just a few miles down the road to Bridport, and plan to pop back in every so often.  We shall miss them though as they brought so much to the community.  Over the months I’ve been here they have become good friends of mine, as well as regular canasta sparring partners.  Linda showed me how to use the potter’s wheel and the spinning wheel. Geoff and I formed a solid working relationship in the garden, splitting some tasks and sharing others, although the nearest he got to dealing with the slug problem was buying me a set of instructions on how to eliminate them.  Linda was the recorder player in the Wind Band, and both have been members of Activist Club since its inception. Both these groups are sadly now somewhat struggling due to low numbers.

The other major news this week is that baby River has begun to crawl! Many of us were in the Common Room for the “Tea and Toast” afternoon break, the wood fire roaring in the grate, and River placed in the middle on the floor. He showed off his slow rolls sidewise first, and then with the encouragement of a plastic pig being tapped insistently out of reach, he moved through various yoga positions - the Pigeon, Downward Facing Dog. Having performed these yogic stretches he proceeded to lurch forward on his hands and knees, looking around in astonishment at the applause that burst out across the room, before grabbing the pig and shoving it in his mouth. The clever lad is definitely not a vegetarian.

P.S.

After having written the above, I met with Geoff and Linda for dinner and they both said they were very happy for me to use their real names. However I rather like the names Geoff and Linda so I've left the posting as is. I may decide to reveal their actual names at some later point, if there is sufficient clamour from the readership. Express your opinion in the comments box below!