On Saturday evening, a local choir gave their annual summer concert in my church, to raise money for charity. In preparation for this event, the ladies of the church were asked to prepare eats for the after-party. I would normally contribute to this. (I’m not the greatest caterer, but I did once make a tray of chocolate-coated strawberries for this event, which went down a treat.) However, this year I couldn’t contribute, because of my temporary physical impairment. So I decided that, instead, I would contribute one of my artworks as a raffle prize. I’m not in the habit of giving my artworks away - frankly, they’re worth too much to me, a lot of work goes into them and I do need to be paid for them - but sometimes, of course, there’s great pleasure in making an exception. This time I felt the need to make a generous gesture, because I couldn’t contribute in other ways. So I chose to donate ‘Harvest Sentinels’, an original linocut print from a limited edition, depicting local scenery only a stone’s throw away from the concert venue.

It was a very warm, humid evening. The choir sounded very good, but the musical director had to allow frequent breaks for the singers to have a sit-down and a sip from their water bottles. The audience was a bit thin, due to an unforeseen clash with a local pop-up cinema event (who knew that the village ladies of a certain age were such fans of Bill Nighy?) and also probably due to the heat. However, we all tapped our feet happily to a Beatles tribute and a rendition of ‘Stand By Me’.
I was asked to make a little speech at the end, to thank the choir on behalf of the church. I did this successfully, without making any reference to the fact that I was supposed to be in their number. (My injury had precluded me from attending the critical last few choir rehearsals.)
And so to the after-party and the raffle draw. There was my ‘Harvest Sentinels’ print, propped on the prize table amongst many default bottles of wine, a large box of chocolates and a stack of citronella candles. I had wondered to myself: What if no one likes my print and it is left on the table like the last teddy on the shelf? That would be embarrassing. It even occurred to me to claim the print back if one of my raffle ticket numbers was called! (Nah, I wouldn’t really do that.)
The first winning ticket was drawn from the ‘hat’ by the church warden. The ticket belonged to Vera, first soprano (and reliable sustainer of challenging high notes) who happened to be sitting right next to the prize table. She got up to bend over the table and selected… my ‘Harvest Sentinels’ print!
I was pleased, proud and relieved - no embarrassing last-teddy-on-the-shelf scenario for me - and glad that the print went to Vera, a lady well known to me, who fairly recently lost her elderly husband in traumatic circumstances and who I have always rather admired, because she is bright-eyed and attractive despite her advanced years. She came across to thank me for the print and said that she intended to have it framed and put it up in her home paired with another black and white item she has.
So all’s well that ends well, and after consuming a few spicy crisps, a wrinkled cocktail sausage, a piece of celery and some apple juice (and watching a little boy stuff his face with half the available cucumber pieces) I walked home with a neighbour. A warm summer evening, and aren’t the roses especially good this year? It must be all that rain we had in early spring…
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