Genorousitea...

Generositea

When Joel asked me to start to blog about Belfast I thought that it would be great to talk about individual Belfast people, which I will do over the next few months, but first i have to tell you about the generosity and warmth that has come into my tea room in the heart of the city. When I started Craft workshop I thought like any other job you do your work you supply a service you hope you get paid and nothing more. As the months progressed and my project came alive I have to be honest I could not have done it without some of the gifts and actions of some of the people who walked through my tea room door, I don't know what it is or how it really started but people started to come in and leave things as a curiousitea gift for other people to enjoy. Alot of the gifts are tea related on one morning I was so moved as three cardboard boxes full of stunning china had been left by three different people.Two little old ladies left two of boxes{heavens knows how they got them in there and the other? I don't know. We use the china in our tea room, I have lost count of the amount of people that have brought in tea pots, jugs, cutlery all of which we use to serve our exquisite tea and butter your Veda with! Unbelievably and much to my annoyance I will never know who has left what as some items have been left with no name, no note, just given.Other curiousity items are antiques,apples and items from old Belfast.The banter and fond memories from people chatting who never met before they came into the tearoom is really heartwarming and really great craic..It reminds me sometimes of sitting in a pub in Donegal where anyone talks to anyone all we need is the turf fire!I get an education working in the tearoom.It makes me smile. I have plenty of ladies and gents over 70 who call in for tea and chat sitting amongst students and ladies that lunch-they are hilarious and full of forgotten knowledge.{Ill blog about them another time} I could listen all day but I have to work! If you didn't already know Craft workshop is situated inside Parsons building, our front door is the entrance to it, we get lots of business men and grooms etc walking through our crazy shop. Some of the gentlemen who have strolled in have called back in a week later with a gift for Craft workshop. Believe it or not I wished for a stags head for our Crafty Manor tea room. Well come and see the one on the wall! A very successful business man carried it under his arm and gave to us as a gift, I was flabbergasted! -still am All these things I didn't plan, all these people I didn't ask, its just happened and it has become the back bone and the character of the business which is quite frankly hard to put into words.I hope I have intrigued you enough to come take a peek and munch on an armagh apple{another blog about the apples soon-the shops covered in them}
I guess what I am trying to say is there are good people out there who want to see someone or something do well in Belfast and isn't it great? They could be your workmate or your neighbour or maybe its you! Well whoever you are thanks for the china and come in for a cuppa tea soon..its belter working in our tearoom! lots of craft, crafty ;o)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkAV7j1BJG0