This week’s Story Starter won’t fail to raise a smile!
Last Friday, some of us from the “Friend” team headed into Dundee, home of “The People’s Friend”, to meet our Close Knit Friends yarn-bombed bus as it arrived in the city.
The cheerily coloured bus had driven all the way up from the south of England to spread a little happiness, and a message of hope and friendship.
The bus was the result of a collaboration between the “Friend”, Stagecoach, and Re-engage, a charity committed to combatting loneliness among the over 65s.
Textile artist Emma Leith covered the bus in cheering yarn patterns. You can read all about Emma here.
With day-to-day life being a little uncertain at the moment, local lockdowns, and changing restrictions on visiting one another, loneliness is something many people may be feeling at this time.
So our aim was to raise awareness of the Re-engage charity, whilst bringing a smile — and some copies of “The People’s Friend” — to the nation!
We asked the nation’s knitters to send in a triangle of knitted bunting . . . and our 40-foot single-decker bus was bedecked with bunting, pom-poms and crocheted squares. Even Marmalade the office cat made an appearance!
The bus delivered cheering “Friends” to care homes up and down the country, at the same time collecting funds for Re-engage’s new telephone befriending service, “Call Companions”, which aims to keep us all connected.
Can this help spark a story idea this week?
Brightening a day. Bringing a smile. Sharing a moment of joy.
Bringing a message of hope.
Reminding each other that we’re not alone. One of our poets, John Darley, did just that for us with his poem, “Not Alone”. You can read that here.
Knitting. Crochet. Bunting.
Life being better when shared with a friend. Combatting loneliness. Yarn bombing. It’s putting me in mind a little of the wonderful Christo and Jeanne-Claude.
Messages of friendship.
Travelling the length and breadth of the country. In this case, from Torquay to Dundee — home of the “Friend”.
Going on tour.
And, of course, coming home.
Looking for more writing inspiration? Click here to pick out another Story Starter.
Lucy Crichton Better known as “Fiction Editor Lucy”, I am always on the look-out for the very best short stories, poems and pocket novels. As well as sourcing enjoyable content, I enjoy working with our established contributors, encouraging new talent, and celebrating 155 years of “Friend” fiction!
