Alan Dearling offers his ‘Thought for the Day’, musing a little on the above…
People are different. Or, as Jim Morrison sang, from the rock band, The Doors: “People are strange…when you’re a stranger, People look ugly when you’re alone.” People are culturally, physically, socially, sexually and economically diverse.
So, what does being part of a community mean?
Is it the same as being a member of an extended family?
What does being tolerant look and feel like?
The market town of Todmorden in the Calderdale Valley of West Yorkshire, on the border with Lancashire, has quite an amazing reputation as being at a place that celebrates its ‘kindness’. At least, many of its residents proactively put on events which are publicised as being celebrations of kindness and community.
Yet again, December 25th 2024 brought the Community Christmas event with free food for anyone who wanted to attend. At times, it was jam-packed. There was apparently something like 350 people who attended the Community Christmas meal at the non-denominational, Todmorden Unitarian Church. It’s an event which just gets bigger every year… Probably over a hundred volunteers take part in sourcing food, prepping and cooking and serving up the rich variety of veggie, vegan and meat-based food. Some of the attendees brought their own food offerings and drinks to share. The big surge of Xmas meals starts from noon.
I arrived just after 1pm after the main serving of meals, but plenty more people were still flowing into the impressive church. Many more went down to the nearby Golden Lion pub venue for more food and to partake in drinks, fun and dancing. Many made donations towards the food and bought drinks for some of those less well-heeled. The Golden Lion event morphs on from the community meal at the nearby Unitarian Church, and continued well into the night with music and djs.
Before, during and after the event, I have continued to ruminate about how Tod (Todmorden) is made up of many communities of people. The core of the community meal organisers and attendees know each other, socialise together, and love to dance. Many are also involved in the organisations which co-ordinate local community food planting and growing, clean-ups and the local food banks. Incredible Edible is the best known, saying that : “We grow fruit, herbs and vegetables for everyone to share all around Todmorden. We also run a wide range of events that help strengthen the local community. We champion other great local causes and help out whenever we can. Either with people power or finances. It’s not just about gardening! We’re particularly proud of three local initiatives, the Makery and the Tool Library and the little libraries. Installed during the pandemic, they were built and decorated by local craftspeople and artists and filled by kindness.”
On Christmas Day, there was plenty of kindness in the festive air… It’s a bit special, however, many other people in Tod have their own ‘communities’ – pubs, clubs, the Market area, their extended and real families. Like with many people and places around the UK and beyond, folk find their own kith and kin, their own personal spaces and places. Sometimes, people mix, sometimes they don’t. Levels of tolerance of diversity and difference sometimes get strained. Oft times, it’s because of fear of ‘others’, because of race, sexuality, or even, when and where people were born. This can spill over into local politics, protest, and even lead into incidences of anti-social behaviour or worse.
But, Tod is very ‘real’. A place of contrasts too. It’s a place seeped in the old histories of the mills, the Pennines, the agricultural and industrial revolutions, and of course, it is evolving – one hopes that process continues positively. Too frequently, gentrification can stifle and sometimes even destroy what is the creative source and hub of local energy. There is certainly plenty of old school pride in the area, which is especially evinced in the Tod Market, with its busy indoor bar, the ‘Tav’ (Tavern) – The Tav dog, Bailey, was bouncing full of Christmas cheer. There are other social clubs and bars – from cricket, through the United Services, the working men’s club, Catholic Club and bars providing different vibes, ranging from very Old Skool indeed, through to CAMRA bars, wine bars, eateries, a local brewery at Eagles Crag, and live music and djs of all types. It’s diverse and often very lively indeed! As you can see from the photo of 3.30pm at the Golden Lion.
The Christmas festivities certainly got me thinking about family, friends and community. In particular it reminds me of some of my time in Africa, in particular in Zambia where I visited a number of schools and orphanages. I talked to many of the young people, asked them about their lives, their families and villages. I vividly remember the first of many of the young people telling me: “In my village, everyone is my uncle and aunt, they are all my mothers and fathers…I don’t live with my mother and father…I live with my family. That is the village.”
Enjoy the positive vibes…