It has been a spooky few days at home and at work. We decided to start the hallowe’en shenanigans a couple of days early at the Poynton session.
With some Addams family finger clicking, a bit of monster mashing and the time warp…again, we danced around the donors in our hallowe’en head gear.
The donors were keen to get in on the action too.
It was all great fun with lots of laughs as the blood bags filled up.
Saturday mornings for me always start with a swim at Salford Quays. The Glampod decided to don some extra head gear this week.
It was a good job we made an effort because we weren’t alone in the water. With just our costumes on…no wetsuits for us, even though it was only just over twelve degrees, we set off down the dock. As we neared the bridge we came across four fire fighters in the water, “What are you doing?” we called out. “Just bobbing,” came the reply. They were training in the water and were happy to chat and let us bob about with them.
They said their hands were a bit cold. With fleecy suits under their dry suits and boots on they were infinitely better off than us, but then we were going to get out and have a hot drink and cake, they could be called out for a job at any minute.
As our fingers and toes were gradually becoming numb we left the fire fighters to their bobbing and we swam off.
It was a glorious morning with a rare bit of sunshine. There is no better start to a day than a dip in chilly water with great bunch of people. It calms your brain and enlivens your body. It also gives you an appetite for afternoon tea with friends…
Tea and scones taste far better when dressed in your finest witchy clothes. I’d had a text from Ellen, oh she of the devils horns, asking if by any chance I had some fake blood. People have been queuing outside fancy dress shops buying costumes and accessories…we’ve had a rush on toilet rolls and petrol and it seems, this week, fake blood! I didn’t disappoint, I had a spare bottle (and before you ask it definitely wasn’t pilfered from work!)
Sunday was wild, windy and wet in Worsley, but that didn’t stop a blood donation session. All the team dressed up and we decorated the room.
Donors loved the effort we had put in and some had even brought us sweets and cakes. Our supervisor had baked brownies…thank you, Alice, they were delicious.
Gayle is a regular donor at Worsley and it was her tenth donation. Not only did she give blood she brought some hallowe’en treats for us too.
With all the tasty treats it was a good job I was going for a Spooky Swim and fireworks at Boundary Water Park that evening to burn off the calories…although it was so cold I think I burnt more with shivering afterwards.
It was eleven degrees in the water, but it was warmer in than out. The rain was lashing down but who cares about rain when you are in water anyway. There is no better way to enjoy fireworks than in inky black water…although I could have done without the weeds that wrapped themselves around my arms. The fireworks exploded in a kaleidoscope of colours that shimmered in the water all around us.
And that is another hallowe’en. Lots of dressing up, lots of swimming, lots of tasty treats and lots of blood….fake and real!
(Thank you to Victoria for some of the photographs in the water)
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