Inner city visits

I was able to spend the morning with both Meghann and Sarah. It's Meg's last day at her job at a Steiner pre-school and we had been invited to have a little look around. I just love Steiner pre-schools. The soft colours, the toys made from natural fibres and wood, the little dolls tucked up warmly in their beds in home corner, and the home-like quality of the indoor space, the smell of wholesome foods cooking in the kitchen, the warmth and the rhythm of the days. A truly lovely atmosphere in which to nurture young children and one I'm sure Meg will treasure as she moves onto her next journey into the publishing world.

From there Sarah and I visited The Convent where we had lunch at Lentil as Anything , starting with coffee and then a lovely vegetarian buffet. Around the corner from the cafe was a Contempory Art space which, I have to admit, left me rather cold, apart from one exhibit. This was an arrangement of crafted household objects such as knitted coathangers, teapot cosies and doilies arranged by colour. It was a tribute to an era of homemaking and I really appreciated the thinking behind it.

Just down the road, but part of the convent is the Children's Farm .This is a working farm where city children are able to go to experience on farm activities, such as milking cows, feeding lambs and chickens, collecting eggs and nursing guinea pigs. It is in a lovely setting and provides ample opportunity for children to see where their food comes from. Once a week they hold a market, selling produce grown in their market garden. A great model of an urban farm.