Frome says ‘thank you

IF someone does something kind, it’s natural to want to say ‘thank you’, but sometimes we don’t always get – or take – the opportunity. Yet expressing gratitude is scientifically proven to make us happier, caring and connected.

As part of the Frome Kindness Festival, this column in the Frome Times aims to make it easier to say ‘thank you’ to friends, neighbours and colleagues as well as to the people we don’t know by name. 

• To Barry the postman, thank you for your happy face and your detective work in delivering our post, you cheer my day. Sioux. 

• I would like to thank Dr John Shears and his team for finally finding the wreck of my great great uncle Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship, the Endurance, after lying on the polar seabed for over 100 years. The challenges involved mirror Shackleton’s own challenges much like their success mirrored Shackleton’s success in rescuing his men.  This is an excellent example of leadership in action, something much needed in the current troubled times. Regards, Andrew Shackleton 

• I took my dog out earlier than usual on this particular Saturday evening, at 6:45pm, so that I could relax for the rest of the evening (I almost always go out about 8pm).  There were quite a few people out there with their dogs, which I needed to avoid because of my dog’s reactivity.  Walking along a small part of Stonebridge Drive I had to pass through a very large group of teenagers. I was a little bit concerned at first but they were very friendly and wanted to give my dog attention, which she loved.  However, I didn’t see that there was a lady just beyond them with a dog.  When my dog saw the other dog she reacted in her usual crazy way.  And unfortunately I got tangled up in her lead and fell forward and I was unable to get up.  The kids were truly amazing. They got a hold of my dog for me and repeatedly asked me if I was okay.  The woman who was walking her dog, which my dog reacted to, also was very kind and asked me if I was okay and if she could do anything to help.  But then, like the cavalry coming at just the right moment, two wonderful community police officers magically turned up.  They helped me up off the ground and asked me how I was. I was VERY sore in my ribs and didn’t think I could hold onto my dog.  While many of the kids offered to take her for me (they really were amazing), I chose to be escorted home by the two amazing community police officers.  One of the officers keeps dog biscuits in his pocket and gave one to my dog when we got to my house.  And so, I want to say a HUGE thank you to the community police officers, you were so kind to me and my dog; to the woman who was walking her dog, who could have been irritated with my dog for barking and lunging at hers; and especially to the kids – who I would love to thank in person one of these days – you showed me that young teenagers can be caring and thoughtful and I will always remember that.  

• Thank you for the kindness shown to our 1625 Book Club for young adults: 

• Proof Pudding Book Club for encouragement and support 

• Julia Wellard of Frome FM for interviewing us about the bookclub 

• Joel Baxter and Chloe Raeburn for helping a dinosaur with the1625bookclub Instagram account 

• John and Wendy Roots of the Bridge Cafe, Selwood Road for letting us use the cafe for our meetings once a month  – Andrew and Elizabeth Alden 

• I’m wanting to say thank you to the person who had “Something wonderful will happen” carved into the wall at the Dyers, Willow Vale. It cheers me up and makes me remember ‘wonderful.’ 

• Thank you to Holy Trinity Church who have been the best community to be a part of. They have always been great shoulders of support no matter what and they all deserve to be recognised as people who are kind in many ways. Kind regards, Chloe. 

• The Kindness Festival organisers would like to thank:  All the event leaders (some of whom personally covered the costs of their event); the 9th Frome Rangers for their surprise gift of seed balls to the town; all the makers who created items to give away; and the amazing and incredible Kindness Crew. Also: all the venues who gave their space for free: Black Swan Arts, Frome Town Hall, Pure Moves and Rye Bakery; and the Frome businesses who were generous in all kinds of ways: Acorn Property Group; All About The Yarn; Arbon Socks; Asda; Bon Maman and Andros UK; Chisel & Grain; Frome Area Building Supplies; Frome Flyers; Frome Food Hub; Homebase; Hunting Raven; Lidl; Millie Moon; M&S; Popicoq; Postscript; Sainsburys; Sydenhams and Waitrose.