Connection, joy, & lemon drizzle cake

So I am back in France after the THA tea party in York, full of cold and therefore a lot of cold medication (thank you, planes), more than a little tired, and completely, utterly, filled with joy. We had the best time at the tea party (or I did, anyway, and I hope everyone else did as well), and while I wish so much everyone could have been there, it was such a beautiful day with those who made it (and I hope our online activities helped a little for those attending at a distance).

And the one thing I keep coming back to over and over again is connection. In a world which is increasingly divided and disconnected, one of the things which makes me so incredibly happy is the connection and community we’ve created, through first the FB page and now here on Circle. The fact that geography is no obstacle to friendship, that we can be here for the jokes and the silliness, and the tougher stuff as well. We’ve created connection in a world which so often seems to seek to divide us, and it’s such a precious and beautiful thing.

In York, I saw that play out in offline life.

Most of us hadn’t met before entering that hall (or coming to drinks the night before, thank you Olde Starre Inne!). Maybe we’d talked online, in comments, maybe we’d even messaged or emailed, but for the most part we didn’t knoweach other. And that was part of the reason for the idea of the quiet table, the puzzles and the reading corner. When so many of us are introverts, a situation like that can be so overwhelming.

Yet – the quiet corner became an origami table. The long list of games and activities I’d had as a just in case to keep things fun (and I assumed we’d use at least one or two) never came out of my bag. I almost missed my scheduled reading time because everyone was so busy chatting it felt rude to interrupt (also me. I was busy chatting too, and entirely lost track of time. And I am usually not good at the social thing).

We weren’t a bunch of strangers arriving in a room together, trying to figure out how to talk to each other. We were friends, and what we were doing was deepening the connection and community which already existed.

I will freely admit that I had to take a moment a couple of times, because the whole thing made me a little overwhelmed and teary. Even writing about it now I’m still so … awed. Humbled. Joyful.

I wrote in my new year’s post that I what I wished for us all this year was connection, joy, kindness, and magic. Lovely people, you have made that happen, in that hall, and online. It is so beautiful, and I know I keep saying that, but this writer is lost for any other words to describe it.

Thank you. Thank you so very much.

Now, onwards before I get teary again (ahahahaha too late).

Getting the hall set up - note early chocolate supplies in the foreground …

I know I promised photos of the event, but I took about three, then was so caught up I forgot all about taking any others. But here are some anyway!

With Sylvie, packing up the gift totes and the orders on the Friday.

Hiding ducks in the Shambles on Friday afternoon (too well, or not well enough to avoid casual passersby, I’m not sure - no one found any, anyway!)

Meeting in the pub on Friday night - this was so much fun!

With a dragon, of course.

The raffle table – those prizes! A gorgeous dragon-scale shawl and event-exclusive audiobook collections from Becky; a beautiful Gobbelino print from Anna; an adorable dragon from Max’s daughter Rowan – and so many others.

Cake round one …

The lunch spread – more cake, plus dips and sandwiches and salads and all sorts of goodies.

A book reading from the new DI Adams (and some technical difficulties)

Signing books and totes … (I’m so sorry about my handwriting. Really.)

And CHEESE to finish, because how could we not have cheese…? (I say we, somehow I missed all the cheese and half the cakes, but that was just because I was having too much fun ;) )

And then it was all over bar the washing up, and thank you to everyone who helped with that. In fact, thank you to everyone - we had so much help with the setting up and cleaning down, with the raffle and the crafts and simply everything, and it made for such a beautiful day in so many ways.

I wish you could all have been there in person. But also – thank you for being here. Our community has proven it’s as strong and magical offline as on, but it began here, in the wilds of the internet. And that is something so special to celebrate ❤️

Very happy, with the wonderful Naomi, who did so much work to make this day a reality.

And that is all from me. Looking for more blogs and community fun?  Join our Toot Hansell Auxiliary community on Circle. You’ll find bonus content and a wonderful group of readers chatting about dragons, books, cake, and life in general. It’s completely free to join.