I’ve been involved with Ideas Test for ages. I can’t remember how long. It just developed. It gets me out. Otherwise I’m stuck indoors and I get a bit bored. It’s nice to get out and do something, and meet people a bit more. 

I come down one day, just walked in, said hello – next thing I knew I was having my photo taken. Wow! I couldn’t believe it. It was fantastic. I did some writing about my Granddad Joe too. Memories. Sittingbourne was beautiful when I was a little girl. It was all orchards, apple trees and everything. It was lovely. Shops were fantastic. It’s not the same as it used to be. When I saw my photo – oh my goodness! That is weird! I couldn’t believe it actually, I thought it was great, really fantastic.

Another time I come in here and this tomato looked a bit lonely. I said, are you watering it? And I said, no, you don’t water it from the top, you get a tray and you water the tray but not the tomatoes – so the water goes up and it’s a lot easier for it to grow. It was small. Then I started looking after it and now it’s huge – I can’t believe it! I think I saved its life! It was part of a project here called Seed Exchange. I love it. I like getting involved. 

Ideas Test is good. Good for people to come in, for a cup of tea, or just do something, make something they’ve never made before, or just talk. I think people need to talk a bit more and understand things – but people don’t want to, they’re scared, they’re frightened, they just don’t want to know. So it’s good to come in here. 

Photo: Stephen King