BILL'S SCOTTISH BREW

This is a request from all the Earlham Street crew for Bill to pop over here every morning as well.

We have sampled your famous coffee in Drury Lane a few times now - only to come back to Earlham Street for drab old (fair trade) instant coffee. IT JUST AINT THE SAME!!

Bill - if you have any spare time on your brewing round in the morning - come on over & get a fresh pot on the go for us here as well - pleeeezzzzzzzz.......

LooooKING GOOOOD!!

The work in Earlham Street is well under way! We are having a complete redecorating of the shop fascia (that's the front of the shop to you & me) - and it's already looking great.

This will make a huge difference to the way it looks to us - but a bit more importantly - to the public!

Let's continue to make the changes inside as well. We need to prove to Oxfam that we are worth staying in Earlham Street by increasing our customer support, our donators, our appeal to prospective volunteers - and of course our takings!!

If we start looking better inside - as well as outside - we'll make a massive difference to all the people we raise money for!!

This just in from Om

The following is the 3rd June blog from the always entertaining & very funny blogsite(http://om87.spaces.msn.com/) of the handsomest dude we have volunteering for us:



03 June
Donate!
Hey everyone,

As we all pack off and head home for the summer, I'm sure there's loads of stuff we simply don't need.

This is to urge everyone to donate their excess to charity at Oxfam. The closest Oxfam store to the LSE is 23, Drury Lane, which is 7 minutes from Houghton Street, 5 minutes from Grosvenor House and 3 minutes from High Holborn. Or else, you can find the store closest to where you live here> http://www.multimap.com/clients/places.cgi?client=oxfam3

Just to let you know - an old shirt can fetch as much as 6 pounds. 6 pounds can feed a 100 schoolchildren from an under-developed country for a day. So your old shirt could make the difference between whether these children stay at school or not; or whether they go hungry that day or not. As students, I'm sure we can all well appreciate how difficult it is to study on an empty stomach.

Choose well!
~Om


Thanks Om - although it is squarely aimed at the rest of you LSEers - there is no reason why we can't all send a similar message to all of the other student pals we have in any of the other Unis represented here at Oxfam. We are all soon heading off home for the summer - and I know that I definitely won't fit into my last summers wardrobe - so bring it in next time you have a shift at either shop!
Tracey

meet………..

AGATA


I have been volunteering here in the Drury Lane Oxfam shop since 14 June 2006 – and joined in order to practise my English (I’m from Poland), to help people less fortunate than me & and to meet and make new friends.

I don’t really have any favourite music – I guess I like almost anything!!

I was born in Hrubiezow – I’m sure you don’t know where it is – but it’s in Poland.

My favourite journey can be anywhere - as long as it’s somewhere hot & sunny.

When I grow up I want to be a successful translator.

My favourite meal has got to be any pancakes – served in many various ways.

meet ………

YOON

I started volunteering at the Drury Lane Oxfam shop on the 7th June 2006 – because I’ve always felt that if you get the opportunity to help others – you should use it!

The best song I’ve heard so far has been Tears In Heaven by Eric Clapton.

My favourite artist has got to be Vincent van Gogh.

And the best book I’ve read so far is The Present by John Spencer.

I was born in Korea – but ideally would love to live in Sweden.

My favourite journey was when I was 20 – and I went to Je-Ju-Do in Korea.

I am the most happiest right here & now.

When I grow up I want to be a pilot.

My favourite colour is blue – and I am a Pisces.

I have two kinds of very different favourite food: Korean food – and pizza!
I love volunteering for Oxfam because there are many kindly people here – and when I work here – I get a piece of that happiness!!

meet…….

KITTY

I started volunteering here at the Drury Lane Oxfam shop in April 2006 in order to do something I feel is worthwhile – and is only a few hours out of my week.

I have quite a few favourites when it comes to music – how about The Three Tenors, Abba, The Mavericks, Nana Mouscouri & UB40?!

My favourite piece of art of all time has got to be the Sydney Opera House.

The best book I have ever read is the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith.

I was born in Dundalk, County Louth in Ireland – but ideally would love to live anywhere warm.

My favourite journey is from Tel Aviv to Eilat via Public Coach – but failing that – Business Class Singapore Airlines LHR-SYD.

I was happiest when I met my husband in ’66 and we danced seven nights a week…….

When I grow up I want to be a musician.

My favourite colour is black….. no…. turquoise……. no…. black …… no…….. turquoise……… oh!

My star sign is Cancer.

My favourite meals are either Indian food – or Irish Champ (traditional Irish dish of mashed potatoes with green onions).

For this meal (above) I would invite my late husband Liam (because I love him), my daughter – because she’s alright, and the late comedian Dave Allen – I’d be guaranteed laughter for the evening – and perhaps some fireworks at the end……

I love volunteering for Oxfam because it is a good cause – and you meet lots of either nice or interesting people – sometimes both!

meet……

EILEEN


I started volunteering on April Fools Day in 2006 in the Earlham Street shop – but help out in the Drury Lane shop as a & when it’s needed as well.

I am good friends with Maureen – and she kept going on about how she loved volunteering for Oxfam – so I decided to give it a go & haven’t looked back since!!

I can’t remember the name of the best book I have ever read – but it was about twin boys if that’s any help.

I was born in the West Middlesex Hospital in Isleworth here in London – but ideally would love to live near my nephew in Worthing (next to Brighton) in Sussex.

I would say I was happiest while I was growing up – but as I am still growing up – you can answer that question for yourself! But when I fully grow up I want to be a cake decorator.

I love every colour of the rainbow & am a Capricorn.

For my favourite meal – which would have to be a Chinese one – I would invite my mate Maureen, My son & my sister – because two are my family & Maureen is my best mate.

I love volunteering for Oxfam because it has very friendly staff – and a happy boss & I can have a good laugh with the customers.

NO GLASTONBURY
(BOO HOO)

BUT PLENTY
OTHER FESTIVALS!!

As all the regular Glasters volunteers will know - Michael is giving his farm a well deserved rest this year - but that doesn't mean that we can't still get into the other festivals for free this summer!!

Far from it! As a shop volunteer - we can get way to the front of the queue for Stewarding & Campaigning at the premier music events of the summer (and beyond).

Please see Sóna for more details or simply log on to: http://www.oxfam.org.uk/generationwhy/do_something/volunteer/festivals/
and take it from there.

Whichever way you do it - Sóna still has to give you a reference to confim that you work in one of our shops - and that you're one of the greatest people on earth - and the next thing you're moshing it with the rest of us in front of Kasabian, The Magic Numbers, The Killers, The Polyphonic Spree & suchlike!

Check what happened last year: http://www.oxfam.org.uk/generationwhy/festivals_blog/
and get green with envy!!

Get Jiggy With It!!

(thanks to Lucy for her belly button - put it away now!)

WELCOME TO OUR NEW NEIGHBOUR!!

Oxfam has just opened a new Oxfam Bookshop around the corner from us - near the British Museum!

I urge all of you to pop around for a browse around it's shelves - it's beautiful. Not only that - but you will recognise two of the volunteers from Drury Lane - who defected when the bookshop opened - and they'll give you a grand conducted tour of the new shop.

We are busy working on a new leaflet-with-map listing the two of our shops, the Oxfam Bookshop & Cafe Progesso - the Oxfam Cafe. I have walked the route many times - and we are all only 2 minutes from each other - so any customers could actually do all four in their lunch hour.

In the meantime - please give each customer the small map at each till - showing the way to the new Oxfam Bookshop. Don't worry about losing any of our customers to the new shop - our book customers love a good browse through our unique shops - and will visit all of them.

Remember - Oxfam is the largest second-hand-bookshop chain in Europe - and as such attracts both serious bookies & complete pulp fiction junkies into our shops daily - by spreading the word - we can spread their custom all around the world!!

To Alison, Martin & crew in the new Oxfam Bookshop - we wholeheartedly welcome you to our hood - and wish you all the greatest success!!