9th December - Hut 402

The next door neighbour to last nights hut was host to our ninth opening in this years advent calendar.  It's not often that we get two huts next to each other and we've never had anything like this on consecutive days but tonight we only moved from 403 yesterday to 402 today.

There was another important number associated with the hut tonight and that was the number one hundred and forty.  That was because this hut was created by the wonderful women of the Mother's Union which is 140 years old this year.



To mark this occasion the hut was filled with 140 angels as a celebration of the work of the many angels who have volunteered over the years as part of this wonderful organisation.  With four million members worldwide the Mother's Union campaigns on women's rights and runs a variety of social welfare projects to help women who are otherwise disadvantaged.




Their vision is of a world where God's love is shown through loving, respectful and flourishing relationships. 

They are modern day angels, bringing practical help to places and people who have great need.






The angels they installed in the hut were as varied as the different women who are individual members of the organisation.  

There were stacks of cardboard angels, perhaps demonstrating how it might be possible for a great number of angels to dance on the head of a pin.







There were knitted angels, fan shaped angels, glass angels, peg angels and angel sculptures. 







The most impressive were the book angels, made by simply folding the pages of a book until you have an angel body, and cutting or folding the cover to create a pair of wings.


One in particular was made by folding the pages of an old prayer book which felt a very appropriate combination.

All of this was watched over by a portrait of Mary Sumner, a vicar's wife near Winchester and the founder of the organisation.

We stay at Hove Lagoon for our next hut which is number 424.