We’ve just returned from Scotland and the funeral of my brother in law - my sister had planned a joyous occasion with all corners of Alan’s life represented. It was lovely to see my relatives who are all great supporters of The Flower Bank but a huge thank you goes to my 2 daughters Mathilda and Ella who were splendid (see photograph). So it’s back to work this week and October is going to be busy with 3 weddings later this month. This week I’ve got collections on Monday and Thursday night from Spring restaurant and a PWC event respectively so I’m going to catch up now on some sleep as we caught the first flight out of Edinburgh airport this morning. Have a great week. Ursula

It’s been a bumpy week emotionally after returning from Scotland on Monday evening. Since then I’ve spoken endlessly to customers about my brother in law, Alan and the brilliant work he was involved in on climate change and its impact on small islands. On Tuesday I spoke to Govia, the company that runs New Barnet Railway Station and which The Flower Bank is a friend of, about the prospect of using their wall space to run a climate change campaign and by Wednesday I’d even got the young offenders talking about it. On Friday afternoon I received some sustainable hanging foliage arrangements from a Mayfair installation via the wonderful florist Jo Wise. The arrangements were created on a compacted straw ball, which I’m going to attempt to recreate with my Age UK class on Tuesday. As Jo says “it feels wonderful to be thinking creatively about how to make floristry more sustainable”. It’s Yom Kippur tonight, the start of a 25 hour fast to seek forgiveness and a fresh start with God and each other and a wonderful day for reflection. Have a great week. Ursula

One of The Flower Bank’s biggest supporters died on Thursday, my brother in law Professor Alan Boyle pictured with my sister, his loving wife Caroline. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 Glioblastoma 4 years ago, a hideously cruel disease which he fought courageously with optimism and dignity. Alan was born in Belfast but left during the troubles of the 70’s on a scholarship to Oxford University to study law which he then devoted his life to. He was a world expert on the law of the sea and climate change as well as an international barrister at the Court of Human Rights at The Hague, representing countries like Chile, South Korea and Taiwan. To us he was Uncle Alan someone who was always rather awkward to buy presents for at Christmas but we loved him immensely. The response to his death has been overwhelming and friends and colleagues have written such wonderful things about him. I’m so proud of my sister who nursed him throughout, caring for him at home in such a beautiful way making sure that even though he was immobile and unable to communicate he was still involved with life. His bedroom despite being full of medical equipment and machinery was calm, full of fresh flowers from their garden and photographs from his well lived life. My sister wonders where all that energy and intellect has gone. Ironically there’s a court case which started at The Hague on Monday where he should have been representing and which was his brainchild - so his legacy is alive. He was truly inspirational a wonderful Uncle and role model that makes me want to be the best version of myself. Have a great week. Ursula

I managed to stretch the foliage that I collected last Sunday from a wedding at Hackney Town Hall to cover 2 funerals, endless bouquets and all of my classes which resumed this week. The same alas, can’t be said for the flowers which wilted quickly in this heat. It was wonderful to see everyone again after the summer break and the families of the attendees at my early onset dementia class this Friday were delighted to be back to a routine. Julian, the son of Brenda (see picture) told me that she was so happy when he told her they’d be returning. I run this class with the support of Age UK and we’re looking to get extra funding so that the class doesn’t have to stop for 6 weeks over the summer next year. I received a fabulous donation on Friday afternoon from the English Potted Plant Company, a ton bag of stunning artificial flowers formerly from Mayfair window boxes which I then spent yesterday trying to house. At 8 am today I’m meeting Tim at The Grove in Watford who’s kindly donating the flowers and foliage from a wedding there yesterday. I’m not sure how much will have survived but amongst the gems I’ve been promised 130 metres of Green crushed velvet! I really don’t know what I’ll do with the material or where I’ll keep it so I think a “Scrap Store Saturday” might happen soon. Have a great week. Ursula

During the Second World War from 7 September 1940, London was bombed for 57 consecutive nights. The photograph of Harrington Square, Mornington Crescent, was taken in the aftermath of a German bombing raid on London in the first days of the Blitz on 9 September 1940. The bus was empty at the time, but eleven people were killed in the houses. Lily Mitchell and her family lived there but at 12 she’d been evacuated to Bedford, an older sister was in the Land Army, her mother in hospital and a brother pulled from the rubble after 12 hours but the rest of her family her father, younger brother and sister were all killed. It’s Lily’s funeral today, she’d just turned 95 and was hugely loved by everyone, her daughter Sharon told me. “Her home was so important to her, everyone was welcome and welcomed and it’s been a shelter to so many over the years.” It’s been a week of nonagenarians as I ran a workshop in a residential care home on Thursday afternoon with amongst others Lynette and Rene who are 100 and 98 respectively and then on Friday I made a birthday bunch of flowers for a 102 year old in Rayleigh. I’m off to Hackney Town Hall this evening to pick up flowers from a wedding which I’ll then turn into the funeral flowers for Michael another inspirational 90 year old with an interesting story, By contrast, last Monday I met Sami who asked me to create something special, flower wise, for her daughter’s christening which is today. Lara who’s now 4 months old and happy and healthy was born extremely premature at 26 weeks weighing just 600g. I really am so lucky to meet people/customers with such inspirational stories. Thank you Roland for getting in touch your offer of support re - the electric van will definitely be something I’ll take you up on. Have a great week. Ursula

So it was back to normal on Monday turning the flowers I collected from Norfolk the previous Friday into funeral arrangements. I made the arrangements for Kate who lost both her real father and stepfather within the space of a week. The funeral for her real father was last Monday and the one for her stepfather is on Tuesday. On Wednesday I travelled up to town to a recording studio in Charlotte Street to be interviewed for a podcast about crowdfunding. The interview took about an hour and I recorded it with Tom from Spacehive (see photograph). The podcast was for Azets, which is an international accounting, tax, audit, advisory and business services group and will be broadcast, following editing, later in the year - I’ll give you the links when I have them. Ironically the interview was recorded on what would have been my mother’s birthday and how those 5 years since she died and I crowdfunded have flown. I was asked if I had any tips for any budding crowdfunders and trotted out the standard “Do your homework, know your market, think out of the box and get a good crowd together before you start”. I didn’t have a crowd when I started, my idea was unique and I was extremely fortunate to find some Flower Bank believers and this marvellous Spacehive Update tool which I’ve posted religiously to. So, I’m thinking of doing another crowdfund to raise money for an electric van and Spacehive Tom following our interview emailed me to say that Barnet Council has just launched a Carbon Reduction Crowd fund. It’s definitely worth thinking about particularly as I collided with another car on Wednesday afternoon (fortunately only scratches). Please let me know what you think. Have a great week. Ursula

Singapore, where I’ve just spent a glorious 8 days is one of the world’s greenest cities - there are wild vertical gardens climbing up buildings and miles and miles of fern filled roadsides. By 2030 Singapore has set itself a target that at least 80% of its buildings’ floor area will be Green - amazingly it’s already half way there. I am in awe of the place, the people, the food, the humidity, it took us at least 3 days to acclimatise and to venture out from the air conditioned shopping malls into the fierce heat but then once we emerged we were off and took in everything and I even managed to squeeze in a Singapore Sling at Raffles on my younger daughter’s birthday. It was great to not drive for a week but I’m back to work now and on Friday I drove to Oxnead Hall in Norwich to collect flowers from Mel & Tom’s wedding. These flowers have been turned into a coffin top funeral tribute and bouquets for performers at today’s Barnet Pride event. For anyone around, Barnet Pride in the Park is from 12 - 4 pm in Victoria Park, Finchley, N3. This event is in its inaugural year so please give it some support and did I mention that Nadia Big Brother Season 5 winner will be there too. It’s so good to be back, have a great week. Ursula

Thank you to everyone who offered help, support and words of kindness to me after last week’s post - it meant a lot. There must be something of the zeitgeist about that event because yesterday I met Nikki Barnet, Barnet Council’s Health & Well-being Officer for Chipping Barnet. I told her what had happened to Neil and she was horrified. Barnet Council is piloting the use of a Coventry based company (their name escapes me) that deals with all the issues around hoarding from helping clients to address mental health issues to the actual physical house clearance. We both agreed that Neil’s was the worst possible outcome. Currently, 2 of Nikki’s clients are using the services of this company including an elderly bachelor Doctor and a thirty year old woman. Nikki’s home visits to these clients have been unbelievably difficult and exhausting, one of the clients is so obsessed by the use of carrier bags that they can’t even visit the bathroom without first transferring their possessions between carrier bags. Next Friday she’ll be with one of her clients as they return from respite care to their newly cleared and cleaned house which she doesn’t expect to be easy. When I got home yesterday I had a life laundry moment and de-cluttered and ruthlessly threw away paperwork I haven’t looked at in years. Later on this morning I’m off to Muswell Hill Synagogue to decorate it for Sam & Adam’s wedding this is my last event before my first proper family holiday in 15 years. The shop will be closed from Thursday 3 August until Tuesday 15 August inclusive and I promise to post from abroad next weekend. Have a great week. Ursula

A bit of a brief message this morning as myself and the legend that is Chris Bentil are about to shoot off to the Leonardo Hotel (formerly Jury’s Inn near St Paul’s) to dismantle an installation we put up yesterday afternoon. The installation for the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys was Midsummer Night themed but its transportation there had been a nightmare! Have a great week. Ursula