Broken Dreams

As if 2020 hadn't been bad enough, I recently read an article about a memorial garden, where GG Liverpool runners had previously helped out. Martin's Garden was planned and developed by Steve and his wife, some years ago, in memory of Steve's son, who sadly died, aged 6, in a tragic playground accident. It appeared that a group of local youths had vandalised the garden, leaving broken pots, uprooted plants and burned and broken benches in their wake. I felt that I needed to see the extent of the damage, and find out what we could do to help out, again. Meeting up with Steve, it was clear that the attack had affected the whole community, his family, and friends of Martin's Garden. Repair work had already started. A skip stood waiting to clear away the debris, but new planters were also ready, to begin the process of rebuilding this oasis of calm to its former glory. I chose the job of clearing away the broken pots and shards of pottery that had been strewn about the place, covering paths and creating hazards for those wanting to use the gardens. Within a relatively short time, I had managed to gather quite a pile together, and brushed up as best as I could in the fading light. There is still a lot of work to do before members of the public can safely be welcomed into Martin's garden, but with a little help from GG, hopefully it won't be too long.