{"id":13038,"date":"2023-08-25T15:10:50","date_gmt":"2023-08-25T15:10:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xislblogs.xtreamlab.net\/slwoods\/?p=13038"},"modified":"2023-09-01T08:43:28","modified_gmt":"2023-09-01T08:43:28","slug":"a-sad-day-in-bs5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.slwoods.co.uk\/?p=13038","title":{"rendered":"A sad day in BS5"},"content":{"rendered":"

Friday 25th August 2023 marked the end of an era and a sad day for Easton in Bristol. After 14 years of serving the public St Mark’s Community Caf\u00e9<\/a> based at St Mark’s Baptist Church<\/a> opened for the very last time after 14 years.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Of the local media outlets, only the BBC appears to have covered this event, but gave it a very sympathetic write-up<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Your ‘umble scribe has been going there 2 or 3 times a week for the past few years to enjoy baked potatoes, good cooking and the undisputed best cakes in all BS5, the latter baked by the remarkable Lesley, whose baking skills put my own late mother’s to shame (and that’s saying a lot, coming from a loyal eldest son!<\/em>). My own particular favourites amongst her regular baked wares were farmhouse fruit, barra brith<\/a> and anything with gooseberries or ginger. Furthermore, all the food served and the ingredients used to prepare it were ethically and locally sourced wherever possible.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

However, this was a caf\u00e9 with a difference: paying customers like your correspondent meant that the homeless could eat there for free. Below is a short video with interviews of both customers and caf\u00e9 staff\/volunteers to give an idea of what has now entered the annals of local history.<\/p>\r\n\r\n