Dear Croydon: Tremedous thanks!

‘Dear Tim’ last Saturday at CYTO’s Shoestring Theatre was a moving success in so many ways. With generous audience donations and a share of the ticket sales, some £300 in all – in Tim’s terms $460 – was raised, a great boost to Tim’s Justice Fund. 

And with generous audience feedback, it was a great boost to his Retrial Campaign: your ‘messages for Tim’ were particularly moving – I’ll email those to Tim asap – and your ideas were stimulating. Already I’m getting emails offering help from many of you – I will reply fully to all – patience please: I am reminded of Lewis Carroll’s White Queen: “Here we must run as fast as we can, just to stay in place. And if you wish to go anywhere you must run twice as fast as that.” I’m in training!

Big thanks go to so many people both in Croydon Amnesty and CYTO – both adults and young people, refreshment preparers, hoover-up-er-ers, donation-bowl holders, raffle-organisers, key holders, lift-givers and more…you know who you are, thank you all, sincerely. 

May I particularly mention Bev Foulkes-Jones of Croydon AI and Sarah Beer of AI and CYTO.  Without them I don’t think Saturday would have happened. Ollie and Liam, my technicians on the night, were great; members of CYTO, their quiet confidence was a shining example of CYTO success – they coped with a mis-cue from myself splendidly! I need to thank Daniel Foulkes-Jones as well for posting these blogs for me while handling a busy international work schedule.

And last but by-no-means least, thanks to the CYTO committee for its generous support. You have a lovely theatre, wonderful volunteers and staff, and brilliantly enthusiastic young members…

A BIG thanks to all.

My next ‘Dear Tim’ is another exciting opportunity to spread his message – after appearing at Brighton Fringe Festival in May, I was invited to take part in a Festival of New Writing at the King’s Head Theatre, in Islington, this November. If you know of anyone living near there, please do let them know. The details are below. Thanks again – sincerely Swithin

#Festival45: Mon 9 Nov 17.30; Wed 11 Nov 17.30; Thurs Nov 12 20.30; Sat Nov 14 13.00; Sun Nov 15 17.30.

King’s Head Theatre, Upper Street, Islington.

Tickets: £12 (concession £10) - kingsheadtheatre.com - 02071937845