I'd Do Anything…
Not content with the recent bout of being busy with a production and Eastleigh Carnival, members of Eastleigh based Centrestage Productions Youth Theatre really put a practical meaning into the well-known song from Lionel Bart's musical, ‘Oliver!' – ‘I'd Do Anything' - and turned out on Bank Holiday Sunday to help out senior citizen Mrs Elsie Wilmot with a gardening problem.
Mrs Wilmot's garden had gotten out of control and was in need of a good dose of muscle power to prune out overgrown undergrowth and cut back rampant blackberry bushes.
Although without the horticultural knowledge of the ‘Ground Force' team, the CPYT Garden Tamers set about their task with the same enthusiasm!
Armed with cutters, saws, strimmers, spades and forks, the youngsters – who are more at home performing on the stage than pulling out weeds – soon made short work of Mother Nature's attempt to overrun Mrs Wilmot's garden. Even an ‘adapted' version of another ‘Oliver! song was heard during the work – ‘As Long As He WEEDS Me'!
Mrs Wilmot said that she was overwhelmed by the all the hard work undertaken by the youngsters to get her garden back into shape and with the manner they just got stuck into it.
At the end of the task all involved went on their respective ways very tired, but happy in the knowledge that they had been able to help in this way. As they left, some of the young gardeners thought they heard the strains of ‘Cheerio, But Be Back Soon' coming from Mrs Wilmot's back door as she waved them on their way.
Elsie gives some tips about gardening...
Or tries to!...
But do they listen?...