Vernon (master of pies and so much more)

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Three years ago today, we sadly had to say our last goodbyes to this amazing man and true friend, Vernon Levy. I may add more about him one day (as there is so much to add), but right now I just want to say how much all of us at Guru miss him. He was a true friend and a great teacher to so many. We (and I suspect all who had the pleasure of meeting him), think of him often and always will.

Memory Lane: Lucky

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The picture below is admittedly a bit cheesy but it puts me in mind of the wonderful bond I had with my best doggie friend, Lucky. He was a rescue dog and in a bit of a state when I first met him. I sat on the floor and put my arm around him (just as the girl in the image is doing), and that was it… We bonded and I just knew he and I were going to be friends for life. Due to his paws being in a terrible mess (from trying to tunnel his way out of the filthy locked pen where he had been kept with several other quite aggressive dogs), I had to carry him most of the way to the vets. That was no mean feat (as he was an Alsatian cross and quite large), but it was worth it as they fixed him up and he was soon physically on the mend. Mentally he took longer to heal. He never even barked for almost two years and would cower if anyone so much as raised a hand or rolled a newspaper up in his presence. Eventually, he learned to trust us and became the most lively loving dog one could imagine. We shared our lives for over fourteen happy years. I used to say he was a dog with a split personality as, because of his ordeal, when he was out on the lead he got extremely agitated when he saw other dogs – BUT when we were walking alone or when he was at home, he was nothing short of an angel and a truly fabulous member of our family.

Beryl.

Guru’s Giggles: Crystal gazing…

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We once had a lovely Saturday girl named Caroline. One day a lady came in and announced she was a clairvoyant and could she look at our crystal balls. Caroline showed her to the glass cabinet where they were on display and the lady took them out one by one and carefully handled each in turn before suddenly crying out, “This, this is the one!” Then turning to Caroline she continued, “look carefully dear, and tell me if you can you see something in this crystal?” Caroline stared into it for a while and then declared, “Yes, I can.” Delightedly the lady asked, “What can you see?” Our honest girl replied, “I can see your shopping. It’s down there by your feet!!!”

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A T-shirt fit for the Guru Tribe…

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A few years ago we ran a competition to design a T-Shirt suitable for the Guru Tribe. Here’s a bit about how it went…

“…after a lot of deliberation Joanna Morris (Northern Echo), our chief judge who I really do have to thank for doing a very difficult job so well, has picked Glenn Wigham’s handpainted T-shirt as the winner of our CUSTOMISE A GURU T-SHIRT COMPETITION. Joanna said: “Glenn’s entry was bold, colourful and provocative. Along with its touch of rebellion and non-conformity, it beautifully embodies the spirit of Guru and those who flock to the tiny shop that keeps Darlington’s counter-culture thriving and well-dressed”.

We would like to add, “A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ENTERED SUCH A HIGH STANDARD OF WORK  – WE LOVE YOU!!!”

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The image is of Glenn Wigham wearing his winning design. He wrote that his design is both a protest at the way the 1st world often exploits other cultures and a celebration of how the life, colour and vibrancy which the respectful appreciation of the art of those cultures provides, enhances and enriches all of our lives.

The Spirit of Guru Tribe

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THE SPIRIT OF GURU TRIBE

I exist without religious affiliation
I exist without political persuasion
I exist without sensory perceptions
I exist without any preconceptions

No nationality aligns me
No physicality confines me
No gender defines me
No limitations can ever bind me

I am pure energy
I am soul
I am alive and I will survive
I am the spirit of Guru Tribe…

Rhyme by Beryl Maughan Hankin. Image by Glenn Wigham

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