Our annual Carlisle Unity Festival was held on 15th July. For the first time in its history, the Carlisle Unity Festival had to contend with rain-and lots of it! Being the eternal optimists we are, we held our nerve until literally a couple of days before the event, when we had to concede that our 'rainy day plan' would need to be put into operation. But never fear-Tullie was here! And we made use of every possible space within it that we could think of. The Bring Your Own Picnic-originally planned to take place in the Secret Garden now had a home in the room on the lower floor of the building and 25-30 people attended and it had a 'secret' element all of its own-hardly any of us were previously aware of its existence! The atrium became a stand-in venue for the outside patio area-and hosted the Dabka Dancers as well as the guest speakers and the traditional Unity ringing of the Unity Bell, in treasured memory of one of CUF's founding members and friend to many, Tony Stackpoole.
