The dinner was cooked by the local Muslim Mums Group.  They have had similar curry nights for a variety of good causes.  It’s a great idea – not least because the Walkington family all love curry!

My children particularly liked the sweetcorn and lamb curries but it
was all delectable with a finale of a fluffy mango mousse.  The hall
was beautifully decorated with Christmas lights and candles.  And we
won a fantastic array of pickles and spices in the raffle.  So what
could be better?

The cause is an important one.  When I worked at BT, I had a close
relationship with RNID because of our TypeTalk service and the common
interest we had in exploring how technology can help alleviate the
problems caused by deafness.  I spent a day at RNID headquarters
gaining some insight into the problems faced by deaf people.  It is a
particularly isolating condition because of its invisibility which
makes it all too easy for sales assistants and so on to regard deaf
people as stupid.

At least we live in a rich western country,
where technology is available.  The problems in Kashmir, blighted as it
is by military action and the after-effects of the earthquake, must be
immense. St Albans has a remarkably good record for cross-cultural
interchange and this event is further proof of that.  People of all
communities sitting down together for a great evening and raising money
for a targeted and vital cause which otherwise would get little
attention in our busy lives.