Look at the picture books - people and places
We welcome another year. It doesn't look as though Pat will recover her facial nerves but in due course there should be dentures to fill her face a bit and allow her eating to become easier - and, presumably, more enjoyable. We continue our very small Bible Study every Wednesday and just now are with Paul on his third missionary journey in the city of Ephesus. Again family pics for the year are in the gallery, here.
When we go to Blockley we largely do nothing except perhaps a little house maintenance. At the beginning of February we did something most out of character. Visiting Stratford we went to the cinema. Ok we've done that before but this time we saw Theory about Everything, went out for a bun and then retured to the cinema to see Selma!
Later in the month we had a great classical surprise. Having booked to see Gilbert and Sullivan's Iolanthe (film direct from the theatre) we arrived to find the boards telling us we were due to see Iolanta - Tchaikovsky's last opera - and Bluebeard's Castle - Bartok - direct from the Met.
March saw the start of Lent. Every two years the local Churches Together run a course. We always go as it is one of the rare oportunities that we have to fellowship with Christians from other churches.
Live cinema. Catherine Rebeka and Franco Vassallo in La Traviata from ROH
Another live show film from the Met. Joyce DiDonato in Rossini's La Donna del Lago. They say she's pretty good - and who are we to argue? The pic is the set for Stirling Castle
And two weeks later, live from the Globe. Maxine Peake as Hamlet. Is this reverse discrimation gone mad? A woman must be allowed to play a man? Fact is (ie. our opion is) she was very good and the play lost nothing.
Later in the month, Julius Caesar - another of the films of live performances. This time from RSC.
Flames of Fire. A reunion, a couple of hundred from UK (mainly Wales I guess) and a few from USA, including Ron Allen who is now The Revd Canon, having, for reasons of spiritual maturity perhaps, joined the Episcopal church. It was great to be able to meet many friends from the past and to be able to play our part in the ministry, which, par for the course, had to compete with too many decibels from the band.
New teeth. At long last Pat has been re-equipped with seven to replace the seven that were lost with the dead jaw bone. Although the consultant was adamant for months that the problem could have had no connection with shingles and ridiculed the very idea, he never came up with a decent explanation and eventually had the cheek to say, 'of course it's clear that this was connected to your shingles!' As far as we amateurs can see the most likely cause was a blood clot somewhere in the jaw bone. Who knows what caused it but we are satisfied that there was a connection to the shingles.
Not a lot to show for Paul's birthday celebration but there is always a fair amount of chat and the children scream around for about 3 hours each time sometimes aided and abetted by their favourite uncle Simon.
The sunshine van does barely 500 miles a year unless it's on a Progress. This time we clocked up 3000 miles around the Irish Coast - missing Dublin to Cork. We were told several times that one does not go to Ireland for the weather and, true to that, there seemed to be a lot of wind and rain and general coolness. And yet we took a fair number of pics and they showed quite an expanse of blue sky. From time to time we recounted our history. Paul had lived in Northern Ireland until probably 1942, we having joined Pop who was Chief Clerk British Troops Northern Ireland - as the most senior class of Warrant Officer. That is, I say this out of my pride in him, senior to the RSM. His friend and junior work colleague in Bournemouth Town Hall, Sylvie Wadham (wife Olive a member of GB Olympic swimming team in Berlin 1936) became a commissioned officer gaining his initial promotion to Sgt by sewing on 3 stripes on his way from one posting to another! Paul first went to school in NI. Admire the pic.
Paul next went to NI in 1956 to attend the Portstewart Convention (Keswick in NI). Friends who were made that week invited him back to their home for the following week and lent him a Morris Minor. How exceptionally kind. The next visit to the Emerald Isle was in 1987 when we went as a family for a week staying in Anita and Jim Leahy's bungalow in Killarney. We stayed there a week although it is now many years since Paul took Jim's funeral service.
The masterclass in photography can be seen by clicking for the gallery here or cinematically you could be transported by our video or if you wish to examine the scene of the literary artwork you could read Pat's journal. For a taster here are three pics from the South on the left and three from the North on the right.
It's party time again for the Boys and the Twins. Another year on.
Maastritch. According to the write up - "André will be joined by his famous Johann Strauss Orchestra, his sopranos, tenors and some very special guests, and 2015 is shaping up to be his biggest and most spectacular concert ever to be screened in cinemas. André will be working his magic to present an unforgettable evening full of humour, music and emotion for every age. Be swept away with the incredible atmosphere, which attracts audiences from every corner of the globe who come together to share and experience beautiful music, song, laughter, dancing and a few tears!" And he thoughtfully said, 'If you can’t join us in Maastricht, we will come to you, in your local cinema.'
The 2012 Olympic 200 km road race passed along Coldharbour Road which is at the end of Pyrford Heath - our cul-de-sac. We saw it on the tv in Ibiza. Every year since there has been not only a profesional race but also an amateur ride of 100 miles with, this year, 25000 participants. There is a watering stop a few yards down the road at the village hall. Paul helps every year. The earlier riders passing through from 7.30 rarely stop but within an hour there are a hundred gasping for refills. They are in and out as quickly as they can but their number never drops. 25,000 is a lot of peddlers! In 2013 Boris Johnston, Mayor of London, took part. This year our very own Simon completed the course in under 6 hours! No chance of a pic on the day itself but here is the man and his steed.
Ashley and Preston Fini were over in July. They came to lunch and then we had a walk around RHS which they enjoyed. This month the real Fini's have made it to UK again. Ugo's been under the doc for some months now and they thought it a good idea to give him a break from chemo etc. As is clear from the pic he looks fine - denying him the sympathy he would otherwise receive! Although the medics are pretty pessimitic we are not - as evidenced by our daily prayers.
Pyrford Heath being a private road means we have to pay for repairs. We do that for a few years and then decide it's time for resurfacing. That was this year's exercise. Fortunately the gas people, who have been laying new mains in the area for months, were ready for our road before it was resurfaced!
Later in the month we went to Sydney Harbour. Well, actually, the Odeon Guildford who had the film of Aida from Sydney Harbour. Very spectacular.
This year there's been an outbreak of atheticism with the two young ones putting down as marker before they reach their respective half centuries. Melanie did a Brutal 10k in January and a 5k swim plus something else and Timothy did some Surrey style fell running before they both entered a half marathon at Blenheim Palace with the British Heart Foundation.
Melanie, Phill and Lola moved into their new house the day after - with help from the sunshine van and Simon and some other friends. We think it is going to be a lovely home - and it's their own rather than rented.
Simon sold his house earlier in the year and finding another at the right price proved very difficult. When he did find one, just guess what - less than 100 yards from Adrian and Annie. He does have a tent and could have camped out but it's expensive to put furniture in store so it all came to Fosters, plus Simon. He is moving in little by little and all the time enjoying the culinary delights of Fosters. He is endeavouring to rid himself of unwanted things rather than moving them into his new home. He has donated to us various spices that he will never use. We were particularly taken by his solid coconut milk.
Best before Feb '96
Melanie brought another of her wonderful gingerbread houses as her birthday cake. The demolition was a bit tame - we were hoping for bits flying everywhere!
Before the birthday of our infant King at the end of the month we have celebrations for our Stella Princess.
We followed our desired Christmas Day party pattern as this year we were able to find Mike, Tony and Ingrid who would have been on their own plus Anita's mother and Simon and Anita. It all went very well with Ingrid being taken home for her afternoon sleep at about 3.30 and Audrey going about the same time. Mike and Tony stayed on until I was about to suggest evening eats and they then departed!
To Boxing Day for our family 15. The children like the extra space at Fosters - and especially the greater
number of doors through which they can continually charge with many shouts and whoops of delight.
The party carried on while Simon, Anita and Pat followed the ambulance in which Paul was riding along with what turned out to be a failing heart. The hospital was excellent and allowed him home four days later by which time they had inserted a couple of stents and lined him up for an instrument to apply cardiac resynchronisation therapy along with a defibrillator to shock him awake should the ticker pack in altogether. So no longer will Grandpa give centrifugal flights to children, nor clean the gutters, nor deliver Besom furniture. Most cruel of all they've told him he cannot drive. It seems the heart can be cared for but not cured so what the future holds is what it always did - the unknown. There was, in the earliest stages of planning, a 1 day 80km walk to celebrate octogenarian status - the plans of those who think they will go on for ever in the rudest of health have been cut short. But before all this what joy to record that at the penultimate Tot's Praise before Christmas the attendance topped 100. They come flooding in knowing full well that it's not just music but Jesus music, not just a story but a God story, not just networking but a community of love. Praise God and thank him for the priviledge of this ministry now suspended as far as Paul is concerned but continuing for Pat on the welcome desk and the piano.
The last note might have been climactic but this is climatic. End of December. Certainly no snow drops - but the daffs are out. Here is our first shy arrival
There is a gallery of the year's family pictures within the picture book - just click here.
If you wish to go to a list of Picture Galleries
