Look at the picture books - people and places
In recognition of the daily presence of our furry friends from next door Pat was given a pussy picture on a jigsaw puzzle. Maybe it wasn't finished until February but it is the only pic that will fit January 2017. So, another year, Greetings to All - and blessings therewith.
Not quite on the spur of the moment but close to it, we allowed Mr Tesco - via Avios - to pay for a trip to Barcelona. Five nights. Really good although we had some money trouble as Paul forgot the pin for our Euro card. We literally, yes, using the correct definition of the word, had spent our last cent before boarding the prepaid bus back to the airport. Five days were not enough time for even the most popular sights. There is a gallery to click for you to see some of the places we visited. La Sagrada Familia is due to be finished within the next few years so we have every reason to visit again.
Paul still does Wisley buggy from time to time and all the birthdays are still celebrated at Fosters. Wisley is undergoing millions of £s of alterations but all the while the flowers continue to entrance and impress. This month (and this month in every successive year) it's Zuzana's birthday.
And, similarly, April is set aside for Paul. The cats queued to join the party.
Amsterdam to Budapest with Titan (an offshoot of Saga) A bit downmarket compared to last year - for instance we didn't have our personal Butler. However we survived. Not only that but we greatly enjoyed it. Titan had, for the first time, chartered its own ship - MS Serenade 1 - so there were no language difficulties - apart from Scouse, Geordie and Brum. The crew was largely Bulgarian.
Cruising towards Budapest - we'd like to return there for a few days - we missed Max's first communion for which he has been going to Catecumenate classes for 6 months: we are always impressed by the way the Roman Catholics educate their people. Simon represented the larger family.
The boys' birthday get together
Paul had to be updated by attending a Child Protection and Vunerable Adult course at Gloucester (in support of his PTO - they don't recognise Guildord's process!) We went via a night at Berkeley and a production in the castle grounds of A Midsummer Night's Dream. The castle has been in Berkeley hands since they rebuilt it in 1152. The play is said to have been written for the founding Berkeleys wedding and the production we saw was produced by a Berkeley. Not bad?
After the course (which Pat attended as well) we wandered around Gloucester. Next day we spent hours at the International Centre for Birds of Prey at Newent. As well as touring the grounds and visiting the birds 'at home' we stayed for three shows, all with different breeds of bird. The birds are kept in pens much larger than we've seen before. Over 250 Raptors including Owls, Eagles, Kites, Hawks and Vultures - 60 species altogether.
Keswick. At the end of the month we went to the Keswick convention. Paul had been once before - in 1955 - but the Convention has been running for 142 years. We stayed at the HPB Hotel in Braithwaite.It was a sad commentary on our times that there were armed police on duty at the convention although they kept a very low profile other than most of the time before and after meetings when they were virtually mobbed by the worshippers who had been bidden to be friendly, feeding them with cakes and pizzas! At the opening meeting the Police and Crime Commissioner for the County welcomed us and almost apologised for the necessity of a police presence. He was clearly a committed Christian and must have signified that he would like to be invited onto the platform. Of all the thousands there we met two couples we knew: Ian and Barbara Russell - he was Archdeacon of Coventry and had worked with Paul in Benidorm for Thompsons Young at Heart programme
and then David and Christine Parsons who we invited to the Friday bible reading from their home close by. They had been having a hectic time celebrating Christine's 80th so it was good they made it. Together they walked the Coast to Coast on a piecemeal basis, starting in 2016. This year they finished it, to celebrate, inter alia, Christine's recovery from a very serious cancer. David is now an author having written an intriguing and well paced novel. In a subtle way he introduces a Christian theme which is very effective.
Ezikiel has left 19 Millview. We thought we would spend some time there and it coincided with the Vicar's holiday so Paul was able to take services for two Sundays. We willoffer the house to various organisations for holidays or short term occupation. It would be good if family and friends wanted to be there but it means self catering and although one of the most beautiful places in the country it doesn't qualify as exotic! Perhaps by mentioning it here we will have exposed it to cyber investigators and next time we go will find it fully occupied! From Blockley we now have to travel more than an hour to National Trust places we've not visited before. This time we went to Canons' Ashby and Wightwick. On the way back to Fosters we called in on Nuffield Place and learned that Mr Morris drove a Wolseley and that the contents of his wardrobe (yes, the one in his bedroom) were unusual - as the picture shows. Canons Ashby on the left
An invitation came for afternoon tea at Lambeth Palace. We've been to a similar event sponsored by ICS: this time it was CMS. All the way to London (ok we know it's only 28 minutes on the train!) for afternoon tea doesn't appeal overmuch so we thought we'd go early and stay a couple of nights. Bed not offered at the Palaceso we booked into a hotel and 'did' London (including British Museum and Kensington Palace - no bed there either) and saw Sir Simon Rattle's inaugural concert with LSO at the Barbican and Evita at the Phoenix.
Regarding beds we also went to Tate Britain. Perhaps we are Philistines as we just cannot understand how a Futon mattress, cardboard coffin, 2 florescent tubes, metal clothes rail, light bulbs, wire coat hanger, electric plug and a length of power cable can qualify as a prize exhibit. Look back at Lord Nuffield's wardrobe or at my repair centre in Fosters' small garage and place all three in your order of merit as an exhibit at a world renowned art centre.
There's no doubt we get a lot of pleasure from next door's cats.They not only spend hours in doors but also have lots of fun in our garden.
Earlier in the year insurance coy Aviva had written to say we had missed a premium. Phoned them to advise that their system had made
an error. Another letter re another missing premium next month. Another phone call. Another letter - six letters actually as there
are multiple policies in the package and each needs a monthly payment. And another. This time a letter to CEO.
Upshot? Phone call with profuse and real apology and the same in writing. And, 'would you kindly accept £300 in compensation?'
So another trip to London. We thought we'd use our pensioners' passes and go by bus. It worked very well. Six busses in all. Our longest walk was from Fosters to the village hall bus stop!
So, hotel, two evening concerts, one matinee
and the Christmas lights. Katherine Jenkins, Trystan Llyr Griffiths, Tenebrae and the LPO were taking part in the Huawei Winter Concert in support of the
Princes Trust. Maybe most of the items had a winter flavour and there were carols by Tenebrae and Griffiths: many carols contain a birth and death part of the Christian message
but amazingly Katherine Jenkins among her 12 pieces also sang
Amazing Grace - full hymnbook words - Joy to the World, and How Great Thou art. She also gave a plug for Songs of Praise as she has recently become one of the presenters.
The other concert was mainly an Australian caberet star who goes by the name of Meow Meow!
The matinee was a musical 'Everyone's talking about Jamie' at the Apollo. We further educated
ourselves with visits to the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert and enjoyed the Christmas lights. Had to stand all the way home on the train
(oh for a comfortable bus) Talked to a chap who is employed to teach civil servants how to write an effective letter. He was suitably impressed with the result of my
letter to Aviva.
Our last birthday of the year is Stella. No picture of her
school concert in which she had a small speaking part - Grandparents being invited to the rehearsal - but here is one receiving
presents at the family party.
But you might want something better than merrry. Joy? peace? hope? Those are offered to followers of Jesus. How about good health? Don't like to dwell on it but there are some things which are more difficult to do than they used to be, in consequence of which we love the answer to the enquiry about well being, 'I'm not a shadow of the person that I will be one day.' Don't know much about heaven but the resurrection sounds pretty good. Maranatha. Come, Lord, come. A blessing, many blessings to you.
Christmas Day was meant to see Ingrid, Peter, Tony and Mike joining Anita and Simon at our table. Regretably Ingrid had gone into hospital a few days previously and come out on Boxing Day. I left the family party to bring her back and take her home to be met and welcomed by next door neighbour, Jane. Reminded me of another departure two years ago to the day when I left the family party to go in the other direction, to St Peters in an ambulance. The ticker can't get better (what about a miracle? - yes please) but it is under management (mine) so I had earlier joined the Boxing Day walking group. I could dig out a pic from over 40 years ago taken on the Boxing Day walk - and we've been going much longer than that with new generations joining the gang.
There is a small family gallery for 2017. Click here
If you wish to go to a list of Picture Galleries
