Christmas Newsletter 2017

At the end of our last year's Christmas Letter I wrote that Kevin was looking forward to Christmas so much...usually this is his attitude...

But that was mainly because he was ready to come home from Cairo - in actual fact his three month stint has now stretched over much of this year too!

However, Christmas last year was pretty difficult - Mum ended up having emergency surgery in the early hours of Christmas Eve and remained in hospital until after the New Year. If you read Mum's Newsletter (the next post on here) you will see that both she and Dad are doing pretty well - with a lot of support from us and all her family.

Despite this we did have some good times...a year ago today Dan was here from Australia and he and I walked up Thorpe Cloud in Dove Dale!

We managed to visit the oldest pubs in Nottingham, Derby and Cambridge, visit Sophie and drive down to Andrew's boat.

Our next visitors from Australia were Tom and Aiden - they came for Christmas.

Some of the highlights of their visit were when Ella, Leo and Lucas came up - we went to Andrew and Kathryn's for dinner...

and we had a bonfire and fireworks in our garden.

In fact I think Tom kept that fire going the whole time he was here!

Even though Mum was in hospital we still managed Christmas Dinner for Dad, Liz and Pete, Andrew, Kathryn, Caroline, Tomi, Michael, Sophie, Tom, Aiden, Kevin and I.

 Over in Australia our granddaughters were up at 5am on Christmas day...

Kevin has spent a lot of this year in Cairo - so in February Sophie and I went over to visit.

We saw all the sights!

For my Birthday in April, the three of us did something completely different, climbing Mam Tor in Derbyshire.

Kevin was back here for Easter - he came back just in time to help with a yard sale -

Mum Dad, Liz and Pete were away from the action, in the garden -

Colin and Lynn came over around then too...

In Australia, Izzy was 5 in April, Aiden 17 in May and Jas was 9 in June!

While Kevin has been away both Sophie and Liz have been to stay with me quite often and I have been down to stay with Sophie. We saw 42nd Street in London early in the year and Annie later. (Recently a whole group of us went down to St Neots to see Sophie in Sister Act - an Am Dram production.)

In May, Sophie and I nipped over to Anglesey - and a real highlight of the trip was a visit to Bodnant Garden where the Laburnum Arch was magnificent!

I have had to do a lot of the allotment and our garden - but we have been delighted with the produce!

Mum and Dad came over to our house several times in the Summer...

I have been on 4 crafty retreats this year, including a Tim Holtz workshop.

On another flying visit in June, Kevin and I managed to go down to Devon for Ella and Leo's 40th's - the theme was smurfs, trolls and fairies!

We were not sure whether we could make Menai - but taking turns with the care of Mum and Dad with Liz, we managed to do a week each. Unfortunately while we were there the weather was not fit for sailing but we did manage kayaking!!

And on this day Andrew took his boat out...

For Soph's Birthday she and I went to Harry Potter World - we have photos of both of us flying broomsticks!!
Soph and I also went back to Anglesey at August Bank Holiday and saw some of our favourite places...

No visitors from Australia for Christmas this year - but Kevin and I did spent October there so we have seen our boys and families...

We spent the first two weeks with Matt, Nikki, Jasmine and Isabell - sailing, rafting, camping, going to the snow and attending a Pixie Party.

We also did some crafting...

We then moved on to Melbourne to stay in Dan and Lizzie's new home.

We then went with them and Tom and Aiden to Tasmania for a few days.

A lovely holiday - 4 weeks went so quickly!

 Anyway we came back and Kevin went back to Egypt...

Finally he has come back with no immediate plans to return!

We will wait and see what his next project will be...

Anyway I think that gives you a snapshot of our 2017 - hope yours was a good one!

Wishing you all the best for a Happy Christmas and a wonderful 2018!

Sue and Kevin

xx

Christmas Newsletter 2017 from Marjorie and Frank Willatt

Another year, another letter and how the years fly by!

As always, we are busy planning Christmas – but instead of Frank and I, this year Andrew and Kathryn will organize the turkey and Kevin and Sue the trimmings!

We will enjoy the time with some of the family, but four grandsons and their families live in Australia which means that Lizbeth and Pete will be going over there for Christmas to join John, Julia, Chloe and Emma.

Ella, Leo and Lucas will have to hold the fort in Devon and look after the 2 horses, 2 dogs, 2 ducks, 4 chickens, 3 cats, a guinea pig and fish in the pond…it amuses to hear tales of all these animals (for instance the ducks cannot be persuaded to swim yet – they immediately jump out of the paddling pool!)

Kevin and Sue spent October in Australia visiting their family.

 At least, however, I will surely have a better Christmas this year, than last. Absolutely out of the blue, I became suddenly very ill in the evening of December 23^rd. I went into hospital during the night and had a serious (so I was told) operation (for a perforated bowel) in the early hours of Christmas Eve. I spent Christmas Day and Boxing Day in Intensive care. I moved into ‘Step Down’ for the next 10 days, missing New Year celebrations too. Our family took over at home, caring for Frank and still having Christmas Dinner for 13.

Frank has his ups and downs – as do I – my good leg has become my bad leg with a flare up of arthritis! Frank has carers three times a day and he is never left on his own. He does the best he can but he has been rather poorly throughout November with Laryngitis, followed by a chest infection, but luckily he is OK again.

He loves to have visitors as it is almost impossible to take him further than the garden or maybe to Sue and Kevin’s, but now with winter, it is too cold for that. He is a good listener, still has a sense of humour and enjoys music. When Andrew comes round, they watch You Tube videos – ranging from Vera Lynn to the Mikado.

We have had a very quiet year having to ‘stay put’, but as Sue and Kevin have taken over the allotment, we have still enjoyed great fruit, vegetables and flowers. Frank has loved seeing all the crops as they arrived and I have made all the usual jams, jellies, pickles and chutneys for my harvest baskets – these will be distributed to the ‘Golden Oldies’ on Thursday when they will come over for lunch. It has become quite a routine for my brothers, sisters and in-laws to come over each month for champagne and a light lunch! In fact ‘fizz’ has been quite a feature of our celebrations this year. In particular, in March we celebrated Frank’s 90^th with the GOs, and in May, my 86^th. Ella and Leo both were 40 this year – more reasons to celebrate! 

I must admit Kevin has done the Crisp Mustard Pickles and peeled the onions for pickling to help me out this year. He has been in Egypt on and off for much of the last year so Sue has been our constant companion and a great help.

However all our family have done as much as they possibly can, with Lizbeth ‘to and fro’ between here and South Devon, and Andrew always on hand – especially on a Wednesday when Sue takes me out to have my hair done, visit the Cathedral to light candles, go to Sainsbury’s – my trip out of the week! He is also first to sort out handyman jobs.

Kevin and Pete have both stepped in when maintenance work needs to be done, as one crisis after another worries me no end! I can always rely on Kathryn too, and Sophie and Caroline when they are available.

Michael comes to visit regularly – and over the last year we have enjoyed visits from Ella, Leo and Lucas and some of the ‘Australians’ – Dan, Tom, Aiden, John, Julia, Emma and Chloe. You may know that I am a keen ‘facebooker’ – keeping an eye on all our family and friends.

It is lovely to see photos of Matt, Nikki, Jasmine and Isabell over in Australia – and Dan and Lizzie. Dan and Lizzie appreciate the races as much as I do – and Dan and I often put bets on the big races between us…

The family are still all keen sailors…Lucas now has Frank’s Mirror…

Michael is a keen fisherman, and Sophie has just put her hand to Am Dram - taking part in Sister Act in St Neots. 

She also had to make the plot toffee and toffee apples this year as I was ‘hopping on one leg’!

Andrew volunteers at the Wollaton Museum - here he is in his workshop there:

So there you have it – I keep saying it – Old Age is not for wimps!

With lots of love and wishing you the very best for Christmas and the New Year – 2018

Marg and Frank

xx