Christmas Newsletter 2020

 It has taken me rather a while to bring myself to make a start on writing this newsletter,

 but as our Christmas cards should be arriving soon (well, depending on the post...) 

I thought I better get on with it... 

But what a year!!

 Rather a lot of doom and gloom as my Mum would have said but let's start with a happy picture... Sophie, me and Kevin in Santa's hats. Sophie bought these so that she and her Dad could wear them in a ukulele sing-a-long recording. 

At the end of last year's newsletter I wrote that we were looking forward to a lovely family Christmas. And that's what we had - Christmas Eve at Mum and Dad's:

It was lovely that Tomi's Mum had been able to come over from Nigeria...

 Christmas Day at our house, by which time Liz and Pete had arrived...

 Then a Boxing Day outing followed by a festive meal at Andrew and Kathryn's... Sophie had come back from Australia for Christmas - maybe she was finding it rather cold back in the UK!

I don't know what Tomi's Mum thought of the weather!!

We enjoyed several outings while Sophie was back - including a trip to York.

But the holiday came to an end and Sophie went back to Melbourne, somewhat concerned as to how the terrible bushfires were affecting Australia. She found Melbourne was OK and not even as smoky as expected, but over in East Gippsland it was a different story. Nikki and the girls evacuated for a couple of days at one stage, while Matty stayed to protect the house...

In the middle of January the Golden Oldies got together for Aunty Kath's Birthday:

And then a couple of weeks later at Holly Avenue - this is a lovely picture of me and my brother at this event...

Round about this time our worldly goods yet again hit the high seas - on their way to Melbourne... We had planned to move back to Australia in early 2020 and now the time had come.

We began having farewell 'catch-up's - Lynn, Colin, my cousin Janet...

my cousin Caroline and John...

I went down to Bicester to have a crafty farewell with my friends down there...it has been lovely to catch up with these friends on Zoom over the last few months

 (even if I do have to get up early!)

But the hardest thing was saying bye to my closest people...my nieces...

My brother and sister and all their families...

Little did I know this would be the last time I saw my Mum and Dad....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We moved to Melbourne on February 23rd. Fortunately our house sale went through and completed at the last minute. And as it turned out it was lucky we managed to fly out when we did. Any later and we might not have been able to travel putting our visas at risk.

 We moved in with Sophie - for what we thought would be a short time - until we found somewhere to live and our shipping arrived.

The first thing we did was meet up with Dan and Lizzie, Tom and Clare, Aiden and Anna - nearly all our family.

We planned a holiday for Easter when perhaps we could all get together including Matt, Nikki, Jasmine and Isabell.

~~~~~~~

But Covid 19 happened. 

After just a few weeks of normality, by the end of March we were into the first lockdown.

This meant that Sophie was suddenly teaching from home and we were hit by the first lot of restrictions. This meant that lots of admin things following our move had to be put on hold. House hunting was difficult...

But shortages didn't really affect us as Sophie had stocked up before we arrived.

We could still go for a walk but we couldn't meet up with people - and no masks yet.

Our Australian Drivers Licences came - and our Senior Citizens and rail cards - but we couldn't really use them...

We spent our time watching television marathons (how many episodes of the Mentalist?), on the phone or computer, baking, crafting and, in my case, learning how to use my new Cricut machine.

This was an early Birthday present - so many Birthdays have been held on Zoom!

However by May some of the restrictions had been lifted and we could enjoy a small celebration for Aiden's 20th Birthday!

And we moved into our rental property in Patterson Lakes. 

Our shipping arrived and we gradually got it furnished with this and items from auctions and freecycle!

Towards the end of June, Matt, Nikki Jasmine and Isabell managed to come over from East Gippsland for a short stay, so at last we had seen all our family.

 Back in the UK, Mum received a belated 71st Wedding Anniversary card from the Queen. The Palace had just started sending them out again having called a halt previously because of Covid.

But by this time Dad was in hospital. The carers had called 911 after they had difficulty getting him to stand to be able to go to bed. The paramedics sent him into hospital where he was diagnosed with Covid. Fortunately Liz had just arrived so she could go with him in the ambulance and Andrew met them at the entrance. But after that there were no visitors. Liz, Andrew and Mum had to get tested. Mum tested positive and so then Liz and she were both self-isolating for a fortnight. Fortunately both Mum and Dad recovered from the virus and none of the rest of the family caught it, and Dad moved into a nursing home. Mum went down to Devon for a week as Dad still couldn't have visitors.

We in Melbourne went into our second lockdown, the second week in July. This meant stricter restrictions including the wearing of masks. So I started making lots... Kevin kept himself busy making stuff too...

Towards the end of July Dad was allowed visitors - but his health had deteriorated badly and sadly on August 4th he passed away. Covid restrictions meant that he had a small funeral but it was webcast so we could watch it from here in Australia.

Then almost 9 weeks later Mum too passed away. She spent a few days in hospital and we thought she would come home. But the virus had weakened her and in the end her body could not take it. The whole family were devastated. How many times in those 3 months did I wish I could get on a plane? Again Covid restrictions meant a small funeral - but this time no 'wake' either. So each person attending the funeral was given an afternoon tea box and a small bottle of Prosecco to take home. We again watched the webcast here in Australia...

And here in Melbourne we continued to cope with the Covid restrictions... Kevin renovated a canoe and cultivated the little veggie plot... and I carried on crafting...

Gradually the restrictions eased such that we could travel - so we spent a week over in Paynesville. Sophie came for a long weekend and we saw Matt, Nikki and the girls again:

Then on December 13th Kevin was 70 - and we could have the family around for a barbecue!

And now Christmas approaches and we are putting up the decorations... including several crafty makes from Kevin!

And in fact Santa just called (on the Lakes behind our house)

So.. here's wishing you a very happy Christmas and let's hope 2021 is a better year!

love Sue and Kevin xx

Marjorie Joan Willatt 3rd May 1931 - 11th October 2020

Marjorie Joan Willatt (Marg)

To celebrate the life of Marjorie Joan Willatt , a very special 'Mom" and a much loved "Grom".

• By Son Andrew (his first name is really William you know) and wife Kathryn,
• Daughter Elizabeth (Bib) and husband Pete,
• Their children and partners, and grandchildren.

Remembering that more than half her closest family are in Australia sadly missed and wishing they were here

• In Victoria, Daughter Sue and husband Kevin, their children, partners and grandchildren
• In Perth another grandson, his partner and their children.

So special and much loved by so many... Be assured she cared for every one of you.

Marjorie was the oldest of 5 children born to Alec and Ellen Bown.

Her love of family was rooted in their home 72 Upper Bainbrigge Street, the hub of family life for many years.

Because her father ran a building business from here it was known as The Yard. This was an exciting place for children - with san to play in and ladders to climb to the loft.

There were many great family get togethers headed by the homemaker, Marg's mother, Ellen.

Children and grandchildren loved the stories of her childhood, especially the one about how she bought chicks at the market, with the change from buying groceries, when she had been sent on an errand.

The chicks had to be cared for by keeping them warm in the range oven. They all turned into cockerels and terrorised everyone entering The Yard and had to be fought off with brooms.

They ended up as neighbours Christmas dinners!

 Her best friend at Homelands Grammar School was Jean. Jean introduced Marg to her brother Frank, who became Marg’s husband in 1949, they were married for 71 years.

They learned to Dance at the London School of Dance but there love of dancing wasn’t restricted to Ballroom. When the immediate family were older there was lots of fun to be had at barn dances, “Dosey-doing” and “Stripping the Willow” followed by supper of pie and mushy peas.

Daughters Elizabeth and Susan were born while they lived at Green Lane, Derby and after they moved to Mackworth, Andrew was born.

A huge change came about when the young family moved to Utley, Keighley, in Yorkshire.  It provided a wonderful opportunity for family and friends to visit, she loved having them stay.

 Friendships formed in those early years with Frank’s family lasted her lifetime, joint family holidays, visits, shared family events.  Frank’s family was just as important to her as her own.

During this time she was an active member of St Mark’s church, she ran the women’s fellowship and she and Frank founded the pensioners luncheon club.

She was devastated when Andrew started school.  The doctor advised her to either have another baby or get a job. She began with two school secretarial jobs and then became a librarian at Silsden library.

In 1966 the family moved to Holly Avenue, Breaston, a sunny happy house. Marg continued working as a librarian in a nearby school which entailed taking some classes...This realised her ambition to become a teacher and she studied for A levels to gain access to Bishop Lonsdale College.  She went to college as a mature student at the same time as Elizabeth went off to college in Manchester.

She spent her teaching career at Bennerley Fields, Ilkeston, teaching children with learning difficulties.  She also ran parenting classes.

 Anglesey was a place returned to many times, and eventually “The Cottage” was acquired in the late 1970’s. 

On one of the walls there is a record of over 40 years of family history, every child and adult who visited the cottage made a mark of their height with the date.

As there were many visits by each child there is a record of their growth from tots to adulthood.

 Marg loved the outdoors, to find a sunny spot to relax maybe with a glass of sherry, to go on walks through the Nut Wood or along the beach at Red Wharf Bay.

When out in the fresh air, she would say to all “breathe deep”!

Sailing had become another source of family fun and the Menai Strait Regattas became the main holiday of the year.  Soon there was a fleet of family dinghies and a small sailing cruiser.

Marg loved to be on the start line in Beaumaris, cheering her family on, and afterwards at the yacht club, hopefully to collect prizes and celebrate with a drink.

To gather together around a table to celebrate an occasion gave her the greatest pleasure.

She initiated the “Golden Oldies” a regular meeting of her brothers and sisters and her very close brothers and sisters in law.  They met often in each other's homes or perhaps a pub right up to the Coronavirus Lockdown in March.

She loved to be the provider of food: Picnics on Beaumaris Green, Sunday roast dinners, Birthday cakes, and Harvest baskets of home-made jams and pickles,

In Autumn she would be making plot toffee, toffee apples and of course the legendary flapjack.

As Frank’s Alzheimer’s worsened Marg became a dedicated carer and was determined that he should stay at home.

For the past three years this proved to be very restricting as Frank couldn’t bear her to be out of sight.  During this time she was ably supported by Sue, Kevin, Andrew, Kathryn, Liz and Pete.

Her biggest treat of the week was to have her hair done.  Andrew would sit with Frank, showing musicals on DVD and making models to entertain him, whilst Marg had her hair styled at one of Sally’s salons.

Afterwards she liked to visit the Cathedral and light candles for the family.

When Frank passed in August, after the initial grief, Marg recalled many memories of their life together and told the family that she had had such a full and happy life.

She often claimed that for her it had been Christmas every day.

Family was her life, her love, her all.  She took great interest in everyone's lives, loved to hear your news, shared your joys and worries, was proud of your successes.

You were all her family!

Frank Willatt 27th March 1927 - 4th August 2020

 Frank was the fourth child of eight brothers and sisters.

His oldest brother, John, was a member of  RAF bomber crew in the Second World War and lost his life.

He had three younger brothers and three sisters. The youngest, Eddie, was a few weeks old when Frank's father died so his mother had to bring up 8 children single handed.

He went to Bemrose School in Derby but was later evacuated to teh Herbert Strutt School in Belper. In Belper he became involved in the church and was head choir boy, and served as an altar boy.

Hit first job was with the Health Department at the Council Offices in Derby and he began training as an accountant. However he was called up for National Service and trained as a Radar Mechanic in the Navy. He was first at college in London and then served on his ship HMS Magpie in the Mediterranean.

When he served in the Navy he was meticulous about the care of his uniform. He was the only one who owned an iron. He hired it out - at a price!

Marjorie's best friend at Homelands Grammar School, Jean, was Frank's sister. When he came home on leave, he offered to take them to a Saturday Night Dance. This led to Marjorie being literally swept off her feet... and they continued their romance learning to dance ant the London School of Dance in Derby.

Younger brothers Bill married Hilary, and David married Cynthia, also pupils of Homelands. Later they were all to live in flats belonging to their mother at Green Lane in Derby.

When demobbed from the Navy, Frank started at the Treasury Department, Derby City Council, and began his career as an accountant. Over the years he was often co-opted as honorary treasurer for allotments, sailing clubs and Nalgo.

He married Marjorie in 1949 and had three children Elizabeth, Susan and Andrew and eventually had 8 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren. This year they celebrated 71 years of marriage.

He was very patient with his grandchildren, teaching them to swim for the first time without armbands and helping them learn to sail dinghies.

Piggy Backs were so popular he had to make up an imaginary sign saying "None beyond this point on the Lane".

Family was very important and the grandchildren loved to hear the stories of his childhood. They especially loved the one about his Teddy Bear being left up a tree and eventually ending up in the dustbin - which always reduced them to tears,

He entertained them at Twycross Zoo with 'Animal Magic' style conversations with the monkeys.

Marjorie's family were equally important and he regarded them as his own. "Golden Oldies" meetings with Marjorie's brothers and sisters and spouses were held regularly until the Covid 19 lockdown.

Again the church played an important part in the early years of marriage, living in Utley, Keighley in West Yorkshire. An active member of St Mark's Church Utley, he launched the pensioners club which was responsible for social gatherings, visits to entertainments and celebratory meals with an afternoon tea every Monday.

At various times Frank had a go at embroidery, rug making, and cooking being renowned for his hot cross buns, boiled fruit cake and whole dressed wild salmon. However the quick curries shared with Sue at the office in Long Eaton were not so popular!

Frank helped for several years at Portway Infant School which his two youngest grandchildren, Caroline and Michael, attended. He loved his Wednesday afternoons, helping the children with their reading and telling them about life during and before the War. He also enjoyed his trips to Elvaston Castle for which he dressed up in Victorian style.

Frank's main two interests were sailing and gardening. He enjoyed doing practical tasks. He also loved listening to classical music and comic operas, as well as watching ballet. Most mornings he and Marjorie would be singing.

Most especially Frank loved talking to young ladies!

Marjorie adds this next story...

Frank was going to decorate the living room, so Marjorie said "people are now having a bit of colour and pattern in their living room". Frank armed with pots of Magnolia paint replied 

"Marg, we are the colour and pattern in out lives!"

Frank Willatt: Gardening Enthusiast

Frank was a gardener - a great gardener! By the time the family lived in Utley he maintained three allotments ( and allotments were much bigger then than now).

He supplied all the neighbours on Birchwood Drive with fruit and veg - for a small fee. The money was saved in the 'Lotto tin' - one of those Players 50 cigarette tins with a picture of a sailor on the front (whilst in the Navy, Frank was a smoker but he gave up after a bout of laryngitis). The money from the tine then paid for his seeds for the next year.

He entered Horticultural Shows. Before he had a car the exhibits were loaded into a large Marmet pram (which had been Andrew's) and trundled by foot to the show. He grew carrots, parsnips and leeks down pipes of sandy soil to achieve long straight roots. He kept his prize potatoes in the dark under the bed. Not realising that they were for a show Marjorie found them and made them into chips - this doid not go down well!

He loved Sweet Peas. To achieve show standard they had to be grown as a single stem up a cane, carefully tied and tendrils nipped out! There had to be 5 flower heads to a stem, and usually 9 specimens had to be selected for a show. They were arranged in tall conical tin vases. packed with reeds (before the days of 'Oasis') collected from down by the river.

The whole family became involved, though it was said that picking and eating was preferable to weeding. Peas picked straight from the pod - delicious - and rhubarb sticks dipped in sugar...

Marjorie made jams and pickles, and baked cakes. Not always easy, remembering when three Madeira cakes had to be baked to achieve perfection. Elizabeth and Sue made huge collections of wild flowers for the children's classes (this was allowed in those days) and made funny animals out of mis-shapen veg.

Elizabeth helped out at Keighley Show (the important show!) as a 'Judge's Runner'. The prize winning exhibits had a number which related to a name. Elizabeth had to run with the ticket to the desk and take the prize certificate back to the exhibit. Of course she often heard comments and criticisms by the judges which lead her to picking up some useful tips! This attention to every detail might lead to the ultimate accolade: "Best in Show"!

Gardening has been one of Frank's legacies to his children and their partners, including helping out with his final allotments at the Welbeck Road site until 2019.

Frank Willatt : Sailing Enthusiast by Andrew Willatt

Living in Yorkshire until 1966, Dad was thinking of building a pram dinghy for us to sail on the tarn, maybe a 'gremlin'. I had the book "Building your own boat' for my Sunday School prize.

However Dad got a new job back in Derby. Uncle Pete had bought a canoe so we all had a go on the river at Darley Abbey.

This led to Mum, Dad, Jean and Peter going on a sailing course at Butterley Reservoir - then later Sue, Liz and me.

Both families (Burdens and Willatts) joined Derwent Sailing Club. Mum and Dad bought our first dinghy - a Graduate. We sailed it on the river, at Rudyard Lake and then a whole two weeks at Abersoch.

The following year we started competing in the Menai Straits Regattas.

When I was 16, Mum and Dad bought our first new boat - Scorpion 1199 'Will It'. This was very successful and much loved. Dad and I sailed this boat until I built 1641 at college.

Dad's next expense was to have a third share (with Kevin and Pete) in the Sonata 'Tonic' which enabled the family to experience big boat sailing. Sophie had her first trip on this at 10 days old.

Dad's love of sailing, tides, charts, navigation all led him to being very competitive and he would often re live the day going over each decision many times. He loved racing and was very fond of 'going for gold'. Dad allowed me to helm from an early age. He was happy to crew and had a love/hate relationship with the spinnaker!

Dad hung up his sailing boots when he was 80 but keenly followed sailing activities and loved watching until quite recently.

We could talk 'boats' by the hour! When he was on HMS Magpie he had often watched the Officers launch and sail a whaler off the ship. Maybe this started the idea for owning his own boat...

Christmas Newsletter 2019

 It is hard to believe that 2019 is almost over and we are fast approaching 2020!
Another decade has flown by...

Here I am writing the Christmas Newsletter again!

This year Kevin was been semi-retired and not worked overseas at all - I retired when we left Abu Dhabi in 2013. However we both find plenty to occupy ourselves. We go to the cinema frequently... I have my crafting and yoga and Kevin is always busy working at home, gardening or working on the house. He also enjoys cooking, trying out and developing new recipes!

After spending last Christmas with us, Sophie set off in January to take up her new teaching  job in Melbourne, Australia, She seems to have fallen on her feet, living in North Brighton and teaching at St Kevin's. This picture is before she left - will all this fit in my suitcase?

We are looking forward to her visiting us this Christmas...

Mum and Dad have again needed a lot of support - scroll down to the next post for their newsletter - Liz has been up to stay, regularly throughout the year, to help and we often enjoy a pint in the pub...

 

 Andrew sits with Dad when I take Mum out for her weekly outing to the hair salon, the cathedral and Sainsbury's.

We find plenty of occasions to open a bottle of bubbles... Valentines Day (our 43rd Wedding Anniversary), Dad's 93rd Birthday in March, Mum's 88th Birthday in June...

In March and June I went on weekend crafty retreats, meeting up with old friends and enjoying different workshops. I led the one where we made the cards in the second picture.

In April I was 67... Kevin and I went out for dinner after we had enjoyed cake with Mum and Dad!

At Easter the weather was good enough for a barbecue in Mum and Dad's garden and Abigail, the youngest member of the family, Caroline and Tomi's daughter, attended .

 

In May, we again took part in the village Plant Pot Trail.
My creation was a fairy town; we made Mary Mary for Mum and Dad's...

 

We still regularly help Mum and Dad entertain the Golden Oldies (Mum's brothers and sisters and their other halves) to lunch.
In June it was a special one in our garden to celebrate their platinum Wedding Anniversary.

A few days later it was Caroline and Tomi's wedding...

And then Kevin and I set off for two months in Australia - it was lovely to see all our family - especially as we all went to Fiji for the week of Dan and Lizzie's wedding.

We came back to the UK however to find Mum in a very poor way - we thought it was her rheumatoid arthritis - but it turned out to be a fractured hip.
To cut a long story short - she ended up in hospital, then rehab for getting on for a month. We all looked after Dad but then he went into respite for a week...

Eventually all was back to normal - and in fact Mum is walking better than she has for a long while!! Her first day back home, we took her to the pub...

We put our house on the market just before we left for Australia - and now we are waiting for completion.

We will move back to Melbourne in February - of course I am very worried as to how Mum and Dad will fare without us...

But now we are looking forward to Christmas... and a big family dinner here...

Anyway I think that gives you an idea of our 2019 - hope yours was a good one!

Wishing you all the best for a Happy Christmas and a wonderful 2020!

Sue and Kevin


xx