Hey, It’s the End of the Year Again!
A Happy Christmas to everyone. Last year’s “photo of the year” showed us huddled up chilly but happy on the beautiful Isle of Jura. This year’s was taken at the Castell de la Mola near Novelda in Spain’s Alicante Province just a couple of weeks ago where ’twas just a bit warmer! We’ve both been very fortunate again this year and, apart from a few “old age” aches and pains we’re both in fine fettle – despite Noelene still recovering from a broken little toe!
We’ve both been triple vaxxed, as have almost all our friends and family and Noelene has been volunteering on the vaccination programme all year – trying to make Bolton safer for us all. So we managed to remain cheerful for much of the time, optimists that we are. But we do so miss our family in South Africa and there is still no hope of a visit there in the near future. John’s been walking a lot – three times a week (usually twice with friends and once on his lonesome) and Noelene has gardened a lot when the weather has been willing! We travelled quite a bit in the UK and explored parts of Wales that we hadn’t been to before and John got more votes in the local election (1,419) than many winning candidates. However….. 🙁 Ah well, there’s always 2022 and you can’t keep a good comrade down!
Here’s Why we Don’t Send Christmas Cards
This hasn’t been a good year for most of us with the COVID pandemic still raging. But we are far, far better off than the millions of refugees and asylum seekers who are in desperate straits, many of whom die trying to reach places of safety. 27 of these poor people died trying to reach these shores recently and all our heartless government could do was talk about “working together with the French to stop them”. Well we were very pleased that the French told Johnson and Patel to **** off.
This is why we’re donating our Christmas card and presents money to local charities who help refugees and asylum seekers, some of whom have nothing at all and are not even entitled to basic sustenance or healthcare.
Please consider doing the same and support them not only at Christmas but throughout the year.
Very Bonnie Scotland!
A Winner!
This was my “you hold mine and I’ll hold yours” moment with Andy Burnham and one of us was bound to be a winner in the elections this year! But, surprise, surprise, it wasn’t John; though he did get over 1,400 votes in this Conservative stronghold in the local elections. Unfortunately the Tory got almost double that, but he was at least well ahead of the Lib Dems and Greens. And Andy won every one of the 215 wards in Greater Manchester!
Later in the year he added Constituency Party Secretary to his portfolio of secretaryships and Noelene took on the job of Bolton Labour’s Local Government Committee Secretary. Therefore we take turns at sitting on each others’ knees!
As Johnson continues to lie his way through the COVID crisis, with new allegations of sleaze and corruption by the day, we have a horrible feeling that as John O’Farrell wrote, “Things Can Only Get Worse!”
The Laddie
Unlike last year we were able to spend more time with Jack and especially had a lovely week with him on the East Fife coast in late August plus some time in Morecambe. The not so “wee laddie” is now at Smithills High School, is learning the piano, having a go at the saxophone, joined the camera club and is still passionate about science, technology, maths and English, oh and art and cooking too! His talents are obviously genetic!
Was There Anywhere to Go?
In June, fully vaxxed and finally allowed out, we headed for Pembrokeshire with Gary and Charo, staying near Fishguard – visiting some old relics in St. Davids!
Never having been to the Pembrokeshire Coast before our reaction was “crickey, look at what we’ve been missing”. There was plenty of eating, drinking, being merry, and very relieved to finally be out of lockdown. The Bluestone Ales (https://www.bluestonebrewing.co.uk) are especially recommended! 🙂
Talking of old relics, not long after our trip to Pembrokeshire we headed east for a lovely long weekend with sis Helen and her gang. It was so nice to catch up with them, to meet great-nephews Henry and Oscar for the first time and we also re-visit just a bit of the beautiful north Norfolk coast – somewhere well worth a visit. And we also got to say “hi” to mum and dad for the first time in ages.
Then in August we were off to Anstruther on the East Fife coast with Jack and Claire. Such a beautiful part of the world and relatively unspoilt—apart from the former Government nuclear bunker which we visited. But very good that there was a CND display amongst the nuclear horrors of the cold war. Jack was very fascinated by it and asked “Grandpa, what can we do to prevent nuclear war?” to which I could only reply that when we elect politicians we must vote for people of peace. It’s a long time since I felt so inadequate!
And YES we did all swim in the North Sea, taking full advantage of the newly re-opened Pittenweem Tidal Pool – lovely and refreshing! 🙂
It was hardly a holiday but, after 48 years a member, John went to his first Labour Party Conference in September as one of Bolton West CLP’s delegates. It was a really interesting experience but he had a bit of a sour taste in his mouth as one of the other Bolton West delegates, a friend he goes walking with, was suspended by the Party on a trumped up charge of anti-Semitism just three days before conference was about to start. If you want to read his personal account take a look at his report – Five Days in Brighton.
Later in September we headed south-west to Somerset cider country where Noelene did a fruit tree pruning course (I kid you not!) and John checked some of the local footpaths—oh and local beers! 🙂
And then in October we found a “little piece of heaven” – an off-the-grid, absolutely beautiful place at a secret location in Wales — no mains water or electricity, no TV or internet and dark skies (when it wasn’t cloudy!). It was blissful and completely built by the owner — from felling the trees to building the structure and making the furniture. Definitely a place to go back to whatever the weather. We walked the local canal, enjoyed some great food and wonderful scenery and even came upon an orchestra rehearsing in the cathedral for a festival of medieval music. It really doesn’t get much better than that.
So you take your grandson to Morecambe for a couple of days and what does he do? Spends the weekend dragging us around antique and games shops. How many 11 year olds come back from a weekend at the seaside with a 1970s briefcase?!!
Mind you he came back from a week in Scotland with a fully working portable typewriter!
At the Castell de la Mola (top) and the Sierra de Callosa (bottom)
Saving the best for last, in November we flew south with the migrating birds and had a superb 10 days with Gary and Charo at their house in Spain. The mask-wearing was a necessary pain but was more than made up for by the hospitality, John and Gary’s morning walks and excellent food, wine and company. Oh, and the sun DID shine just a little – it was just perfect! 🙂
In addition, lots of lovely Spanish produce found its way into our luggage for the trip back to beautiful old notloB! So we will be dining Iberian-style for quite a while!
Our love and best wishes for as wonderful a Christmas as COVID will allow and let’s hope for a better, happy and peaceful New Year.
Here are some random images from this year!
[cycloneslider id=”2021-images”]