So Where Did 2023 Go?!

A Happy Christmas to everyone.  Our “photo of the year” this year was taken at sunset in Johannesburg where we escaped from the British weather for seven weeks (including two in Namibia – see below). Life has continued much as normal with the years passing by more and more quickly!  Reminds me of a line from a song “and then one day you find 10 years have gone behind you” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL3AgkwbYgo.  And that was recorded 50 years ago too!

Noelene has been busy in the garden all year and it looks wonderful, though the veggie crops were hit by the weather – too hot and dry at the wrong time, too cold and wet at the wrong time and John has fought a losing battle to keep squirrels off of the bird feeders! John continues with his thrice weekly walking and actually came 1st in a 16 mile challenge event (the Chorley Four Peaks) in which he was by far one of the oldest taking part – though it wasn’t a race, of course (so why did they record the finishing positions?)!  But just a couple of weeks ago managed to slip on ice and “damage himself” yet again – and thereby hangs a tale – again see later! But he’ll have done over 1,000 miles this year (fewer than last as we were away so much!)

We so missed our Yaapie family that we descended on beautiful, warm, sunny South Africa for seven weeks in January and February, taking a couple of weeks out to see as much of Namibia we could.  It was a good year for travelling (but not for our flying carbon footprint 🙁 ) with, apart from South Africa and Namibia visiting Marrakech, Jersey, Valencia, The Isle of Arran, The Lyn Peninsula and, very recently, Winchester and Portsmouth!  And we’ve already booked to go back to South Africa in January, cruising up the Rhine in February/March, Carcassonne in May and back to the Lyn Peninsula in August with “The Lad”!  

No Christmas Cards for the 20th Year!

Early this year Malawi was hit by the devastating Cyclone Freddy, killing thousands and making hundreds of thousands homeless.  As Africans ourselves (John is an honorary one!) we have been fundraising with others during 2023 to try to alleviate some of the distress.  We are hoping that our Christmas card money will be able to help fund a container of relief aid to those who are in the most dire need.

Doing Our Bit, But…………….

With there being all-out local elections in Bolton this year we both entered the fray, in adjacent wards, and got over 2,000 Labour votes between us, though thankfully neither of us was elected of course.  But though there is a dire need to get rid of this corrupt, inept Tory government as soon as possible we are both unconvinced by Keir Starmer.  Noelene, very principled, resigned from the Party after almost 30 years, the last straw being the Leader’s refusal to call for a ceasefire in Palestine and, after 50 years a member John is just about hanging on.  John O’Farrell wrote “Things Can Only Get Better”.  We say “Things MUST Get Better!

Oh No, A Teenager! 🙂

Jack has far too quickly become a teenager — with all that implies!  He’s had some of the usual angst and has the normal (?) teenage obsession with clothes, designer labels and lots of similar ephemera.  But he’s still doing very well at school, though he “could do better” (as our teachers used to say) if only he put his mind to it!  All the same he’s still a kind and loving lad.  This time last year he was intent on becoming an RAF pilot.  But he’s now a real teenager and flits from one ambition to another so fast that we can’t keep up with him!

Here There and Everywhere

After two years of COVID restrictions and being prisoners of the illness in a Palermo hotel last year we did some making up for lost time in 2023.

Away to Africa

After almost 5 years we finally got to visit the Yaapie fandamily again –  having a brilliant time “helping out” at Micky’s off licence (!), wandering the Drakensburg Mountains and having a wonderful birthday celebration.  But we also made the great escape — to the  mangroves of Umngazi  on the south east coast and Cape Town so that John could climb Table Mountain rather than take the cable car (silly boy!).

Even better was a re-visit to one of Noelene’s childhood homes…..

Namibian Spaces

Noelene had lived in Namibia twice whilst a child but hadn’t been back for more than 50 years.  It’s the most amazing country — huge open spaces, incredible desert landscapes, beautiful friendly people and much more.  We spent two weeks travelling in a camper van with tents on the roof (tricky for a night time “excursions” that we men of a certain age often have to make! 🙂 ) seeing 3,000km of the country from the Etosha Pans Game Reserve to the Fish River Canyon via the Petrified Forest, the Skeleton Coast and the dunes of Sossusvlei.  Rather painfully, John “got in the way” of the camper van when Noelene was driving and it went over his foot (OUCH!).  But miraculously just one broken toe!

Broken toes aside, if there’s one country we’d really recommend visiting it would for sure be Namibia.

Marrakech – But Not on the Express

It wasn’t long enough but we had a brilliant few days in Marrakech earlier in the year, successfully navigating the Souk using Google Maps with Noelene and Charo managing to fit a tagine cookery class in (of course!).  But not long after there was a horrendous earthquake, a lot of destruction and hundreds killed.  It was so, so sad.

Surely Not!

Thirty years ago (yes THAT long!), instead of the obey bit we agreed that “I’m yours and yours is mine”!  In 1993 we honeymooned for a week on Guernsey and returned there after 5 and 20 years.  This time we headed to the island of Jersey for our pearl celebration.  Yes, it’s a place for millionaires and tax dodgers but it’s quite gorgeous and well worth a few days — anniversary celebration or not!

Y En España

This year’s Spanish adventure with Mr. and Mrs. T. included a visit to another city that we’d not previously seen — Valencia.  It’s a  real mixture of old and new and is Spain’s city of science, architecture, arts and gastronomy.  There’s so much to see and do and three days wasn’t half enough.  Oh, and in the middle of a heatwave it poured with rain!

Agus mar sin gu Eilean Arainn!

Ever been to the Isle of Arran?  No? Well, it’s brilliant (as well as having two distilleries and a brewery!) and you should, though it might be worthwhile waiting until CalMac gets the ferries running efficiently (or at all!).

We took “the teenager” there for a week at the end of August and had a wonderful time – sightseeing, walking to waterfalls, caves, archaeological sights, (almost) climbing Goat Fell, racing Segways in the rain, excellent food at The Lighthouse, Pirnmill, spectacular sunsets, swimming in the sea and simply enjoying the outstanding scenery, peace and tranquillity.

And To Round Things Off….

Late in the year – courtesy of a birthday pressie from Dawn and Jon – entailing a 16+ mile walk to Caernarfon –  we had four nights in a wonderfully eccentric cottage at Aberdesach on the Lyn Peninsula.  It wasn’t stormy all the time (honest!).

Finally – just last week we headed to Winchester and Portsmouth with Gary and Charo to see the amazing cathedral, the Christmas market and HMS Victory, the Mary Rose and much more at the Dockyard Museum.

As always, our love and best wishes for a wonderful Christmas/year end celebration and a happy and peaceful New Year wherever you may be.

Send us a Message!

It would be wonderful to hear from you, or even see you “in the flesh” next year – please send us a message.