Christmas 2023 Newsletter

2023 seems to have passed very swiftly, and as Janet and I considered what we might write in a newsletter to bring our family and friends up to date, initially there didn’t seem to be very much to tell you.

At the end of March, we drove to Shipston for Janet’s sister Helen’s surprise 70^th birthday celebration and family gathering.

At the end of May, we drove up to Aylsham in Norfolk in our 14-year-old Avensis Estate to spend a few days with my brother Paul and his wife Carol, and repeated the trip again in September when we saw seals in the sea just off Horsey Beach.

In August we visited a Christian conference held at ‘The Quinta’ near Oswestry, enjoying catching up with friends of long standing and staying at ‘Ye Old Boote Inn’ in Whittington opposite a ruined castle.

We have to travel in short stages these days so as not to exhaust ourselves, and build in afternoon naps for Mike most days. Llangollen was picture book, down by the river in the summer sun.

Ye Olde Boot Inn
across the lake from Whittington Castle

In October we spent a few days at an Airbnb near Evesham so that we could catch up with Janet’s Uncle Tom, now a very sprightly 94, still driving his 30-year-old Volvo and living in his own home. We were also able to see Helen and Phil her husband and enjoy tea together at a teashop in Shipston where they live.

During the year, a number of friends of long standing came to stay for a few nights and Janet’s eldest brother Chris with Bev his wife, visited from Medicine Hat as part of their tour of family in the UK. We have also enjoyed many others who have popped in for just a coffee, or a meal and a chat.

Tim on a viewing platform
in New York

We have continued to coordinate educational sponsorship of their children for longtime friends in Uganda, Stephen and Harriet Dikan, and enjoy weekly contact with them via WhatsApp.

We attended a number of weddings and funerals, but increasingly used Zoom where attendance would involve distance, major cost or effort. We use Zoom also for a family group call once every four weeks involving Paul and Carol, our sons Tim and Ben, and ourselves.

Every week while the weather was clement, we ventured forth in little excursions to Henley or Hurley on Thames, National Trust properties, or merely to Garden Centres and other providers of light refreshment. We do this to regularly inject something different into our existence which could otherwise become very routine.

Earley Christian Fellowship continues with increasing numbers of families around Reading, often coming because their children have made friends with ECF children who attend Trinity Christian School locally. We also have more people from all over the world because of the numbers moving from Hong Kong, or Africa, or other countries, at this time of great movement of people.

Ben relaxing in Tim's house in Reading

Janet continues to enjoy the Community Bible Studies at Wycliffe Baptist Church on a Friday morning, providing her with contact with believers from many backgrounds, and structure to her daily program of bible-reading.

Having focussed on Aldi with top-ups from Lidl for the weekly grocery expedition, we often take an even more elderly gentleman from across the road because he enjoys his own poke around the groceries.

Mike in his Santa Claus hat

Like all aging people we pay occasional visits to the Royal Berks Hospital, inaccessible by car and bus, and with copious parking for millionaires, and Janet is rejoicing with hearing aids addressable from her smart phone. 

Having had a real TIA in January 2016, In April of this year I had a low-grade TIA the symptoms of which were loss of power in one leg, followed by leg spasms, whilst looking around and sitting on the pavement. Follow-up confirmed brain damage from the first TIA, but no perceptible damage from the second. Anyway, my energy and focus were much reduced in 2016, after a few months I was able to function more normally but on much reduced power.

We have decided on a policy of simplifying the garden as much as we can so we can maintain its appearance and enjoy it through the warmer months. It is a continuous delight with colour almost all the year round and provides gentle exercise if, during colder weather, we can overcome our desire to stay in the warm.

Our sons, Tim (41) and Ben (39), continue to work hard for National Grid and Dell respectively, their taxes no doubt keeping us in in the comfort to which we have all become accustomed. Naturally I remind them of this from time to time. (Keep going, chaps!)

Despite the evidence that, on many fronts, the UK is descending the plughole as people turn away from God, and follow unremitting nonsense from self-proclaimed/ignorant ‘experts’ everywhere, our grocery bills seem to have increased no more than 30% over 4 years. Benefitting from government/taxpayer largesse to subsidise our energy bills, we are still solvent, something for which we are very grateful to God.

Christmas is coming, and we remember continually that it is the life, death and resurrection of Jesus that is saving us from hell in this life, with the far greater promise of Life-to-come. Nonetheless we enjoy the fun and lights of Christmas at an otherwise dark time of the year. May God also bless and illuminate you.

With love,
Mike and Janet.

PS. From our days living in Scotland…  we were delighted to discover an authentic photo of ‘a herd of domesticated Scottish haggis… raised in Selkirk’.