Graham & Fiona's Xmas Message - 2022

 Graham & Fiona's Xmas Message - 2022

As we have done for a number of years we are not sending cards, instead we have given a donation to Isabel Hospice, a local charity. 

This has been another very strange year.  We hope this message finds you safe and well and you have managed to survive the restrictions and get some relaxing family time and hopefully managed a vacation or two.  

We wish you all a happy Xmas spent with your family and friends .  With our best wishes for a prosperous 2023 in what will be challenging times.

As 2022 started Graham was looking forward to family celebrations on his birthday in late January.  Not to be as COVID struck him down quickly followed by the rest of the family.  That put paid to any celebrations and kept us in isolation for nearly 2 weeks.  Best laid plans and all that.

We took the adventurous step of booking a holiday on the island of Majorca for March.  As March approached the flights, rules and requirements to travel almost put paid to the trip.  We went ahead with the risk that coming back may not be possible.  However, whilst we were away the rules were further relaxed and all worked out ok.  Normality was returning.

  

 

  

We had a whole set of tickets for events cancelled in 2020.  Fortunately, they were all honoured this year.  

Graham was most excited about Glastonbury.  Fiona was on a promise overdue by about 20 years for Wimbledon tickets.  We were there on the middle Saturday on Court 1 for an explosive match between Nick Kyrgios and Stephano Tsitsipas, which was all very exciting.

Our hospitality tent included a lunch put together by Michel Roux, Fiona was most impressed when he turned up at our table and asked if all was ok.  

PS Fiona's black eye was inflicted by a dog walking accident earlier in that week.

 

 

Just before Glastonbury we had another delayed event in Thetford Forest with Olivia & Lyndsey where we saw Keane.  Bit of a dry run for Glasto with Thea.

 

  

Glastonbury was, as always, such an immersive and enjoyable festival, five days of absolute hedonism.  We purchased a chariot for Thea to transport her over the site and to give her somewhere to sleep when needed.  It all worked very well apart from family camping being full!

  

 

  

Our next, very brave, outing was to take both Devon and Thea to Edinburgh for a week at the Fringe festival.  Taking in dinosaurs, puppets, Shakespeare, musicals, shark in the park, a visit to the castle and Mons Meg the week was crammed with kids stuff.  On the first evening in our apartment just beneath the castle Devon at 10:30 came running out of his bedroom to ask what all the fireworks were about.  Following a discussion about the Tattoo Devon asked in those tones you know you cannot refuse "Could we go please grandpa".  Amazingly we got tickets and he loved every minute of it.

  

   

  

Our final carry over event, a wild foraging course gifted by Natalie, took place near Winchester in the QEII park.  We picked and then consumed many fungi and berries in what was an enlightening afternoon with one very clear method to identify many of the poisonous plants in our woods and fields!

Earlier in the year Robert tempted me into riding the London to Brighton off-road challenge in aid of the British Heart Foundation.  This took place towards the end of September a most enjoyable day as I was able to speed up the hills with the assistance of my lockdown purchase - an eBike.  Overall some very interesting stats as we both expended the same average energy output!

 

 

Meanwhile back at home we are all well.  We help with the grandchildren and volunteer with local organisations and generally keep ourselves busy.  We both have eBikes and we are spending time visiting every Hertfordshire gastro pub with a garden for lunch.  I even have a trailer for the bike that takes 2 grandchildren in comfort.

Our dogs, Rosie, Winston and Lincoln, are all doing well.  Particularly Rosie, one year on from her trauma she is fully mobile and runs with other dogs.  Fiona keeps an eye on her with physio and making sure she doesn't leap off chairs etc.  They are loving the snow.

Merry Xmas everyone

Graham, Fiona, Natalie, Olivia, Robert, Karen, Lyndsey, Devon & Thea