Singleton Family Newsletter 2008

SINGLETON FAMILY NEWSLETTER – 2008

FOR YEARS 2006 AND 2007

SENIOR GENERATION

Ross and Mary Bellamy

Retirement continues to be as busy as ever and the last two years have been no exception. Ross's activities centre on such things as The Birmingham Civic Society, Timber Trades Benevolent Society, Birmingham Jewellery Quarter and St Paul's Club. All of these involve much time at endless meetings and hours on the computer writing up reports etc. And this is retirement!

I keep myself busy mainly with tutoring at home where I help children with varying needs. Some to pass the local selective exams at 11 and others who simply need confidence boosting. I enjoy the work very much and feel I'm using my time to some advantage. I have had to give up tennis due to shoulder problems but golf seems to have taken over and I like to play about three times a week. Together with the usual household chores there is little time left for much else.

Holidays have been centred on the cottage in Wales for the last couple of years although we have had a number of short breaks in the UK. We were in Scotland last Spring staying at a hotel on the shores of Loch Awe with the most wonderful views across the water. We played two games of golf while we were there, one of which was at Oban where the weather decided to be very unkind and we found ourselves halfway up a mountain side in driving rain and mist. Needless to say no-one else had ventured out. The locals obviously knew a thing or two about the weather. Mad dogs and Englishmen!

A few weeks later we visited friends at their timeshare in Devon and shortly afterwards had a few days helping organise a golf competition in Essex. We then spent a very enjoyable few days with John and Jill at their timeshare in Lymington. It is an area we are not familiar with and so it was great to explore and we found a few very good eating places. Many thanks to John and Jill.

Most of last year we were concentrating on selling Ross's mother's flat which we did succeed in doing after much effort. David then moved into my mother's flat which is just round the corner from us and the arrangement seems to work very well. Meanwhile, Ian and Natalie moved into their first house about three miles from here. All this moving about has meant that Ross's DIY skills have come to the fore and he has spent much time fitting shelves, modifying furniture, painting and decorating ( even I was commandeered to help with that ) and numerous other jobs.

Bernard and Christine Singleton - 2006

This was my last year in employment although Christine has said I had been ROTJ ( retired on the job ) for some time. In January a case of champagne had arrived with each bottle labelled January – December.Each month a new bottle was opened until I finally retired in December.

The little spring chicken I married all those years ago herself turned fifty earlier that year and we had a big party at the Golf club to celebrate. Christine then jetted off the next day skiing with three toy boys – two sons and a spare and had a great time.

In the summer Edward finished at Surrey University and came away with a 2(1) in photography. He has since been networking in London to make contacts with various fashion photographers on the basis that the only way to get on is to start at the bottom as an assistant and hopefully impress the right people. Work was interrupted by two months in South America touring various countries. Despite losing his wallet, his cash and credit cards on day one ( no problem, thanks to mobile phones and internet banking) he had a marvellous time. The jammy devil hitched up with a Canadian girl who spoke fluent spanish and they spent several weeks together. The training has worked as he has splendid photos of Macchu Piccu, Iguassu Falls, Condors etc.

Charlie had a fine year. We had several visits to Sandhurst for various events including helping the Queen when Prince Harry passed out in April. The highlight was undoubtedly Sovereigns Parade in August. The parade was taken by King Abdullah of Jordan in the presence of the King of Bahrein and Sheikh Maktoum of Dubai. Charlie won the Queens Medal- awarded to the cadet who scores the highest marks in military ,academic and practical skills i.e he came top of the Academy. He received the medal from the King. He came second for the Sword of Honour which is in the gift of the Commandant. Having already won the Queens medal it would have been remarkable if he had achieved the very rare distinction of getting both top prizes. I suspect the fact that the other cadet’s father was a Colonel swung it – I guess they thought a Colonel outranks a solicitor. Anyway we got to meet the King - actually both of them - after all when you’ve done one king you may as well do both of them. Lunch on top table – no wiping mouth on sleeve! In the evening, 2500 attended the Commissioning Ball –quite something. Charlie’s company alone got through 500 bottles of champagne. He started as second lieutenant in the second battallion of the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment base in Northern Ireland.

Robert also had a successful year. He got through his first year of engineering at UCL. He put the wind up us by pretending it was touch and go but in the event he passed and got through to the second year. He was flatting with two girls only walking distance from his faculty. He did all the cooking and they did the cleaning.His cooking improved probably more than their cleaning.

Between us we did a fair bit of travelling. At one point we were on four different continents. Charlie was in Malawi (one of the few places on earth you can blaze away with live ammo 360 degrees without hitting anything that will hit back or sue). Edward was in South America; I was in India and Christine and Robert were in Europe. India was interesting – Taj Mahal and palaces were great, but the poverty and begging were just overwhelming. Huge contrast with Dubai which is clearly not short of a bob or two.

The year was not all good news. Sadly Christine’s Mother died at the age of 84. Unfortunately she had fallen over at the end of 2005 and fractured her wrist. This would not have been a problem had it been treated. However the hospital didn’t treat it and eventually the wrist deformed to such an extent that the bone punctured the skin. Her existing MRSA (acquired from a previous hospital experience) that had been confined to the bone, spread to the blood stream and she died after a short but unhappy week in hospital from septicaemia.Christne’s brother flew over from New Zealand when it became clear things were not going well, and arrived just a few hours before she died. We all think she hung on till then but then felt able to slip away. The Coroner ordered an inquest ..

Bernard and Christine Singleton - 2007

I have thoroughly enjoyed my first year away from work. If Christine was not continuing to work it might not have been possible as we are still entirely supporting one son and stepping in to support another when need arises – and it does! The first project was to clear part of the garden to make way for a greenhouse. A rather splendid wooden greenhouse then arrived complete with finials and ironmongery. The next project was clearing and reshaping all the borders – this has taken me most of the year (would have been quicker but for the dreadful summer)T the computer training course (to learn how to use a laptop, which was my retirement present) was not quite so successful – I reduced the average age of the class to about 80 and some of us were a litttle slow on the uptake particularly if we forgot to bring our glasses, hearing aid or put our teeth in. Otherwise I have spent my time playing tennis ( four times a week ), reading and cooking. I have joined the Retired Gentlemans Tennis set – otherwise known as the Grumpy Old Mans club. We play tennis and then sort out the world’s problems over lunch – usually involves bringing back hanging – for traffic wardens and any other form of low life that crops up in the conversation. I then have to struggle home in time to cook dinner for Christine (got to look after the workers). I also have to fit in day trips and lunches with former colleagues. I now understand why all the retired say they are so busy and couldn’t go back to work. Doing nothing can take a very long time.

Edward is trying to make a go of it as a fashion photographer in London. He is still working as an assistant but work is intermittent and there are still many days when he has no work at all. However he has had a number of successes. He has been on fashion shoots in Miami, Switzerland, Japan and Finland. He has done a wedding on his own for Jeff Banks’ daughter and he did the birthday party for Jonathan Rhys Meyers’( Henry V111 ) girlfriend. So things are happening. Starting at the bottom in the arts and fashion world is not easy but hopefully he will get steadily busier.

Charlie completed his tour of duty in N Ireland (“Very boring”) and is now in Kosovo with UN peace keeping force. He is now a full lieutenant. He is on covert surveillance but can’t tell us exactly what they are up to. He is certainly busy and enjoying himself. He does a lot with the other national forces who are clearly much better equipped than we are but on the other hand their training is nowhere near as good as ours. He tells us that the food allowance for the Swedish army down the road is 30 euros a day compared to the British troops allowance of 3 euros a day ! He eats a lot with the Swedes! This chiselling cheapskate Government should be ashamed at the disgraceful way it treats the troops..

Robert is now in his third year of a four year Masters course in Engineering at UCL. He has just had his 21st birthday. He is working part time at the Cafe de Paris in Piccadilly mixing a mean cocktail.

We have travelled a bit this last year. Christine went skiing with Robert in February and then went to Canada and on to NZ in June. She was attending an international conference in Vancouver first, where she was running a seminar on her speciality, FES ( Functional Electrical Stimulation ). She then went on to NZ to stay with her brother and catch up with old school friends. She also saw her Father, who had contacted her to advise that his health was failing. She had never been close to him but she was able to stay with him and say her goodbyes. It was timely as he died in November.

We should have gone to Spain with some friends in September but we had to cancel this when Christine ended up in Hospital with viral meningitis. She previously had bacterial meningitis – so now she has a full house! I think Oscar Wilde would call that careless. I went to Portugal to play tennis and then to Spain to play my annual game of golf. I gave up after three games – when I had lost fourteen balls in fourteen holes on the third round. I decided that it is not the game for me and “threw” the clubs down the ravine where most of the balls had gone! Edward also went to Canada – three times to see the girlfriend he had met in Peru last year.

Well that’s all from us.

Fif and Brian Grice, - Andy and Laura , - Anna and Nick

Dear all.

When trying to recall events of the past two years , I find my memory is struggling [no change there then] but here we go. Andy and Laura, who met at Exeter University ten years ago, married in July 2006 in Salisbury. They have spent the time since working for Strutt and Parker, and Salisbury Playhouse Press Office respectively.

They have also worked their way through two properties, the first a renovation project, and now a less ambitious remodelling and decoration which is nearing completion. Laura this year has started her own P.R.business which is expanding very satisfactorily by recommendation.

Flossie, an engagingly pretty cocker spaniel puppy, joined them in the spring and turned the house upside down while we all smiled fondly. Good practice perhaps if the patter of four small feet should be joined by two more !

Anna and her partner Nick , who met at Leeds University, made a big move to the other end of the country when Anna was offered a job in a big N.H.S. Dental Practice in Teignmouth, Devon. They are renting a pretty cottage above the town overlooking the sea and estuary and the five minute commute is a huge improvement on the forty five minute journey to her previous practice in Ripon Yorkshire.

Brian and I continue to enjoy our very tranquil way of life on the Welsh Borders. I have reduced my days in Practice from 4 to3 and I love it.

We travel less abroad now and in this last year have had lovely visits to the Cotswolds, Lake District, Sennen Cove, Port Isacc, and of course, Teignmouth and Salisbury.

Another joy of this age is attending the weddings of all the youngsters one has known from babyhood. We had two last year and more to look forward to this summer.

Aunty Ruth, whom many of the family may remember as a friend of Aunty Mollie and Aunty Margot, who taught both brother Pete and me at Eccelston School ,Harborne back in the mid fifties, is still alive and well cared for in a beautiful new, purpose built nursing home in Shrewsbury. I am her Power of Attorney ,and this led to a bizarre correspondence with one of her investment companies when they performed a routine security sweep for money laundering. They required proof of my identity (no problem) but also proof of hers. They suggested a passport (last seen in the early sixties), a driving licence (ditto) or a current firearms licence These for a tiny frail and, now sadly, unresponsive little old lady .We visit and talk of old times, hoping a scrap gets through as her hearing was always excellent.

She is the last of our “Oldies” as Brian’s father Alf ,who lived with us for a while, until he needed nursing, sadly died in 2006, aged 94.

Well I think that is about all. Best wishes to all the Family and many thanks to Val for all her hard work and especially love to Colette.

Pete and Tess Singleton

Last year Tess and Pete reached sixty, celebrations took place with a Barn Dance (great fun) and a holiday at Centre Parks with all our family (would definitely do that again). Pete changed his job and is now back at his old workplace but under new management! Tess has now retired from school and has many plans for retirement, not least we have taken on an allotment, so hope to be producing a lot of our veg. and some fruit (weather willing). We also have two weddings this year Elizabeth and Jay and Simon and Katie so summer is looking very full. Our grandchildren feature very much in our lives, living just five minutes away, both being now at school. Sophie started in September and Megan now in year four. She also made her first communion last year. Matthew and Julie will hopefully send the rest of their news.

Later in the year we are going to holiday in Rome with friends, meeting our two dear student friends Sabrina and Livia who live in Rome and will be hopefully guiding us around with all their inside knowledge!! Lots of things happening in our children’s lives but that’s up to them to write. May we both take this opportunity of wishing everyone a very happy and healthy New Year and we look forward to seeing some of you, at least, in September at the reunion.

Jill Forrest (writes) and John Forrest (types) - (and Val retypes as John’s computer started to emit smoke!) – Contribution came in as hard copy.

Our comment ‘watch this space’ in the 2004-2005 Family Newsletter is at last coming to fruition! The first contract for Tilt-Dam is currently under way, with the manufacturing of the steelwork and precast concrete units commencing on 1st February. They are to be installed by the end of April to flood-defend a new office block in Sheffield, to be occupied by none other than an outpost of the Home Office – how`s that for a prestigious start! John`s full retirement has inevitably been pushed further and further into the background, but we managed to keep up with family and friends and special events.

Ross and Mary visited us at our Lymington timeshare last summer – and we are invited to Hilary and Richard’s timeshare on Tresco, Isles of Scilly, this year.

Early in 2007 we enjoyed a re-run of the original Forsyte Saga video (as shown on TV in 1967) with four friends, meeting weekly in each others’ home for tea and biscuits before settling down to watch a couple of episodes.

We have also taken part in several promotions in the Press for lunching/dining out in local hostelries with friends and, in the process, discovered some new venues as well as enjoying a free glass of wine with our meals.

Last summer, having consulted with others, I set up a ‘Movement to Music’ class for senior ladies once a week. From the original 8 or so we’re now regularly around 20 attending.

Our membership of the Arts and Heritage continues to be very worthwhile for theatre trips, visits to stately homes and gardens and even short break holidays – we were in Torquay last Easter and are scheduled to spend Easter 2008 in Salisbury. Continuing the membership theme, the local Bishop’s Waltham Society and Gardening Club give us much pleasure and we are making new friends by being active members.

One particularly memorable event we attended last year was a day-long open air re-enactment of the “Life of Christ” at Wintershall, a country estate near Guildford. Loosely based on the more-famous Oberammergau plays, this event is staged annually for a whole week, rain or shine. The players are all drawn from the local populace, including children. Christ, himself, is the only professional actor and the scenes are set in various places around the estate, with a small lake serving as the Sea of Galilee; Roman soldiers on horseback thunder up the hill during the massacre of the Innocents, flocks of sheep with shepherds played their part, the feeding of the 5000 (i.e. we, the audience) was held immediately prior to the lunch break! And the Crucifixion was very realistically portrayed. Regretfully, we understand that 2008 may well be the last year that this event will be held, as the estate owner, now in his eighties, could be calling it a day after ten years of almost constant annual preparation, which also includes a similar period of daily accounts of the Birth of Christ held at Christmas time.

Visiting relatives on our way to Cardiff for the reunion of those graduateswho enrolled between 1945 – 1955 (of whom John was one) made us realise just how fortunate we are to belong to such a far-flung Family! We enjoyed hospitality en-route with my sister and her husband in Worcestshire, Felicity and Brian in Leintwardine, Martin and Ursula in Mynndd Bach and finally Hilary and Richard in Cardiff. We might even have called on Jerome and jenny in Cheltenham on our way home if they had not been away on their orient Express trip at the time!

The year ended in buoyant mood with the news )on my birthday) of the first Tilt-Dam contract. For further information, click onto the new website www.tiltdam.co.uk

Valerie and Peter Hughes

2006 - went by in a blur but some things emerge from the fog. With 3 dogs (2 collies and a whippet) it is now impossible to go on holiday self-catering. We had discovered some fantastic out-of-the-way-but-very-comfortable places that would accept 2 dogs, but unfortunately not 3. (the 3rd is the progeny of the 1st!). These places include Ballidon, in the White Area of the Peak District; Buttermere, in the Lake District; Hawes, in the Yorkshire Dales; and Welcome on the North Devon coast. So our outings are now day trips – radius 100 miles, (leaving dogs at home) – time out – maximum 9 hours. With no dogs we can go inside stately homes, churches, museums etc. and restaurants! which we could never do self catering with the dogs.

In 2006 we went to Leeds Castle (twice) – a favourite haunt, Woburn Abbey (gardens and deer park only) which is just up the road, Warwick Castle twice, once in the holiday period (terrible crowds) and again in late November to see the Christmas decorations – much better as few people about, but even so the venue is overrated and expensive. We went to Blenheim Palace but we were unlucky as a tattoo was being held that week and the tickets were £45 each which included the house, gardens and tattoo. You could not see just the house and gardens – well you could if you paid the £45! However we had permission to wander in the grounds for free which we did. In 2005 the Duchess of Marlborough had bought one of the puppies of my collie`s litter – one I was particularly fond of –so I had hoped to catch a glimpse of her, (the dog!) while we were there but no luck.

For easier maintenance of my allotments I turned one into an orchard, planting 10 fruit trees of various sorts; plum, pear, cooking and eating apple and a crab apple. (The species ‘Golden Noble’ as a cooking apple is superb on all counts.)

In October, I took up an introductory offer of HF Holidays to have a 4-day walking holiday at Abingworth in Sussex. It was a great time and the accommodation and organisation was first class and the walking was excellent.

2007 - Our day trips continued. Woburn Abbey – house this time – but stately homes are not our thing – once you`ve seen one ancestor you`ve seen them all. Leeds Castle again, in a different season – gardens are superb, only site in England with black swans, fantastic aviary, a maze which I refuse to go in, and of course, the Castle, which is still in use for wedding receptions, conferences, etc. We went to Chartwell – a truly memorable place. I bought, by negotiation, a ‘dead’ £6.50 plant for £1 from the flower stall and it is beginning to flourish nicely. Welford-on-Avon in Warwickshire was visited to find the cottage on a jigsaw that I did earlier in the year. We found it at last but the picture was not the same. You forget that trees grow , gardens change and houses get built between the publication of the puzzle and the present day. But it was a good day out – lunch at ‘The Rising Sun’ – we highly recommend it. Going home was a nightmare – in my youth, when I had a motorbike – I breezed through Stratford and Banbury with no trouble. Now both towns are huge; one way systems, roundabouts, major roads going everywhere – one wrong turning or get in the wrong traffic lane and you`ve had it- lost for good! I find that most big towns are like that now so I avoid them. We went to Sissinghurst in Kent to see the gardens – too big to see in a day so we’re going back in late Spring this year; (also to Leeds Castle – we haven’t seen it in the Spring. We went to Kenilworth Castle – fantastic; good value for money, plenty to see, allowed to roam at leisure and no crowds – first rate. There were also the usual outings to Wisley and Beth Chatto gardens for ideas and plants.

In June I went to Bourton on the Water in Gloucestershire for another 4-day walking holiday with HF Holidays while Peter looked after the dogs at home. The arrangements were again superb and the walking wonderful. Most relaxing. In October, Peter went to Glencoe with HF Holidays for a week’s walking. I looked after the dogs. He thoroughly enjoyed himself there and is so smitten with the area that he is going back again this year. I hope to go to the Peak District – Malhamdale.

I am an active member of the U3A (University for the Third Age – betterment for oldies!), Harpenden branch, and for 5 years now I have been Programme Secretary. I have to organise a talk a week and booking Speakers with the meagre budget I am given is a constant headache. I have become adept at haggling. However no one interferes with me or my choice of subjects and I have made some good friends among Speakers that come back regularly with a different talk. To ease my burden ( and others in the same shoes) I have set up a regional network which all the Hertfordshire branches, and some of those of Bedfordshire, have joined. In January, each Programme Secretary of their branch sends me details of the ‘good and better’ talks they have had the previous year. I combine all this data (hurrah for Access!) into a set of lists and post the set off to each Programme Secretary (26 of them) by February. This gives us all a pool of about 300 talks. We all benefit from everyone else and it certainly makes my job much easier. The system has been going now for 3 years and works exceedingly well. (We also pass on feedback of hopeless Speakers!) I have just sent out the 2008 lists so I can now concentrate on this Newsletter.

Last July I decided to walk the Cotswold Way (103 miles) with the collies. The main deciding factor of each section is where to park down there all day - free! The round trip from home is 200 miles. I do a walk a week, depending on the weather. I’m doing the North-South route basically and have done a quarter of the Way so far – to Cleeve Hill above Cheltenham. I walk about 3 miles south and then have to walk 3 miles north, back to the car. So I see the route from both directions. Each hill I go down I have to come back up. Therefore when I finish in Bath, possibly later this year, I shall have walked the Way both ways. Hertfordshire hills are molehills compared to the Cotswold inclines but I am thoroughly enjoying the peace, views, freedom, exercise and a chance to just totally relax – also the sense of achievement is gratifying. While driving down there a couple of weeks ago, at the service station at Thame, (where I had a comfort stop!) I watched, amazed, at a red kite just circling above the place about 80 ft up. It was sunny and I could see all its under feathers of it’s wings and the striking markings. When the sun caught it’s back, it was a vivid red. It’s wing span was about 6 feet and it just circled lazily, soaring on the updraught, probably looking for scraps thrown about. I’m sure it and I had eye contact – a red-brown pupil and a curved yellow beak and, of course, the distinctive forked tail. A wondrous sight and the trip was worth it just to have seen this bird.

As I had even less time last year for my allotments, I turned the second one into an orchard too. First I brought the fruit bushes and ballerina fruit trees home to our garden so that they would have better attention and then planted 8 more fruit trees in that allotment. Now I just have to strim the grass on both allotments regularly. The blackberries and rhubarb flourish even on neglect, so they stayed there.

Harpenden’s 5-year campaign (which all the residents supported avidly and actively in many different and useful ways) against the expansion of Luton airport has been successful. Actually Harpenden was not the only place affected – many other towns and villages campaigned in their own way. The plans have been scrapped. However the Government was so sure that the project would go ahead that the access roads and widening of the M1 to support the expansion have nearly been completed. The roads have completely changed the landscape of Luton and the area – all a complete waste of money – billions. Until Nature takes over, the district looks like a moonscape!

Now we just have to stop the massive building plan, put forward by the East of England Regional Assembly under the auspices of the EU. I believe the number of new houses to be built is 70,000 and our district, St Albans, is to provide 17,000 of these. At the same time we are fighting against the setting up of 2 ‘travellers’sites of 40 mobile homes each (also forced on us again by the EERA) just half a mile away. It is proposed that they are sited on Kinsbourne Common – a wonderful piece of countryside of about 40 acres on the top and side of a hill and the views are stunning. I run the dogs up there when I’m short of time to give them a proper walk. Travellers will soon have that turned into a scrap metal dump at best. Our only hope is that the houses at the side of the Common are ‘Millionairre’s Row’ and they will probably bring some clout to bear.

For the rest of my time I continue with the garden, walk the dogs, attend the Classical Music group (and take my turn at producing the programme) and otherwise laze my life away.

Peter spends his time in his workshop mending things I break and making things one can no longer buy e.g. equipment in imperial units – all in metal or wood. At the moment he is making yet another gate, 12 ft wide, in hardwood this time, not softwood. Just finding the wood was a challenge. This will be the 4th gate he will have made for this place – in 38 years.

That seems to be all and thank you for ploughing through all this screed.

Louanne, Peter and Richard Collins

The highlight of 2007 was the celebration of our 40th wedding anniversary in September when we hosted a luncheon for close family and friends

Peter “retired” from the Post Office in October, however, a staffing emergency meant the retirement was short-lived – here’s hoping it is just a temporary set back. At least the office is not included in the latest hit list for this area The year has been mainly spent walking, trying to keep the garden and a small vegetable patch in shape and taking part in activities with the U3A. Louanne is involved in the efforts to restore Mrs Gaskell’s house (The televising of Cranford has brought welcome publicity)

2006 is a bit of a blur but early in the year we paid our second visit to China – flying to Shanghai and on to Chongqing where we boarded a cruise ship to sail down the Yangtze through The Three Gorges and the locks of the new dam, admiring this amazing feat of engineering, but feeling sorry for the many people who have lost their homes and livelihood

We also had the opportunity to travel on the Maglev railway at 430KPH

Richard travelled to South Africa to take part in the World Wargames championships. Away from the tables he went on safari and visited a baby elephant compound. He hopes to return to track down more Big Game. This year the tournament is in Helsinki so not much opportunity!

Clare and Eric Orger

Hi Everyone, I am sending a brief contribution as we are about to go off to our house in France for a few days and I know if I don't do this now I will forget on my return.

Starting with France, we have made significant progress and now have all rooms decorated and two fully functioning shower rooms/bathrooms. We can accommodate eight people comfortably in four bedrooms at very reasonable rate, so just e-mail us if you would like a brochure or promotional DVD (courtesy of Thomas) sending to you.

Thomas now works for the BBC mainly filming and producing programmes for the new teenage channel (Still to be launched, at the moment it borrows programme time on Saturday afternoons from BBC2). He has made a brief appearance as a presenter on BBC2 in a trailer for a programme he was making. It was a surreal experience seeing your son appearing on the telly!

Suzie has just completed one term at Leeds School of Art and Design where she is doing a Fine Art degree. She is hooked on installation and conceptual art at the moment but we have made her do a still life water colour of a bowl of Charentais melons to remind us of our house in the Charente. So she can actually draw and paint!

Eric and I are poddling along quite nicely, spending our free time at our allotment or having French lessons. We are very proud to have managed to grow real leeks this year and not the pencils of previous attempts, although Suzie always used to cheer us up by saying baby vegetables were the in thing in Sainsbury's!

Must go and pack our bags for an early start tomorrow.

A bientot.

Richard & Hilary May-Hill

The last news from our branch of the family was of the happy occasion of Rupert & Sarah’s engagement. They initially said that they were thinking of marrying in about two years, ie spring of 2008. So, nothing really happened on the wedding front.

In September 2006 they were on holiday with us in Door County, Wisconsin. One evening we were sitting with drinks, on the terrace of the White Gull Inn, Fish Creek, watching our supper cook in a large cauldron over a blazing fire (Fish Boils are a special thing in this area). At this point Rupert and Sarah told us that they would like a very quiet wedding, on Tresco, in April 2007. I am sure that Rupert’s contribution will cover the rest of the story.

In early summer 2006 I decided to resign from the Ethics Advisory Committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, on which I had served for a number of years. Having then been fully retired for about 18 months I felt that I was out of touch and had insufficient to contribute. Also, the paperwork was becoming increasingly turgid!

In August 2006 I was asked if I would take on the role of Wales Region Representative of the Friends of the Historic Houses Association. After a little thought I agreed, with the proviso that I would be unable to do much in North Wales. As there had been no rep. in Wales for a couple of years they were pretty desperate so appointed me on my terms. My main purpose is to arrange a few days out for Friends to properties which are never, or infrequently, open to the public. There is quite a bit of work involved and I am expected to make a modest profit to boost regional funds.

Towards the end of August James came to stay for the first time on his own. He was very good and seemed to enjoy himself. Later the same week Amanda arrived with Henry and then, on the Saturday, went off to meet up with Paul and spend the weekend in a nice hotel while we looked after the boys

During 2006 we continued to take lots of holidays, twice to Tresco, to Anglesey and mid Wales (two centre) and to Eire and Northern Ireland (two centre). Particularly enjoyable was a visit to Tuscany in March where we visited Pisa, Sienna, Assisi and Florence. Phil joins us each year for a week on Tresco and he stayed with us in mid Wales for the week of his 60th birthday.

One of the things occupying us in late 2006 and early 2007 was the wedding arrangements and the wedding itself was the focus of the first part of our visit to Tresco in late April and early May. Later in the summer we stayed on Mallorca and then joined a package tour for a short visit to the Italian Lakes; the scenery really is as stunning as the photographs.

At the end of May we gave a black tie dinner in the Officers’ Mess at Maindy Barracks in Cardiff. This was to allow local friends and a handful of relatives to celebrate the recent marriage. Since Richard’s sister had declined to attend the wedding as she will not go in a helicopter or on a ship, so could not get to Tresco, we felt obliged to tackle the problem. Sarah wore her stunning wedding dress for this occasion and a jolly evening was had by all.

Since 2001 I have served on the Bondholders’ Committee of the Holiday Property Bond; my term came to an end in August 2007. This was a most interesting activity and has actually enhanced our enjoyment of HPB holidays as the more you know and understand about something the more you appreciate it.

Once again James came to stay in August and we took him to Chepstow Castle as both boys are very interested in castles, knights etc. Another day we went for a trip on the Brecon & Abergavenny canal and he was fascinated to see how a lock works. Later in the week Amanda again brought Henry down and she & Paul spent the Bank Holiday weekend in a comfortable hotel whilst the boys kept us busy. James started school in September 2006 and is growing up fast and is good company if not distracted by Henry, who is very lively both physically and mentally.

I had a good first season as an HHA rep, with my trips fully booked and each one blessed with fine weather and making a profit. Two days out for 2008 are organised and a third one is in the pipeline.

In September 2007 we spent a few nights in a hotel near Saumur and visited a number of the chateaux on the Loire together with the abbey at Fontevraud where Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry II and Richard I are buried. From there we drove across part of France to spend some time self-catering in the Ile de France, south east of Paris. This is where Brie is made and there was a fromagerie within walking distance. Needless to say we ate quite a lot of the local product! If you ever have the opportunity to visit Vaux-le-Vicomte when there is a candlelit evening, go. The effect is stunning.

The last highlight of 2007 was a tour of South Africa’s Garden Route, ending with a few days in Cape Town. We saw and did so much; there is even a photo of me sitting on an ostrich - it feels a lot less secure than a horse. The trip was organised by SAGA and we were impressed by the quality of the organisation and the really excellent guide and driver. (It doesn’t stand for “Send a Granny Away” but either “South African Geological Association” or “Sex and Games Abroad” !!).

Richard continues to do a considerable amount of work in his position as Chairman of the Trustees of the SA Brain Pension Scheme and as a Trustee of the Welch Regiment Museum in Cardiff Castle. The castle is currently constructing a large Visitor Centre and the Museum is to relocate into part of this, at huge cost, and the negotiations on this matter seem never ending.

JUNIOR GENERATION

Philippa (Pip) Hughes

2007 was our first full year in Bath and we moved from the rented shoe-box, that was home, to our current mansion in February, meaning we have been here a year and a day as I write this! I changed vet jobs in September because the on-call was crippling and involved too much travelling. I now work mainly in Bath and the on-call is a lot more palatable. It means I don’t play with farm animals anymore but the benefits outweigh the costs. I’m too old now to throw cows around anyway! The travelling is done mainly on bicycle these days as I haven’t the patience to queue through Bath city centre and would rather have an extra 20 minutes at home, waking up, in the mornings! My spare time is taken up playing hockey or supporting the other teams from Bath Buccaneers. Stu plays for the Vikings (men’s 6th team). There are 10 men’s teams and 6 ladies’ teams in our club so there’s always something going on. Summertime, when serious hockey stops, marks the beginning of garden time. I did a lot of destroying things outside after moving in and nothing was green or had flowers last year except the dandelions! This year I’m ready to go big and colourful and I shouldn’t have to hump any more railway sleepers so my back will be pleased! I’m dabbling in fruit and Stu’s taken on the vegetables so there’s a bit of in-house competition brewing! We’ve managed to nail a few more racecourses in the last year, mainly thanks to Stu going part-time and having every Tuesday off to match my half day. Of the 60 that exist in the UK, we have now visited 51 of them. We’ve ticked off Laytown and Pardubice as well but not the far flung biggies like the Breeders Cup and Melbourne Cup which may have to wait until I’m retired! We’ve not been to Longchamps for the Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe either so that could be a distinct possibility this year. We’ve booked a house in France with friends for a week so 7 of us are off to the Languedoc in July. We all think we are wine connoisseurs so it’s CPD really! I’m still reading the book I started last summer so it’s nice to get some uninterrupted bookworm-addict time as well. If we are feeling energetic (and my sciatica has settled down), we may attack walking the South Down Way. This is so we can walk between Goodwood and Brighton racecourses but I’ve been reliably informed that the rest of it is worth seeing as well! There needs to be a pub for every 3 miles of trail in order to meet my doctor’s minimum recommended fluid intake requirements. What would take a normal, healthy adult 7 days, therefore, is likely to take us 20! When I started my new job, my boss sneakily got me to volunteer to run the Bath half marathon for his charity. That’s now only 6 weeks away! I am preparing well though by not doing anything at the moment (thanks to the sciatica and being on call) and the week before the marathon is the Cheltenham festival. This is historically an over-indulgent, couch-potato week of excessive alcohol intake for the pair of us so there’s little chance that we will “peak too early” (…if at all!) Have a great 2008 and see you at the Re-union.

David Bellamy

Last year my main holiday was walking in the Peak District in July. There was a party of seven or eight who were walking each day and we had the H F holiday centre to ourselves. We walked about seventy miles during the week and had games in the evening. Great fun was had by all. My other holiday was with a party from EPC,( tennis club ) mostly racket ball people. We had a coach tour to Bruges. We went to the first World War battle fields, visted a beer factory where there were five hundred or so different beers all with different glasses! We also went to a chocolate factory where we saw the whole process of the chocolate being made.

During my small amount of free time I play racket ball each Monday night and every Saturday afternoon I play tennis. Most Saturdays I play three or four sets. The racket ball group often organise an evening out locally when we enjoy a meal.

At the end of November I moved out of a flat in Jacoby Place (about two miles from home) into Grandma Singleton's flat in Hindon Square which was where Ian and Natalie had been living for the past five years. The whole family has been involved in painting and general DIY since then and I am looking around for bookcases and shelving to store my many books and files etc. I am looking forward to new experiences in my flat eg cooking, washing, cleaning and vacuuming!

Ian & Natalie Bellamy

Ian and Natalie have been very busy over the last year - mostly with moving into our lovely new house in the Warley Woods area of Birmingham back in April / May 2007. We spent the first couple of months decorating our fab 1930’s semi detached - fortunately for us, there wasn't too much to do. The biggest job was decorating the dining room, as the previous owners had used vinyl wallpaper (which if any of you know) is a nightmare to get off..... we managed to get it done within a week. It should have taken a couple of weeks as we were only working on it in the evenings, but we thought we should just go for it!!! The rest of the house was refreshed with a coat of white and “a hint of mist” in the bedroom…..a grey white which costs twice as much!!? The garage was a real mess that was supposed to be fixed with a new back door and re-covering of the felt roof. Well the door part is great but everytime it snows a cascade of water drips down half the length of the garage! Bizarrely it is OK in the heavy rain….only sleet n snow causes the leaks? ...still trying to sort with the “10yr guarantee” builders:(

The overgrown garden is a continuous work in progress – much helped by my brother David and his Sunday stints hacking, chopping, trimming and shredding!!.....much appreciated mate! Hopefully after the much needed trim back of all three sides of the garden and sorting of the lawn, we can manage it without so much help!?

I'm still working for Sound & Picturehouse producing TV commercials & corporate videos. I ‘tactfully’ missed out going to South Africa last March on the latest Ocean Finance “Swimming Pool” commercial ……having booked our 10 year meet anniversary weekend break in Paris…..I considered the reaction of my wife too much to risk!! I have been lucky enough to have already visited Cape Town….and with the manic shooting schedule I was quite glad I did.

Paris was gorgeous even though it was raining…. with half of all the fashion houses visited together with the Louvre Museum all in one very long day!...Couple of fab restaurants and two ridiculous cocktails in George V hotel…how the other half live! Natalie caused a “security alert” in Charles de Gaulle flying back by leaving her carry-on bag in duty free……frog marched (excuse blatant pun) into airport police station for some stupid questions before being allowed to run to our departure gate! We like to make an impression!

Natalie is currently working for an advertising & marketing agency called Communicate - she has been there since September 2006. Her role as account handler in this small agency has provided an invaluable amount of experience over the 18 months. She feels it is now time to use this development to approach a number of larger, more established agencies in order to advance her career in this field. Let’s keep those fingers crossed for exciting times ahead?

Due to the current financial climate and new mortgage we keep the holidays and entertainment to a minimum – but we are planning to go to Sweden this summer as it is my best mate’s wedding venue (Swedish bride…..insert smut here!?)…..so a few days in Stockholm after the wedding should be lovely. No doubt the cottage down in Wales will be providing the usual fabulous escape sometime throughout the year.

Charles and Rebeca Forrest - 2006-2008

So two years have been and gone since our last newsletter. Then I was a PGCE student looking for a teaching post in mathematics, and not long after the newsletter went out I did indeed find a job at a school about 30 minutes away. They took me on in July 2006 as the PGCE ended, but sadly I found that I didn’t have that magic quality that enables a teacher to keep the necessary classroom discipline. I also didn’t really get enough support from the school. In January 2007 I was told that I would probably fail the NQT year which all state school teachers must pass. By this time I was rapidly tiring of the whole education scene, with its long hours, intense stress and low pay – and decided to go back into IT. Then I found out that my old company had finally been sold, and the old scary boss man was off the scene. So I asked to rejoin, in a different capacity to before with less managing and more doing (= writing software), and very fortunately they took me back! This was April 2007, and since then I have been really enjoying myself with some truly intriguing software problems. So it has all worked out for the best, after all.

In our local parish, I have recently been trying to help motivate resistance to the Government’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill. I took a group of parishioners down to Southampton University to hear David Alton and Ann Widdecombe speak at a pro-life rally which was a great experience. Aunty Ann and I have been comparing notes on our respective campaigns!

Meanwhile Rebecca has also been finding life in school difficult – two years ago she was a “Lunchtime Supervisory Assistant” at the children’s primary school, but this got progressively more tiresome and so she left at the October 2007 half-term. With her savings from the job, she took us all down to North Devon for a week to celebrate my 40th birthday – a really enjoyable break. Since the summer of 2007 Rebecca had been looking into becoming a Puppy Walker for the Guide Dogs for the Blind, and eventually in January of this year we took delivery of “Ace”, a black labrador puppy. Rebecca is now training him under the watchful eye of the local supervisor. The training includes “in the home” type obedience, as well as familiarisation with busy shopping centres, going in cars and on public transport, etc. We all help walk the dog at weekends and play with him at other times as well – he is really good fun. I am hoping that Ace will be the last addition to our menagerie which now also includes 11 chickens, 2 guinea pigs, 2 rabbits and a lot of tropical fish.

Hannah (13 in May 2008) has now been at secondary school (Wyvern) for 1½ years and has really grown up in that time. She is really getting a lot out of her time there and making good friends. At the end of Year 7, the whole year group went to Germany for a school trip and I became one of those countless secondary school parents who have to sit in their cars at 2.00am waiting for the school coach to come back..... However on the plus side Hannah has blossomed into a great cook, and now takes some of the load off Mummy at the weekend, often cooking up one or other course for lunch or tea. Fantastic!

Joseph (11 in February 2008) is gearing up for Year 6 SATs, following which he will join Hannah at Wyvern in September. Against all the odds, Joseph has now developed a keen interest in football, and in particular Liverpool FC. Grandad keeps him supplied with Daily Telegraph sports pages and he buys an occasional “Match” magazine when he has saved enough money. Joseph is also enrolled in Scouts now and is really enjoying it.

Thomas (9 in May 2008) has developed an amazing talent for drawing anything on wheels. He seems to get most of his ideas from cycling up and down the drive on his new bike (combined Christmas and birthday present), observing all the details on passing lorries and cars, such as exhaust pipes and wing mirrors. He is doing First Holy Communion preparation this year, as well as coping with a weekly avalanche of homework.

My way of apologising to my family for all the stress and heartache of the last 2 years was to take them all on our first ever family hotel holiday in August 2007. Hannah and Joseph shared a room, while Thomas joined us. On the first morning, Hannah saw that the sign on the back of their door said “Please make up the room”, and so dutifully set about making the beds and tidying up (while we fell about laughing).

Stephen Davis

Myself, Vicky, James and William are now well settled just outside Tonbridge in Kent. I am still working for the same software company in Dorking and Vicky looks after the ten or so horses she has on her yard over the road from the house. William is now living at home and going to the 6th Form at a school in Tonbridge whilst James is experiencing the joys of sitting at a school desk for the first time.

However, we were all very sad when Dad decided to leave us at the end of November, he will be very sadly missed and I’ll make sure he is never forgotten. But as they say, as one soul leaves another enters, and as such we were happy to announce the birth of Arthur Peter two days later on the 23rd November (named Peter after both my Dad and Vicky’s Dad). Ironic that the first time everyone got to see Arthur was at Dad’s funeral.

Arthur is absolutely fantastic and both I and Vicky are very proud parents, his smiles in the morning give me the added strength to cope with the M25 every day. Last night he even slept through the night and last weekend Vicky taught him to laugh (very, very funny). As I said William is studying Sports Coaching at Hayesbrook in Tonbridge and seems to have picked up the workload and is now keeping the pace towards some good results; anybody any ideas of where he could get some work experience in July, he’s struggling to find somewhere right now! James meanwhile has moved up to proper classrooms now having been in reception class for the past two years. Struggling a bit but with Mummy’s help he’ll be alright.

As for everything in general, we have just got the plans approved for an extension to the house; we thought that was difficult but now I have to find the money to build it! In January we have moved out to a rented house nearby (we are have some subsidence fixed and so managed to persuade the insurance company to relocate us during the repairs due to Arthur) and the hope is we can get the building finished before we move back in. I am still on the local Parish Council and things are getting very interesting (although Vicky keeps introducing me to her friends as David Horton!).

So to summarise the past year, very sad to lose my Dad but wonderful to have Arthur come along; roll on 2008 and see you all later in the year at the family reunion.

Andrew Davis

Busy, busy as a bee comes to mind. In 2006, some of my photographs were exhibited at a London show (if you’re really keen, you can view these at www.imagesofteddington.com) and slow but steady progress has been made on a project arising from a flash of bathroom inspiration in 2006; fingers firmly crossed, I might just harvest some fruits later this autumn. There are several other projects I’m itching to get off the ground, but as the saying goes, "one step at a time".

Since Dad sadly passed away last November, the atmosphere has changed at Arthur Road, Wokingham. A huge vacuum of loss remains, but Mum, Tina, Stephen and I, and the rest of the family, are doing our best to seal the void. I guess that’s what life’s all about: change; adaptation; and preparing for a brighter, but unpredictable future, comforted by the breeze of beautiful memories along the way.

Brighton's city life can be a touch trying at times, but having the sea and the South Downs only minutes away, I count my blessings. I managed to finish the last leg of my trek along the South Downs Way, Winchester to Eastbourne, in 2006, and regularly head for the hills in search of welcome solitude and quiet reflection - not forgetting the annual Glowworm hunting and orchid spotting on those warmer, summery days. Well, that's it from me; wishing all the Singleton family much love, success and happiness as always and… see you all soon!

Victoria Forrest

"I can't remember what happened to me in 2006 so I can tell that I am getting older! I suspect that it involved the usual: working hard at work with one or two nice holidays.

In 2007 my challenge for the year was trekking Kilimanjaro in August. I did a fair amount of training by walking at weekends around the South Downs and in other areas of England to build up my muscles and spent a large amount of money on things that I will never use again (walking poles, inflatable things that you lay on etc). Luckily we did not have to carry our luggage up the mountain - that was the job of the fantastic porters. We carried day packs containing at least 4 litres of water that we had to drink every day. We set off on a Sunday and for 3 nights I did not get a wink of sleep (although I had trained, I had not practised camping in the garden beforehand) so by the final ascent night (Wednesday) I was EXHAUSTED. We arrived at the final campsite at 4,700 metres at 3pm and were supposed to sleep until 10pm (no chance) and then set off for a 7 hour trek to the top and back to the final campsite. I left the other 9 of my group to it and took some sleeping tablets (and didn't get any sleep). A few hours later various members of the group started coming back after failing to reach the top - only 5 reached the true peak. Despite the fact that I did not reach the top it was an amazing experience - I will never forget walking above the clouds. We arrived back at the base of Kili after 6 days on the mountain and were all very relieved to be staying at a hotel with baths and showers!!

After that I needed a relaxing holiday in November in Barbados and a relaxing Christmas in Cheltenham. Unfortunately my nanna died just before Christmas - just failing to reach her 90th birthday by 2 weeks.

I am not sure what this year's challenge will be! I have acquired a new godson (and nephew), Joshua, so I am very excited about that. No doubt Giles and Wendy will tell you more about him in their news"

Giles, Wendy and Joshua

Well, it’ll be a challenge squeezing two of the busiest years of our lives into a few paragraphs but we’ll have a go!

As most of you know we got married on 2nd September 2006 which such a fantastic day (note the big smiles in every Wedding photograph!) For the honeymoon we took a two week break in Tanzania, one week in the Selous National Park going on game drives, fishing, lounging by the pool and eating amazing food, the second week in Mafia Island going on Island tours, sunbathing and eating amazing food!

Work on our house continued a couple of weeks after returning from our honeymoon. Giles decided to remove the loose plaster from the hall and stairways and ceilings up to where it was sound – unfortunately this was at the third floor! 40 bags of rubble later and we had some Polish plasterers in to “make good”. Focus turned to the bathroom where, after ripping everything out, trouble with tilers meant we had to shower at work for 6 weeks until everything was ship-shape!

Just after finishing the bathroom, we found out we had a fixed October deadline to finish the house – and this meant turning our second bedroom into a nursery! We were very busy redecorating the rooms, getting the lounge replastered, and having the stair balustrades replaced, all whilst Wendy was having a very tough pregnancy.

Joshua arrived on 24th September, two days after the carpets went down, and has kept us very busy since! The first six weeks were pretty challenging, the most noticeable change was the lack of sleep, but we soon got into some sort of routine and now he is growing so fast and grins excitedly, every minute with him is a joy.

Finally, Giles is currently working on the family tree, which includes Forrests, Egertons, Singletons, and many more, so if you have any information or photos or would like to view what he’s done so far, email him on giles@gforrest.com.

Changes of Address, E-Mail Address and/or Telephone

Felicity and Brian Grice If you send an e-mail to the address in the green folder it will probably be rejected with the spam mail. Do not use felicity@georgegrice.freeserve.co.uk Use the e-mail address - bggrice@gmail.com

Philippa Hughes There is a mistake in the green folder. The correct e-mail address is - pipsy_hughes@hotmail.com N.B. There is an underscore between the y of pipsy and the h of hughes. The blue underlining has hidden this underscore. Pip has moved to Bath – new details Address - 1A Yomede Park, Lower Weston, Bath, BA1 3LS. Telephone - 01225 319345

Giles Forrest Change of e-mail address. It is now - giles@gforrest.com

Stephen Davis Change of e-mail address from that in green folder. It is now - steved@qsoftware.com

Ian and Natalie Bellamy - change of all details. Now – Address - 6 Pitcairn Road, Warley Woods, Birmingham, B657 5NF. Telephone - 0121 434 5015 E-Mail - ian@sph.uk.com (work)

David Bellamy - change of all details. Now - Address - 27 Hindon Square, Vicarage Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 3HA. Telephone - 077113 62489 (I think this is a mobile number! – VH.) E-Mail - none passed on for this Newsletter.

Charles and Rebecca Forrest – change of e-mail to that in green folder. Now – E-Mail - chasnbex@hotmail.co.uk (this is the e-mail address used to send his Newsletter contribution)

Amanda Gillard - the e-mail address in the green folder seems to be her work address. Her e-mail for this list was sent from the e-mail address - amanda_gillard@btinternet.com N.B. - there is an under score between the last a of amanda and the g of gillard. It is hidden by the blue underline.

Jerry and Jenny - there is an error in the green folder for the e-mail address. The correct addresses are- Jerome – private e-mail - jerome.forrest@virgin.net Jerome – work e-mail - jerry@jbbuilding.co.uk