2011

2011 has not been a happy one, it’s been one of those years that you would like to forget but will always remember. On May 20th after just 3 weeks in hospital and just over 74 years on this earth my dad passed away. But as my dad would have wanted us to: life does go on. My mum has her ups and down and as they say time will be a healer. My sister (being closer distance wise) to my mum has been doing a lot and I have been going home when I can.

So a quick rundown of the life in year of Helen and Steve. We started the year off with our usual gang visiting somewhere exotic for the New Year - well not quite exotic - we had a cottage in Craster for a few days – lots of walking along the Northumberland coast, lots of Craster kippers and a few drinks in a local pub, which was cross between Phoenix nights and one in Royston Vasey.

Of course 2011 will also be remembered being exactly 50 years after 1961. Helen was treated to a weekend in Harrogate and visit to the Spa Baths which was excellent – even I enjoyed it! Well worth a visit if you haven’t been before - very relaxing in a very ornate building. For my birthday we went for the family and close friends’ party option with it being August. We thought we could manage 20 people in our house because half would be outside in the garden soaking in the August sun. How naive of us! How wrong were we! It was the wettest coldest 6th August on record!  At 3pm the garden was flooded....Still we managed to cram everyone in with a few hardy fools dashing to the gazebo thus making a bit of space inside – we ran out of wood for the chimera and my shed nearly went on it!


The main event of the summer was of course, the strawberry tea at Helen’s Mum and Dads with a multitude of strawberry delights, strawberry bunting and nice weather - it went without a hitch. Helen’s mum is well for her age and Helen’s dad is coping reasonably well with his Parkinson’s.

Holiday wise this year we have been ticking of a couple more islands we went to Gibraltar in April and Madeira in August. Gib was like going to an English enclave, but we really enjoyed it - lots of walking, spent some time watching the migration with lots of short toed eagles, and Honey buzzards going though amongst other things.

Excellent food and good weather in Madeira, again lots of walking, dolphin trips and an evening bird watch to see Zino’s petrels coming back to their nest holes at midnight by moonlight which was an amazing experience.

Work wise I am still with the Wildlife Trust and Helen at the Library (now called the Learning Centre). Helen has been through restructuring and has lost 3 staff but she is ok but not particularly happy. She is now the trade union rep and is doing a teaching qualification (PTLLS and CTLLS) at the moment. I am working on several different project including a log boiler and solar pv and thermal on our offices and it’s been the second year of a Green Tees Valley project - still trying to develop my artist side. We have had two installations on our nature reserves including a boat made out of reflective material and a giant butterfly mobile.

Other highlights have included me – The Imagined Village and the Kaiser Chiefs, Helen – Take that!!!! Also Cricket at Chester-le-Street: England v India where once again the weather was a winner, a couple of Sunderland matches, Gardeners Question time recording, the Transporter bridge centenary which included it being lit up and recently the Luminere in Durham.

That’s all from us. Hope you had a good 2011 and like us are looking forward to an even better 2012.


Happy Christmas


Love Steve and Helen