Phil’s 2011 summary

Another year almost gone, and time to sum up my year of 2011.

We started the New Year feeling rough after celebrating the year in at Robbie’s with Maddie and Steve.  Following the holiday I worked for the first half of the year which I enjoyed as the job was on my doorstep and it was enjoyable work.  Having been diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and prostate cancer last year I have spent much of this year pill popping and have undergone radio therapy for a couple of months.

We still managed to squeeze a week in Tenerife to start the year off as Claire had won this in a competition.  We also got a really enjoyable cheap weekend away in Birmingham which was a bit of a pleasant surprise.  We have been recently talking of revisiting it again because we had such a good time.

We also managed to get a weekend away in Suffolk visiting friends and family.  Claire started smoking again but this time not through her mouth.  Not quite sure how she managed to draw that smoke in through her ears but she seemed to enjoy it.

We had a great night at Maddie’s 50th Birthday party at Robbie’s again.

As my radio therapy treatment was starting shortly and Claire had won another holiday we managed to shoot off for another week, this time in Maspalomas in Grand Canary.

It was also a sad year, with Jim’s Dad Tom passing away first and later Sue’s husband Alan; both from cancer.  I was so pleased that we managed to see Tom at Jim’s party late last year and he was still in fine fettle.  We didn’t manage to see Alan very much towards the end as he was so ill and didn’t want anyone to remember him at his worst.  However, Alan had written a novel which I read last year and thoroughly enjoyed.  This actually spurred me on to have a go myself.  Claire’s aunt Jackie is also writing a book about Plato’s life and works; when people that you know do things, it somehow makes it more possible for you do the same.  I have tried to spend most of my spare time writing it and I am currently about half way through it.  It seems to have taken over my life a little and when I’m not writing, I’m researching for it.

We finally got our two bed flat at Oldbrook back that we had bought tenanted last year.  A total refurbishment necessary, including windows.  Still, you know how Claire and I enjoy doing that.

We always like to take a short break after renovating as a kind of celebration but we only managed a weekend at Rochford Hall after this one because I was still working.

No sooner had we finished but we bought and renovated a one bed flat at Coldecote Lake.  This was about the same time that I started my treatment and as I was still working, Sue kindly helped Claire with the decoration as well.

Even during my 2 months treatment we still managed to get away for a long weekend to Majorca.  As my treatment was every weekday, we managed this by arranging the first appointment on the Friday then going straight to the airport.  Upon our return on the Monday I had the last appointment.  It didn’t work out quite as planned as I had started to suffer a little from the effects of my treatment so I couldn’t really take advantage of our all inclusive weekend.  We paid more for that weekend than we normally do for a fortnight away but considered it worthwhile to have something to look forward to and it also coincided with Claire’s Birthday and she needed a treat.  It always costs so much more to travel when you want to rather than going with the flow of the offers.

My Milton Keynes job came to an end but I decided not to look for another until my treatment was complete and we had been away on holiday proper.  Having the extra time was handy as we managed to finish off the flat in no time once I was full time without work or treatments.

Our house sold around this time but we knew that we could manage a month away prior to completion.  Harriet moved into the Coldecote flat and we shot off to Malaysia to see Jim’s son Tom and his lovely partner Youngja.  This was short lived as the following day we jetted off to Thailand for an island hopping holiday.  We hopped across Thailand back into Malaysia and then jetted straight off to Borneo to see the monkeys.

Time flew,and so did we, back to KL again for our final two days before having to come home again.

Once home, we needed somewhere to live once we were kicked out of our house so we bought a caravan on Overstone Lakes as a stop gap between houses.  Of course, Claire wanted to decorate it before we moved in.

We liked it so much that we decided to stay and not rush into buying a house until next year.  I think that we both like it because everyone is so friendly and its like being on holiday all the time.  It only takes me about half an hour a week to do all the housework.

Towards the end of the year my Dad got poorly and its lasted for a couple of months now so we have spent more time than normal going backwards and forwards to Melton Mowbray to help around the house.  Lots was needed to do there as they too have sold their house too and intend to move into a bungalow down the road early next year.  Lots of packing and chucking out to be done in their house after 45 years of accumulation.  Mum seemed to have accumulated more wool in her attic than an Australian sheep farmer.  The staff at the local charity shop used to hide when they saw her coming.  They called her the “wool lady”. I even found a large suitcase up the attic that contained my last two years schoolwork and my first 6 years college work so I took it home to look through before throwing away.  I was interested as it contained drawings that I had done in TD at school, especially as I ended up as a draughtsman.  I also found two pictures, one drawing and one half finished painting; both must have been done before I was 13.  One was called “Destruction” and the other “Agony”.  What must have been going through my head at that time?  The one that I remember wasn't there though; it was a skeleton riding a motor bike that would have been aptly named, “Not so Easy Rider”.  Good job that I photographed them before Claire threw them away.

Georgina left school and moved into her rooms in London at The London School of Economics (LSE)

One last surprise trip to La Manga in Spain where we met Claire step dad and Marie, Kay, Jim and Anne etc.  Sue arrived on a different flight on the same day and also flew back on the same day.

We are not sure when Mum and Dad will be moving but have to be on hand to help them pack proper and move as they are both suffering with old age problems.  Normally we would have already been basking in the sun by now and not returning until next March or April when the weather gets better for our new life in the caravan.  I can’t see us getting away until at least March now unless we manage to find a quick week away somewhere cheap.  Have a great Christmas everyone and a fantastic New Year.  I wonder what’s in store for us next year.