Merry Christmas Jade xx

Thought for today:-

"Never apologise for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for truth."

Benjamin Disraeli [1804-1881], England.

let it snow let it snow let it snow.......

It is so Christmas....

Thought for today:-

"He who angers you conquers you."

Elizabet Kennedy. Author.

La Boiselle, The Somme, France. Armistice day.

As with the 1st of July we have a very early start on Armistice day. It's a long journey from Belgium to The Somme and we needed to arrive by 10.15am.

We meet at the school room in La Boiselle. The number of people attending are increasing, with both French and English together.

The mayoress and Richard Dunning take the lead along with a piper and John our baptist minister.

We lay wreaths at various monuments then finally at the crater.

This followed by food and drink at the school hall provided by the French.

Later we have nibble and a drink at Les and Renee's lovley French home which is huge but very welcoming as always.

Mid afternoon we meet at Mametz wood where one of the bloodiest battles of the first world war took place. Harry Fellows fought there and his ashes are in the wood. His so Mick is pictured with a wreath at his headsone. His ffriend george says the exhaltation. We all then have a tot of whiskey in memory of the soldiers who fought there.

The woods were owned by the count who died at the end of our stay on The Somme. He was a very good friend of the crater and invited many of us to his hunting lodge for lunch every july 1st.

Finally at the end of a long day after getting muddied and emotional we relaxed for a short while at the Calypso Longavaal. It always feels really good to be among friends.

Meningate Ypres

The last post at Meningate is always very moving. At 8 o,clock every evening the road is closed off and many people attend the remembrance ceremony. Again the evening of the 10Th prior to the Armistice service was attended by many and again it was very moving.

Belgium

This photo of Calais was taken from Dover castle. Once we arrived in Calais we headed for Belgium with a couple of stops on the way to Varlet farm, the farmhouse where we stay.

One of the cemetary's we visit is a German one at Langermaark. German cemetaries are very grim in comparison to the other commonwealth war cemetaries.

Kent

The photo of all of us was taken at the guest house where we stay. We all met to surprise Jules as it may be our last time as a group.

Pictured is Kent castle which was closed. The other one is Dover castle which was really interesting and covered a lot of history...very enjoyable.

Dover ferry port looks much different here compared with our return.

Armistice

Again we travelled to Belgium and The Somme for armistice. We started with two nights in Deal with 'the gang' ...friends from our nine day Dambusters trip seven years ago.

We then had three days in Belgium followed by three on The Somme.

It was a very full nine days and quite a rush back. Jules returned to Australia the day after we arrived back in Yorkshire.

Our journey home was disrupted by the storms as Dover closed it's docks. We spent an extra six and half hours on the ferry due to 50-60 mile an hour winds and 25-30 ft high waves. It was quite interesting. After a few hours free tea and coffee was allowed later followed by free food.

I have chosen a few photo's to put on here out of around nine hundred taken between us. We still have some to be developed that Vin took.

Because we have taken many similar and i have blogged then it was difficult to choose. Also there are so many amazing monuments that again it was difficult to choose when you consider we photographed many as well as museums etc., all mean something but i have chosen ones that mean the most to me. We also have numerous photo's of headstones all with a story to tell and quite a few VC's. So i have chosen a nurse buried with full military honours because she came from Agbrigg Road Wakefield, where a lot of my family have lived on my mums side.

I also chose one of many photo's taken by Jules of an Australian soldiers headstone. Jules spent an awful lot of time printing, laminating and placing photo's at numerous headstones. We have many to place for him that we didn't have time to place this time.


Thought for today:-

"But man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated."

Ernest Hemingway. Novelist

A really good weekend

I actually had five days off together. Thursday i had Libby, Casey and Harry stay over, we visited my mum first and then it was back to ours.

Friday was quite hectic dropping off Casey and Harry first and then Libby was picked up from the hair dressers by Jody.

Once my hair was done it was back home ready to set of to Nottingham. Lee, Shaun, Sam and Nicci met us at the hotel and then we left for a night out with Nik and Justin.We had a brill night/early morning.

Once the boys and their partners left for home we headed off to the town centre a little worse for wear. We always love shopping in Nottingham and had a really nice pub lunch.

Back at the hotel everyone started to arrive for the annual fund raising dinner which as usual went well with all the usual hugs, kisses and shaking of hands.

Above is a photograph of a soldier in cross stitch made and donated by our friend Sheila. She must have so much patience and as always did a brill job.

Sheila's husband George was 70 in August unfortunately we were unable to make the party. Here is a photograph of a drawing Vin did as a present for him.

After breakfast this morning a few of us set off for tea/coffee and biscuits at Mick and Kay Fellows who live in Nottingham.

we finished off our weekend with a visit to Vicki and Trevor's.And finally putting our feet up to relax.

I have plenty of jobs waiting for me tomorrow before starting three long days and setting off to Kent/Belgium/The Somme for Armistice week.


Thought for today:-

"You have all the reason in the world to achieve your grandest dreams."

Denis Waitley. Author.

Tattoo

Here are photo's of a tattoo Vin has just finished. We have an Australian friend Jules who is returning to live in Australia when we return from our annual November visit to France and Belgium.

This is the third tattoo Vin has done.

Thought for today:-

"Time = life. Therefore waste your time and waste you life, or master your time and master your life."

Alan Lakein. Author.

Busy!!!!!

I cannot believe how the time passes so quickly. My updates have been non existent as you can see.

Go ape will now take place after Christmas probably around the end of January. The first time I contacted Go ape I was told to phone them two weeks before to book. I did this and was told it was fully booked, then was given the opposite information. I am doing well with sponsorship for The Gambia. The charity night has also been postponed but have some fab ideas.

Once I have returned to The Gambia and worked with Petra we will know exactly where the money is going and approx how much we will need on a year in year out basis.

I have found it difficult to approach people for dual sponsorship so will look at doing something for the crater mid year next year if I can raise a yearly amount as well as what Vin's hoping to do towards the crater I think that will be easier.

So training at last is about to start...I have been working mostly six 13hr shifts a week and finding the management side of things tiring so have not had the energy.

As you can see here Vin has been his usual busy self, the kitchen has been updated apart from the work tops which are going to be replaced with pine. The front and side gardens have had more time spent on them lots of bushes have been removed and brick pillars and more fencing built. We have now decided how we actually want it to look. Vin made the bench for underneath the window as his starting point although the flags it is on are to be replaced.

I am pleased with how the bungalow is looking but we are hoping to hang up Vin's tools middle of next year when the porch has been built and just continue to maintain. The bungalow has taken a lot of time, money and work since we moved in.

I have taken photo's of the photo's we took when we moved in. Which was February 2003.

Last weekend we were busy sorting out car boot items we have been given it took all weekend but we now have our loft back and Vin has been able to set up his easel. He loves working up in the loft whist watching TV, it helps him to unwind. Hopefully doing car boots in time for Christmas is the best time to choose.

We are going to the friends of Lochnager reunion dinner on the 31st October which is eight years exactly to the day Vin and myself had our blind date. I don't know how we have managed to fit everything in and we have so much more ahead..... we hope. On the 30th Lee and Shaun and thier partners are travelling with us and we are having a night out with Nichola and Justin as they live in Nottingham. Paul and Jody are unable to make it this time.

Again we are going to Belgium and the Somme for Armistice week. We are travelling with Jules and Martin and will meet up with the friends of Lochnagar and a few friends who live in France. Jules returns to Australia the day after our return and has invited us to his wedding in 2011. Martin will be travelling with us for the first time in a long while. We haven't got together as often since he met Suzi and moved to Wales. The week will be special it's also Vin's birthday whilst we are over there which we are now used to celebrating at Charlotte's Varlet farm.

Our trip to Belgium and the Somme during September went really well with my daughter Nichola and her partner. We all really enjoyed our time together and Nichola has now found a new interest. Can you believe I forgot my camera!!!!

Thought for today:-

"A friend is one before whom I may think aloud."

Ralph Waldo Emerson [1803-1882], USA.