The year was dominated by the death of my Mum, Sylvia, on May 5th at the age of 81.  She passed peacefully in her sleep in the house she loved and was determined to stay in.  It was a beautiful spring day for the funeral - loads of family, friends and neighbours came and stayed for a drink - pictures are here.

We both spent the first few months of the year teaching English to refugees at Shena Simon College, a strange Gormenghast-like Victorian pile between the Red Light district and the Gay Village in Manchester.  A lot of fun actually!

As Parkway Gardens was to be sold, we decided to spend one last summer in the old house - I also needed time to work on my TESOL Masters/Diploma.  We were in Chandlers Ford for about 3 months - walks along the beach at Shell Bay, drives through the Forest, epic ploughmans at the Newport, watching the Sun go down at the Jolly Sailor and spending time with good friends.  We both feel it's time to go home to the South now, after ten years in exile.  The house was finally handed over to its new owners at the end of September.  Strange to drive away after thirty years.

Since October I've been working at MANCAT (Manchester College of Arts and Technology).  Much the same set up as at Shena Simon, but not nearly as nice a building!  Sue is looking to develop working in Basic Skills.  I'm still struggling with my masters - the current phase should be out of the way by the end of April.

Django the cat is alive, kicking and bullying us both wretched!

I did the oration for Mum's funeral.  It was hard to know what to say.  I think I came up with some good memories, but afterwards I wished I'd thought to read a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson which Sylvia had on a sampler in her living room.  We now have the sampler on our wall here in Mottram Road.  This is how it goes:-

Far have you come, my lady, from the town,
And far from all your sorrows, if you please.
To smell the good sea-winds and hear the seas,
And in green meadows lay your body down.

To find your pale face grow from pale to brown,
Your sad eyes growing brighter by degrees;
Far have you come, my lady, from the town,
And far from all your sorrows, if you please.

Here in this sea-board land of old renown,
In meadow grass go wading to the knees;
Bathe your whole soul awhile in simple ease;
There is no sorrow but the sea can drown;
Far have you come, my lady, from the town.

                                                            R.L.S.

ALL BEST WISHES FOR THE SEASON AND THE NEW YEAR
Viv