Christmas 2023

 Christmas cards and Charity 2023

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'Tis that time of year again when some teachers prove they can't read or follow a simple set of instructions. Haha! But, I've worked around everyone's funny little ways and we have our blog. Yay! The cards are in order of when I saw them, either in WhatsApp (well done) or in my email (ooops). 

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Charlotte

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and hoping that the World becomes a more peaceful place in 2024. Much love Charlotte and Ian. Xxx

My chosen charity is still supporting Satyam and Sofia through their education here. Sofia has been with us 6 years now. She is 18 and studying A level Art, History and Spanish. Satyam is nearly 17. We have supported him for 4 years. He is in Year 11 and just chosen his A levels: Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Chemistry. 

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Helen

Happy Christmas to all with love from Helen and Mike and Betty.

xxx

I have struggled to decide on a charity this year as there are so many deserving causes in these troubled times. I continue to support Mind throughout the year in memory of Andrew, but for Christmas I have decided on Crisis and Betty has sponsored a guide dog puppy!

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Alison

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year. 

Love from Alison. Xx

My charity this year is The Smile Train. It operates in less developed countries on children with cleft palates, giving them the opportunity to live a normal life. 

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Helen

Here's to lots of lovely meet ups and good turn outs in 2024! Love Helen xxx

My chosen charities this year are UNHCR as they continue to support refugees who return to their homeland in need of start up funds and UK refugees in need of help to navigate all the red tape. Plus, closer to home, the Teenage Cancer Trust for their support of teenagers affected by parents living with cancer. 

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Maggie

Wishing all the Gellybabes a very Happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year.

With love from Maggie x

I have made a donation this year to the International Rescue Committee who are providing food and medical supplies to families in Gaza and other areas of conflict around the world.

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Pam

Warm wishes to all the GB friends for the Festive Season. Looking forward to the meet ups in 2024. 

This year I have contributed to SHELTER as there are so many desperate people without suitable homes and a crisis with homelessness. 

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Julia

Happy Christmas to you all! Hoping to see more of you in 2024 and looking forward to our Christmas get together. Much love,  Julia xx

This year my Christmas donation has gone to MSF because of the medical assistance they provide around the world. 

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Lynn 

 To my dear friends, with love at Christmas time. 

And my donation this year will be to Ashgate Hospice xx

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Jo

To the Gellybabes. Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 

Looking forward to getting together in 2024. Love from Jo xx

My charity is The Children's Society. 

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We've done it again.  It has been hard to choose which charities to support as there is so much need across the UK and world wide.  Here's to a more peaceful year in 2024.

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Time ticks by...

 A gathering of good memories

8th November 2023

Our November meet up was a gathering of good memories of a dear colleague, Mike, aka Mick Law.  Six Gelly babes, three 'other halves' and a host of past Gell staff, ex-students, family and friends met at the rather damp and windy crematorium near Aston-on-Trent to send Mike on his way. 

It was a beautiful service, arranged by Biker Mike, who should give himself a pat on the back! We didn't learn much more about him than we already knew: a loving, calm, gentle man (in its truest sense).We all have different memories of him but will all remember his rather charming smile.  In fact the only thing we learnt, was how he was known to work colleagues as Mike, but to family as Mick.  Blame Mike North (who?), apparently!

Afterwards we descended to the Clock Warehouse in Shardlow for further chat, meeting family, a warm up and a snack on a very wobbly table. There was some head-scratching about the history of the place and which canal we were viewing.  A quick geography lesson proved someone was right! 

Trip to Liverpool anyone? 

Now, for those of you not present (and we did think of you all), apart from a bit of cropping, spot the difference in the photos!

Bit more fuzzy??? 

Having obliged us with taking our photos so we didn't have to do a selfie, Bob showed us how to properly pose.

No sideways glances here! 

Then Chris had a go with the 

hands-in-pocket look.

After lots of laughter and failing to find the dark grey safety tip from my brooch, lost on the tarmac, we bid farewell and wished for a full turn out in December. 

But, before we close, let's return to the start of the day.  As we entered the chapel, we were each given an acorn by Mike's grand-daughter.  Mike didn't feel there are enough oak trees around and asked for each of us to plant or drop one somewhere. 

So here's to Mike's legacy:  from one tiny acorn, may a huge oak be born.

 

                                      

Six Stalwarts gather at Cromford

 Six Stalwarts Gather at Cromford

12th October

On a chilly morning six stalwart members, back from their travels, gathered at the Wharf Cafe at Cromford. It took a while for us to deal with the archaic technology of the coin only parking payment machines but between us we managed to crack it.

Pam broke with tradition and arrived first and was already tucking in to her post outdoor swim toasted tea cake. She was able to reassure us that she dresses appropriately in the pool and that there is very little danger of hypothermia. Strangely there was a mixed reception for Pam’s plan to walk the Cleveland way next year to celebrate her birthday with a zero.

A warming  cup of coffee was very welcome and there was a lot to catch up on. Holiday tales and adventures were exchanged and we speculated on what our absent chums were up to.

Once we had warmed up and donned the appropriate footwear we set off to stroll along the canal.

The moss tree caught our eye as we set off

On the lookout for Thrush - who knew it lurked in the great outdoors!

Arriving at Aqueduct cottage we were relieved to find a supply of high vis jackets, just what we needed on such a difficult walk!

The cottage looking very smart.

Dodging the recently felled ash trees we headed down the Nightingale Arm. This sculpture was number 10, not sure where the previous 9 were hanging out, probably in the woods somewhere. Surprisingly we didn’t spot any otters in the river even though there was a sign alerting us to their presence. 

But we did see and hear lots of Jays and Helen J supplied us with the astonishing fact that Jays can remember where they have hidden fifteen thousand nuts but squirrels can only remember where they have hidden five. (The numbers might not be quite accurate but it was an interesting fact)

When a pretty waterside plant needs identifying Jo has no qualms about accosting a man in waders who is working hard to clear out a stream, he very obligingly helped out.

Not sure what the grumpy face is for!

Back on the canal and a welcoming party of swans and cygnets 

On the return down the canal the sun came out.

Back at the café several bowls of very good sweet potato soup were consumed. There was some discussion about what the green bits in it were: onion, leek, bits of blanket and the least appealing was dog hairs which they definitely weren’t and thankfully we had all finished at that point!

Recommendations for good telly watching were shared - someone surprised us with her enthusiasm for Cowboys! Various ways of catching spiders were discussed- apparently Chris Packham does not approve of sucking them up the hoover and feeding them to the dog is probably a better option. Maggie has been spending romantic evenings with Chris watching their pet hedgehog. We now know that baby frogs have pointy noses and according to Alison we should only worry about rats when they run across our feet when we are sat in our cosy armchairs in front of the fire. 

And finally we must watch out for Helen J on Britain’s got Talent performing her wonderful bird impressions!

Such spoilsports! We were all planning to exit via the dumb waiter!

Bird list for the day

Black headed hill

Blackbird

Blue tit

Canada Geese

Coal tit

Jay - bird of the day

Little Grebe in glorious colour

Long tailed tit

Magpie 

Mallard 

Moorhen

Mute Swan

Wood pigeon 

And a lot of squirrels 

Raindrops keep falling

Raindrops keep falling.

Friday 14th July 2023  or near enough.

A shout out to meet up, was mostly met with... 'another county or country is calling'. But having not seen each other since snowdropping in February, and  not put off by the weather forecast, Alison and I met at Allestree Park. 

With full wet kit on, we needed to find beauty on a drab day. So although Allestree House may need lots of tlc, Alison found subtle shades of pink amongst the grey quite appealing. 

Well, stone me! 

'Tis not even a pretty puddle 😆

We chatted about the cost of living and what it was like, back in the day,  paying off a mortgage of around 15%, made affordable by making up a flask and sandwiches, finding last minute holiday deals and camping... everywhere, throughout the year!  Pleased not to have to go on strike to get our well earned 10.1% state pension rise this  year though. 

Walking through the trees, a lot, meant when we got a view, albeit in low cloud, we could still see far away. And if you haven't been to the Park recently, the old greens are now brown, 

That's a fair way🤭

Back in the woods,  just to prove we'd met up, Alison obliges.. 

Yep, rain's down, hood up! 

We finally head to the Little Shed at Allestree for our well earned brunch. To the amusement of other customers in summer dresses and sandals (yep, really), we peeled off our wet kit and settled down to dry off and check out the menu. And were our eyes deceiving us?

Can't think why we gave the Puppaccino a miss!! 

We chatted about all sorts  but the only thing of real significance was Alison going off-grid; she has the app but not the sunshine, not today anyway.  🌞

We talked about where everyone else was and whether they were all faring with better weather? 

Perhaps not, Helen M in Yorkshire!

The grass is greening up nicely though. 

Wonderful Wharfedale in the Yorkshire monsoon season.

There was a hint of a rainy festival photo heading my way at one point  but I think, at the time of writing, Janice and Pam were actually not at the same one so...

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That'll do ! 

Jo was en route back from rural life abroad and catching up a bit of culture, finding the only cool spot in Spain. 

A pretty cool building...

Charlotte, Julia and Lynn all busy too. But no one was as busy as Maggie under blue skies, again. As we know she'd already launched a rocket earlier in the week but here she is  bird watching at Rosscarbery at the exact moment Alison and I were brunching.  Maggie having a turn... 

 At watching  terns diving (our only bird for the day!)

And to round off, here's a lovely water feature

My first ever water lily!! (So proud) 

The Art cafe of conversation in Ashbourne

The Art cafe of conversation in Ashbourne

Friday 9th June 2023

Seven out of ten babes do Ashbourne is a pretty good number especially as it included Charlotte! We each arrived in our own time at the revamped  and 're-placed' Courtney cafe in the Art gallery. In fact it was a case of 'guess who's coming up the stairs next?' With Pam leading the way, waiting for the rest of us to join her; it's always good to have new experiences. The rest of us blaming our tardiness on the coin- only operating car park (with contactless signage hidden from view), new hairdos, tractors and a near trip to the golf club. 

Once we had caught up with Charlotte's continuing horror story of post-Covid, post-fall and post-concussion, we did move on to other topics: the wonders of Ukrainian musicians, the difference between Ashbourne's day and night clientele and hairdressers' chat (best pretend to need a snooze). Spoilt for choice, we finally ordered our lunch. 

Beautiful freshly-made vegetarian salads above. And below,  fresh salads made vegetarian for Charlotte,  shown in a slightly fuzzy photo

Obviously empathising with Charlotte's state  the day after any activity.

And the other side of the table demolished apple and parsnip soup with an unknown, but lovely shake of tasty brown bits.  

Hope it wasn't the left-over sprinkles from your coffee, Maggie!

I'm only sorry not to capture Helen M's avocado on toast, but I'd already been reprimanded for my plate of  🥑 avocado air miles ... and  didn't wish to upset the applecart so to speak. And I'd tried sooooo hard to ensure the vegetarians had a good choice of menu too. 

We chatted about chance meetings with friends and ex-colleagues. Perhaps Babe Jane might share views of her art work? (Let's see if she reads this!). And when she becomes famous, all personalised gifts from her might make us a bit if money  too 🥰. 

Horror Spring Watch viewing, and we're not just talking about some presenters, led us to our own horror stories. Fact: magpies' beaks can reach into penned chicken eggs,  a Babe dog is a secret robin killer and beware the sparrowhawk on our fledglings.

And did you know that gannets' eyes change colour after avian flu? 

Not sure it works for a puffin though....

There appears to be a bit of garden competitiveness too! How full are your water butts? How are the herbs growing? You had a crested newt?! How many frogs? 🐸 As it turns out, not many if the Babe robin-turned-frog-killer is let loose! 

How well are your herbs? How many frogs? 🤣

Matters turned back to the ageing process, and 'no' we're not all hurtling towards being 80, Maggie! Although Charlotte admitted that her practise on the zimmer -frame was a comfort, but something for the distant future. Care needed in choosing which films to attend at the cinema with youngsters and yes, someone's house did 'rock' with sounds of the Download festival (Can you hear them now as I type?  Slipknot are on later)

7/10 thinking about Alison, Lynn, Janice and wishing they were here with us. 

As Pam didn't want to get yet another parking ticket, we had to say cheerio at speed, but not before our photograph and present exchanges.  How many birthdays? And whilst we are getting better at re-using bags for presents, a homemade one is even better!

 

Hope you all got home in time for a cuppa before the heat built up. Here's to next time, whenever and wherever that might be.  Cheers!