2018

Our year 2018

As in 2017 the year has been overshadowed by the loss of a friend. Sue, one of Kate and Mike’s closest and best friends died in April this year. We also lost Mike’s mum, who slipped peacefully away at the age of 97. But whereas the passing of Mike’s mum seemed a natural and right thing to happen, the death of Sue has hit us really hard. I think this is because she was our friend and companion during the most formative and exciting time of our lives, and also in the glorious years after university when we were doing what we loved most, climbing hills in the Lake District, in Wales, and in the Highlands of Scotland.

We have to keep on keeping on of course, and we have had good times, good holidays, good gigs, good friends and our family to help us through.

So… this year we were very cultured, we went to four excellent exhibitions in London, Cézanne’s portraits, Modigliani, Picasso and Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms. All were a revelation, with something unexpected in each one.

In February we went to a gig themed around protest songs, and were delighted to find that Leon Rosselson was performing! His song ‘Palaces Of Gold’ seems even more relevant today. Other gigs were Blowzabella, the wonderful Furrow Collective, Lucy Farrell and the Rheingans Sisters. This last gig had the added advantage that it was in Sheffield, giving us a chance to see David and Shirley, who have now bought a house there.

In early May we had an exciting wildlife holiday in Scotland, with Chris and Marta (it was partly a birthday present to Chris from Marta). We visited Mull, Skye and North Uist, and saw all sorts of things: hen harriers, otters, eagles and lots more.

In June we had a week in the Lake District, and managed to get a tiny bit fit, mainly because John and Holly joined us for several days, so we didn’t want to look totally feeble. We climbed Hopegill Head, one of our favourite fells, and walked round Buttermere and thought of Sue. We also had a lovely few days in Norfolk with our friends Phil and Katie. So wonderful to see old friends.

In July Kate and her brother took their mum to Liverpool to revisit old haunts in celebration of her 90th birthday. It was a great success.

In August we stayed with Dave and Clare, where Dave helped Mike do some more on his mandolin. Huge strides were made (not quite finished yet though). We also saw Richard Thompson at a scorchingly hot festival there.

In September we saw False Lights and Leveret, two of our favourite bands. Also, very excitingly, Mike’s art class had an ‘Autumn Show’, which, slightly unexpectedly, went really well! People actually came to see it!

In October we had a relaxing (and well deserved?) week in Umbria.

In November we stayed with Vivien, Mike’s old boss from our Glasgow days, in Arnside, on the shores of Morecambe Bay. In a lightning visit to Glasgow, we joined John and Holly for John’s Creative Writing M.Litt graduation. We had to sing in Latin! Gaudeamus Igitur... And we finished the month with seeing Richard Thompson again at Cambridge Corn Exchange.

In December we saw Chris Wood, who was magnificent, and then Christmas really started when we went to Kate Rusby’s Festive Show in Sheffield.

Hope to see more of you all in 2019. Keep in touch! Click here to contact us.