This is the week when my previous Blogs have petered out – but not this time.
Do you remember Keith Venables? His family lived next to Grandad Coghlan and Peter Stimpson in Well Lane. His Dad, Peter, was on the Scout Committee with Mum and they became friends. Keith left Repton Primary in 1959 – three years before me – and then he went on to Etwall and the Staffordshire Police Force for thirty years leaving in 2000. He now lives on the Greek Island of Kefalonia where he is an entertainer for seven months each year. How do I know all this – I found his posting on Friends Reunited.
Looks a nice island. It is particularly popular with wind surfers – which tells you something about the weather.
December 29th 2008
I emailed Keith via Frends Reunited and got an immediate reply. He remembered the first three children – Ruth, John & Robert – and asked after us. He has been living in Greece – Kefalonia – for the past seven years and a couple of years ago bought a villa. He supplements his police pension by doing some sort of entertaining in bars or hotels in the summer season. Keith left Repton Primary three years before me so he must be 60 years old now.
At least Keith doesn’t have this. Rioting continues in Athens in spite of snow in Viotia, north of Athens, on Saturday.
December 30th, 2008
It is 30 years ago today that Pauline & I were married. We were anxious because when we woke up that morning there had been a very heavy snowfall and the men who gritted the roads were on strike. It was touch and go whether anyone one would arrive. Pauline’s Family phoned to say that they couldn’t get across the Pennines.
We set off for the Registry Office in Huddersfield accompanied by Chris & Kevin Dagg. Fortunately, both families made it plus lots of friends.
The wedding was followed by a ‘Blessing’ at Meltham Mills Church
and then wonderful eats, all made by Pauline , back at 164 Huddersfield Road where we spent another happy five years before moving to Slade House in Helme.
December 31st, 2008
What a end to the year. This morning I was diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation or irregular heart beat. I have to have a heart scan and they want me to take Warfarin – a blood thinning agent. Pauline is terrified that I will suffer a brain bleed because of it.
Happy New Year everybody.
January 1st, 2009
Today I launched the new Sanders Website. I hope to develop its content along with this Blog over the next 30 years. Something to look forward to, eh, Bob?
January 2nd, 2009
We drove over to see Stavros in Hull this morning but we just missed him. When we got home, he had left a message on our answer phone to say he was on the train back to Luton Airport for their flight on Easyjet back to Athens.
The Times reported this morning that Stelios’s father had died. He was born in Cyprus in the Troodos Mountains and, subsequently named his company Troodos.
Pauline & I were there in 1994 – 15 years ago.
January 3rd, 2009
We have finished the holiday by pressing on with our house refurbishment in England. We came home from Greece in the summer, where work is now largely finished and anything that needs doing can be taken care of by Stavros, saying we must do something to freshen up our house in England. We have really got on with it. New bedroom furniture in Bedroom 2 and in the Dressing Room have been followed by new carpets throughout the house and new windows right across the front of the house.
Quarry Court