So all that remains is to keep you in our prayers this Christmas and for good things for you and yours in the New Year.
We’re usually open for visitors and look forward to seeing lots of you before we write the next edition of Claremont News at the end of 2013.
The best way to keep up to date is to be our friends on Facebook. If you all did that there would be no need to publish this newsletter next year – it would all be old news. Go on – do it. Barrie – Joan It’s not half as scary as you might imagine.

Happy Christmas and God Bless

Love from
Barrie and Joan

Tel 01904 679097
Email: barrie@barstep.co.uk, joan@barstep.co.uk

The City of York is celebrating the 800th of it’s charter awarded in 1212 by King John. As part of the celebrations the City of York Council mounted a storytelling project to gather 800 stories from the people of the city.
Barrie was commissioned to run a digital storytelling project with the Armed Forces in York. The stories they created became part of the Illuminating York festival in October. They were displayed on a large screen in one of the city’s main squares as well as being available on a York Stories 2012 website.
He is now putting together a longer film about the main events of ‘Charter Year – York 800’ using the still pictures taken by the marketing team and a 20 minute narrative. It’ll also be shown on a large screen at the end of the year.

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The departure of the Pastoral Visiting co-ordinator to a new parish created an opportunity for Joan to step in. The church has many elderly and housebound members who love to have ‘official’ visits. People who go into hospital also expect a visit. So Joan is given a couple of days a week to make sure the visiting is done. She’s has started recruiting more people to join the team, making the visiting documents more businesslike, visiting with our Associate Minister, and, of course going out on her own to see people around the city.
Enough to says she’s getting quite a lot of praise for her efforts.

Barrie is trying to give up being the Team Leader for the Belfrey Groups because his work with Restore is taking up more and more time. So far he has been unsuccessful – but who knows what the new year may bring.

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After a number of years of maintaining a functioning Neighbourhood Watch in Claremont Terrace it has now become a fully fledged Residents Association – constitution, committee, AGM – the lot.
Barrie is Chairman and Joan, Social Secretary. We put on a Jubilee Street Party in June and a Bonfire Party in November. (It would have been silly for them to have been the other way round!)
They were both a great success despite the inclement weather. A real community spirit gripped the street; lots of people pulled together to hoist bunting, make banners, put up gazebos, provide food and make sure everyone had fun. Sadly two families have moved out of the street recently and we’re still waiting for some new neighbours to move in.

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Aberdeen

After just over a year in Aberdeen, Matthew and Laura are moving back to Cambridge before the end of the year. Laura has a lectureship at Gonville & Caius College. Matthew has been animating a pilot for a children’s cartoon programme, and now he’s waiting for the next step on the way to it being commissioned.

On the beach

Wesley has started an attachment as senior producer in BBC Radio Current Affairs. Deborah is now Assistant Editor of BBC Essex. Emily has started at nursery at Alex’s school. Both are doing well. They loved their stay with Nanny and Grandad this summer – especially the visit to Scarborough – and so did Nanny and Grandad.

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Warwick on his birthday

Warwick is well despite some changes to his diet this year. There is some concern about his swallowing – sometimes he coughs whilst eating his meals. His speech therapist has given advice about the texture foods he should eat leading to some rather heavy handed application of guidelines which at one point lead to all his food being blended. Some firm negotiation on our part was needed. Things are improving, but we’re not quite there yet. Frequent staff changes also make things difficult. In himself he’s otherwise healthy and enjoying life.

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