Category Archives: Claremont News

Claremont News 2024

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High Petergate, York

Again it’s time for an update from the centre of York. We’ve been busy this year but it’s all good. Getting older should mean slowing down. For us it’s doing things more slowly but important things are still being done.

Joan has continued to volunteer at the hospital two mornings a week as well as being part of the church visiting team. She also met up with school friends for a 60th anniversary reunion. Barrie has again become chair of the successful housing charity Restore (York). We have also made many visits down the A1 to visit family in Cambridge and Chelmsford.

There was a general election with a good outcome. Barrie helped (a little) with campaigning for the Labour Party. We had two street parties and helped mount an air quality action group in the main street at the end of ours.

So as we look forward to the next year we trust you all will enjoy a Happy Christmas and a healthy New Year.

So in more detail

Holidays
Grandchildren
Our Street
School reunion
Friends
Car
Next Year a Milestone

Our Street

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Film Crew – it’s Lights, Camera, Action in Claremont Terrace

Filming Stars

Not us of course. A scene for an upcoming new TV Crime Drama was filmed in our street in April. For such a short scene there was a lot of gear and activity. Watch out for it on Channel 5 – it’s called Patience – the story of an archivist who unearths cold cases for reinvestigation.

Autumn Street Party

Street Parties

Staging the two parties this year has been quite exhausting; we’re hoping for younger residents to take up some of the graft. The summer party was wet and the one in October was dry. Lots of fun though and useful for new people to meet their neighbours.

Air Quality Action Group

The main road at the end of our street is the most polluted in York with the worst air quality, possibly, in Yorkshire. So an action group has formed to meet the council officers and councillors to force something to be done. The traffic light solution is marginal but once they have proved it improves the air quality other action may be taken using the data collected in the trial. Barrie has been volunteering to collect traffic data in preparation for the trial.

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Reunion

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Pat, Sue, Janet, Chris, Julie and Joan 60 years after the first year at Shire Oak Grammar School

It is 60 years since Joan started Grammar School in Brownhills. This year a good number of the original pupils met up at a reunion party. Lots of reminiscing of course, and friendships renewed with some not having seen each other since leaving school. 

Joan’s five close friends, who have kept in touch in the intervening years, were able to assemble for a new school photo at the school reunion party most of whom were also known by Barrie as they met while Joan was still at school, and married just a few weeks after Joan received her A levels results.

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Friends

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Group of people sitting down for a Christmas Lunch at Wydale Hall. Smiling faces, Christmas cracker hats, starters on the table.
Christmas Lunch at Wydale Hall with the Belfrey Group

We have a great group of friends who are in what is called a Belfrey Group, although most of them now belong to other churches. We are also Belfrey Group Stewards for a couple of church groups in St Michael le Belfrey, aka The Belfrey.  Our church is still meeting in our temporary venue, The De Grey Rooms, while our building is undergoing a massive refurbishment and reordering process. It isn’t due to finish until 2026.

St Michael le Belfrey under refurbishment and reordering


We still meet up with four friends from Harrogate Christian Fellowship days. Richard and Jenny are still in Harrogate and Rhona and Colin are in Pocklington 12 miles from York. Health issues have prevented some of our monthly meet ups but God is good and we really enjoy our times together.

Church building covered in scaffolding alongside York Minster
Walking friends Roz and Chris on a wet walk in Trollers Gill near Grassington

We have walking friends, Ros and Chris. On this walk through a spectacular limestone gill we arrived back at the cars soaked. Ros walks very fast, we have a job keeping up with her!
We often go walking with our friend Lesley who used to live with us when we were in Harrogate and now still meet up with once a month or so for a meal and a walk.

We also go for walks, just the two of us. The beautiful country around us in York, within easy reach of the moors and the dales, give us plenty of choice; although our favourites are around Harrogate, Ripon, Helmsley and the coast, visiting Fountains Abbey, Harlow Car Gardens, Rievaulx Abbey, Whitby, Robin Hoods Bay, Scarborough and Filey.

Barrie and Joan on Scarborough beach
on Scarborough beach in November

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It’s the environment you know

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Honda e:Ny1

A special offer on Honda electric cars this summer enticed Barrie to upgrade our hybrid car to all electric. The Honda e:Ny1 arrived at the end of August preceded by a steep learning curve about how to charge it. It’s a great motor. No regrets and saving money too. We have successfully made several long distance trips.

Charger installed in the garage – a full overnight charge costs just £4.85

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