Several new families have moved into the street and the usual new cohort of students arrived in September, so there were again plenty of people who we could introduce to their neighbours in the street.

We held two street parties this year, Summer and Autumn. People rally round to erect the two gazebos, bring out their garden tables and chairs, provide food and engage the children in fun and games. They’re hard work but great fun and add considerably to the  social fabric of the area.

In addition we teach students to put their rubbish bags out on the right day (work ongoing into the new year), what to put into their recycling boxes (usually either nothing or everything in sight) and what not to put into their recycling boxes. (Also ongoing into the new year)

There is an increased interest in the street about recycling, composting and environmental friendliness in these days of climate crisis. One relatively new family are collecting Terracycle packaging to take it to a collection point in the city. They also have a composter which anyone is invited to use, which prompted us to start composting waste food (which isn’t collected for recycling in York). We have a pair of Bokashi Composter Bins. If you want to know how it works look it up https://evengreener.com/blog/the-bokashi-composter

It’s another couple of years before we celebrate our next significant wedding anniversary, but we were invited to the celebrations of two other couples this year. First it was Dave and Rosemary Playle; celebrating 60 years of marriage. We gathered with their family and friends in a golf clubhouse Ashton under Lyne. We met up with people we hadn’t seen for many years. Dave was the pastor who married us in 1971. He had been Barrie’s pastor in Yorkshire and then Joan’s in Brownhills. One surprise of the party was meeting their son, Andrew and his wife, Teresa, only to find they had recently moved into the next street to ours. The year Joan and I first met was the year Andrew was born, 50 years ago. This highlights that in 2019 we marked 50 years since we first met, followed shortly afterwards by man’s first steps on the moon.

In October we were in another golf clubhouse near Pocklington in East Yorkshire to celebrate with Colin and Rhona Stanbury. It was 40 years since we witnessed their wedding in Harrogate. So again we met up with their children and mutual friends and caught up with stories from the times we were together all those years ago and the things that had shaped their lives since. 

We frequently get together with Colin and Rhona along with Richard and Jenny Dean for a day out and a meal – resurrecting the friendship we shared during our days leading Harrogate Christian Fellowship in the 70s and 80s.

First let us wish you all a Wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Here again is our new edition of Claremont News. It’s been a significant year with the wedding of Matthew and Laura. We’ve enjoyed holidays, serving in our church, family events and holidays.

Wedding of the Year
Half Marathon Man
Wider Family
Holidays
Street Parties
What Else We’re Doing
Gallery of the rest

Claremont News 2017 – in case you missed it

Our annual sibling meals went ahead again this year in January and October plus the three yearly Stephenson Cousin’s reunion in July.

The cousins event in Ambleside brought its usual nostalgia with stories and photographs of bygone days. There were pictures of Barrie’s father he had never seen before, as a 12 year old with his mother (Sarah) and aunt in Ambleside in 1932

Whilst there Barrie and his sister, Ruth, recreated a snapshot of them as small children taken in Borran’s Park at Waterhead in 1953. 65 years have elapsed between the pictures. They’ve aged well don’t you think? 

The Ashmore’s October get together was in the small Lincolnshire village of South Witham where Janet and Charlie now live. We discovered a great place to stay with enough rooms and cottages to swallow a number of families. A quirky place called Halliday’s Folly in Greetham nearby in the tiny county of Rutland. Highly recommended for a family weekend.

Next – Holidays