Greetings and annual news
from Joy and Eric in Nottingham
with best wishes for Christmas 2021 and New Year 2022
61 years married!
54 years in this fabulous house!

Not an ordinary year in so many ways!

A whole year with only one Freds Folks gig. That was for a twice postponed wedding, and nearly all the band turned up. It was great to be all playing together, and to see the dancers responding to Joy’s work as MC.

And the morris and clog dancing have been severely reduced too. Just a minimum of public performances, although the colggies practised on our verandah every week once Covid permitted.

We’ve had a record season of edible plants on the verandah and around. Tomatoes, chillies, runner beans, peas and manfe-touts, potatoes, as well as the usual raspberries and blackberries. And I’ve learnt to keep well clear of the grapes, others do the picking and pruning.

In August Karen and Angus drove over from Germany, and chauffered us to Frankfurt. The usual Covid tests before and after every journey. After two lovely weeks meeting all of the German branch of the family, and being fed and entertained by all the family, we flew back by Lufthansa to Birmingham. The quantity of documentation required was amazing, it was all scrutinised both in Frankfurt before departure and Birmingham after arrival. Plan A was for Hamish to chauffeur us home from Birmingham, but his family got Covid so the luxury of a taxi was essential!

Jean & Rory drive up to see us, and the Kenilworth family come too.

Pottery has continued unabated, it’s a great therapy. Lucky folks can receive a ceramic Christmas snowflake. And Joy’s yoga and Kathak dance classes continue in our dance room as permitted.

Joy is in super health, as usual. Thank goodness, she’s looking after me now! My story of the year is that, after three years of regular “unsuccessful” MRI scans of Eric the hospital finally confirmed Myeloma, a form of bone cancer. The consultant was delighted to find it at last, he’d always been convinced it was there somewhere. Vertebra L3 if you’re interested. So began chemo treatment, which has completely knocked me over for the moment, but hopefully will ease as I get more used to it. Because chemo knocks out your immune system, I have to be extra extra extra careful of Covid! A short hospital stay sorted me, and I have a chemo holiday for Christmas.

Click on any of the above photos for a slightly larger image.
See our photos of the year here.
See our walking photos here.
See my cycling photos here.
Our Christmas card made by Joy, inner here.

Statistics:
Pottery: 275 pots, 430lbs of clay, 32 firings, 2000 kwh
Cycling: 60 trips, 1700 km, 110000 kcals
Walking 40 trips, 170 km

Snail-mail is still 31 Greenfield Street, Nottingham NG7 2JN, UK
Home landline phone is still 0115-9786858.
We don't use our mobiles much but you can try 07817 178 525.
e-mail us your thoughts at eric.foxley@gmail.com
The home page of our website is at www.chezfred.org.uk