Category Archives: Claremont News

Other family news

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Aberdeen

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.

Alex and Emily on the beach

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 in Scarborough

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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It Rained

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daleshol2012 049

A refreshing break from the bad weather

It rained – suddenly roads were turned into streams and my inadequate clothing leaked. I was soaked to the skin in seconds. We were travelling downhill into Askrigg when water gushed up through the drain tops. The gentle rolling countryside of the Dales was transformed in moments into a threatening place where rains lashed, water courses overflowed and lightening crashed around us. All we had were two frames of metal and wheels of steel against all those forces of the natural world.
As we sheltered in the village pub we dripped and waited for the storm to pass. The damp stayed with us for the rest of the day. The short ride to Hawes felt like a long trek into town.
But when a taxi finally delivered us to our cottage, warm dry clothes never felt so comforting. The stream outside the window had turned into a torrent to live up to it’s purpose as the source of the mighty River Wharfe – feeding the waters collected from the hills above Oughtershaw into the channel that finds it’s way to the sea through the beauty of Wharfedale to Ilkley and Otley and on to join the Ouse at Drax south of York.
That was just one day of our holiday. Some days we walked, others cycled, but the rain was constant.

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Warwick – North and South

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Warwick on York Station

Leaving a chilly York Station for Aberdeen

North to Aberdeen by train. A five hour journey to the Granite City to spend a weekend with Matthew and Laura. The idea of these trips was to allow Warwick independent time with his brothers. Until now, despite his 39 years, he has only ever spent time with them in the presence of his parents. So, with some careful planning, Warwick set off with a huge suitcase and several bags, assisted by two support workers to his hotel. Matthew is never short of ideas and they had a full weekend of places to go, things to see and food to eat. When he came home to York he had clearly enjoyed his time away – and so had Matthew. That was in May.
Warwick visits WesleyCome September and he’s on his travels again, this time to London and ultimately on to Chelmsford to see Wesley, Deborah, Alex and Emily. In London he took in the sights and a visit to the West End to see Mama Mia – you should know that he absolutely loves Abba. Wes and the family came across to London for an after show meal.
The trip to Chelmsford – as short as it was – was a bit of a drama. Engineering works challenged the train company – Greater Anglia – who took a week to find a taxi company that could take Warwick on the final leg of his journey. We were confident, with the plans in place, he would be met at Shenfield station by a taxi for the short trip to Wesley’s. After all this was the company that transported thousands of competitors travelling to the Paralympic Games less than a month earlier. What could go wrong?
No taxi. No one knew about a taxi. No one could find a taxi. So Warwick was put on a later train to another Essex town and then onto an accessible bus to Chelmsford.
Two hours late he arrived to a joyous welcome from Alex and Emily. Meanwhile an incandescent Wes started to take Greater Anglia to task. They ultimately provided Warwick and his support workers a wheelchair taxi door to door from Chelmsford to his hotel in London. Later they refunded the train fares and apologised ‘for any inconvenience caused.’
Warwick again returned home full of himself. Both Wesley and Matthew felt they’d had a valuable time with their brother who in the future could need more of their love and support.

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Restore Grows

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It’s still hard to believe that Restore is only two years old. We now have four houses and sixteen men will be housed this Christmas. Without us many of them would still be in hostels or sleeping rough.
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The growth has tested and strained our resources. Challenging situations are often presented and the demand on time can be difficult – especially for our support worker, Ed, who now works full time for the charity.
We have been engaged in a series of strategy workshop this autumn to help us plan the next steps in our expansion. We are clear that the charity needs to expand so that the service is provided by professional staff supported by committed volunteers.
I am grateful for an effective board of directors who share the vision to help end homelessness in York. You can keep up to date with the work of Restore by watching the website restoreyork.co.uk, following us on Twitter @RestoreYork or liking our Facebook page.

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Claremont News – 2011 A Big Year

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A Happy Christmas from York

York Minster

York Minster

A significant year when we celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary, Joan brought her teaching career to an end with early retirement  and set off almost immediately on the longest bike ride of her life. At the other end of the age range Alexander entered the education system, starting school in Chelmsford.
We enjoyed a family holiday in the Lake District with the Stephenson family and said goodbye to Aunty Jean, the last of the older generation.
It’s been a year of moves for the next generation too. Wesley and Deborah moved to Chelmsford; Matthew and Laura emigrated to Aberdeen.
The stable member of the family, Warwick, went to Blackpool for his holiday. Barrie has been busy with a new housing charity, new groups at St Michael’s, being on the board of Riding Lights Theatre Company and co-ordinator of Neighbourhood Watch in the street.