Christmas 2023

Greetings to all our friends near and far. We do enjoy reading all your news. Here is our family update for 2023.

Gilly

I am now in my fifth year as churchwarden of Escomb Saxon Church, and for over 4 of these we have been vicar-less. At last we have the good news that a new vicar has been appointed for our group of churches and comes to us in March. What a relief as all the responsibilities have been stressful.

I carry on with all my usual activities; a reading group, singing in 2 choirs, continuing as secretary of our Civic Society and the weekly art class. I went on a residential course on creating collages and this is my new enthusiasm. Here is a photo of a woodland scene I did in our art summer school.

October saw my first trip abroad since 2019. Abigail and I went to Split, Croatia; a fantastic place built around Diocletian’s palace. We did some island hopping and swimming as well as sightseeing. Earlier in the year I had a short break in York with Abigail and 3 grandsons, a few days on the North Yorkshire Moors and a week in Derbyshire. Next year promises a trip to Spain now I have found my wings again.

Abigail

The Guessis family are settling into Apperley Bridge, just North of Bradford where Abigail is manager of the Waterstones bookshop and appears to be making a success of it. Her shop had a major refit in the summer, ready for the Year of Culture in 2025. Aissa was working as a chef in a hotel in Harrogate, rather unhappily, and after some agency placements he has now gone into business with a partner running a farm shop and café / restaurant near Otley.

Joseph (16) is in his GCSE year and seems to have developed a flair for English. He is writing his first novel!  He continues with Judo and has joined the RAF cadets. Zara (30) is still a midwife in Doha, Qatar and is on the official team serving the royal family. She has taken to solo travel, visiting New York, Thailand and Zanzibar.

Katy

The Banner family has been globe-trotting with skiing in Canada and a holiday in South Africa as well as several stays in the family’s holiday home on Arran. Katy continues to run her own counselling business and achieved her second MA this summer. It is a year since Jo lost his father and he and his brother are now in charge of the family firm.

Samuel (17) is taking his A Levels this academic year and hopes to study Geography / Economics at university. He passed his driving test in April which has given him more freedom. He still sings in the school choir, performing this year in Ripon and Durham cathedrals and is a sergeant in the cadet force, recently winning a regional rock climbing competition.

Luke (15) has a great enthusiasm for cars. He was intrigued to learn that the son of Gilly’s great uncle, John Hindmarsh, won the Le Mans 24 hour motor race in 1935. He is very good at IT and all things’ techy’, won the IT prize for his year and is a great help to his gran in sorting out all her technical equipment.

Matthew

Matt continues to run his own business, but in addition he and Karen both now work for the same property company, with Karen taking an in-house role as Legal Director. They work on properties such as Cribbs Causeway, Trafford Centre and our more local Eldon Square.

The family continues to travel as much as they can, this year visiting Namibia, Morocco, Italy, Dubai, Greece and Turkey. They will also head to Mexico on Boxing Day.

Lily (13) loves to sew and had inherited my love of history and art too. Lily has a fantastically entrepreneurial spirit, and this year has made and sold lots of bow ties for dogs, and also headbands at school fairs too. She loves to spend these earnings just as quickly as she makes them on clothes, art and make up. Lily is doing very well at West Kirby Grammar School and and at the end of term last year won 3 academic prizes.

Isobel & Eve (12) also passed the eleven-plus and joined Lily at West Kirby Grammar School in September. They have settled in well and are already competing for their school in running and football competitions. Running continues to be their first love though and they ended the 2023 track season as the fastest runners in the Country for their age at 800m (Izzy) and 1200m (Eve), also both managing to run 5km in under 18 minutes! They also took up a new sport which is part of Modern Pentathlon and competed for Great Britain in the Laser Run, winning a European Gold medal (Eve) and a European Bronze medal (Izzy).

We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

10 Holywell Grove

Bishop Auckland

Co Durham

DL14 0SJ