The big news this year is that we have a new addition to our family. Baby Rhea was born to proud parents Simon and Shruti on June 15!!
Over the last half-year, we have enjoyed watching our lovely granddaughter develop her smile, her babbling and her motor skills. She has introduced us to new and unfamiliar experiences such as Messy Church and Sensory Class. Because our other granddaughters have been based in the States, it has been a unique privilege to experience Rhea’s development first hand.
Our other big news this year is that we left our home in Eccles after 40 years and moved to a 2-bedroom apartment in Beckenham. After six months of uncertainty at both ends of the chain, we finally moved in July. Our new apartment is spacious and bright. It has a large sliding doors leading out to a sizeable balcony. We haven’t had to downsize as such because there is plenty of cupboard space and the garage is exceptionally long. We now enjoy two well furbished bathrooms. The one disadvantage is that there is no lift up to the first floor.
We received the apartment in fairly good order but have made some upgrades and improvements. We are gradually updating our furniture and fitments. We have postponed to next year the refurbishment of the kitchen.
The flat is part of a small development with well-maintained grounds and, additionally, there is a back gate giving access to Beckenham Place Park which is the largest park in South East London. It can take an hour to walk around inside the periphery.
With our move from rural Kent, we have had to get used to traffic noise but the good news is that the traffic includes buses every 10 minutes to Beckenham and Elmers End in one direction and Lewisham, Blackheath, Greenwich, Charlton, and Woolwich in the other. We also have good access to Bromley which has a great range of shops and extensive parklands.
We are a 12-minute walk from Beckenham Junction which has trains to London Victoria and Orpington and also trams to Croydon and Wimbledon. It is a little further to New Beckenham and Beckenham Hill Stations from which we can variously travel to London Bridge, Blackfriars, Charing Cross, Hayes and Sevenoaks and also, at peak times, to Luton, Kentish Town and Welwyn Garden City. We believe that we can catch a bus at 3 o’clock in the morning from Oxford Circus to within a short distance of our new home, though we have yet to verify this in practice.
Our enjoyment of the transport system has been greatly enhanced by the receipt of our Freedom Passes which allow free travel across the buses, trams, underground and overground trains in greater London, plus some tube lines beyond. Terry has explored some of the outer limits of permitted travel including Epsom Downs, Hayes and Amersham and Chesham in Buckinghamshire. He has also taken the opportunity to investigate late night London jazz clubs. We have yet to explore the Elizabeth Line along the Thames to Reading. We have enjoyed the opportunity to visit central London without the need to stay all day to justify our travel.
We were sad to leave Eccles but by compensation we are now a short drive from Simon, Shruti and Rhea in Crystal Palace. Simon and Shruti are doing a good job juggling baby care and dog walking with the development of their business, but it has been a pleasure to support them by caring for Rhea one or two days a week. We have also enjoyed prolonged visits by first-time grandmother Manju and a visit from new grandfather Ajay. They quickly relinquished their novice grandparent status when Shruti’s brother presented them with a grandson.
Terry visited his brother Rod and wife Donna in Minneapolis in October. He had cancelled a previous booking due to the onset of the covid pandemic. Rod had a serious health scare earlier in the year so it was good to catch up, particularly since Rod had just received a final “all clear” confirmation. It was an opportunity to enjoy the diversity of the local countryside and to revisit the Mall of America, the Sculpture Park and the Minneapolis skyways. Since Terry’s last visit, Minneapolis has discovered craft brewing and Terry felt obliged to check out this new aspect of American culture. As part of this assessment exercise, Rod and Terry also verified the high standard of local jazz, bluegrass and country music not to mention some quality food including the famous Murray’s 'butter knife steak'. A particular highlight was a concert by Jonathan Richman who is still in as good a voice as ever.
Earlier in the year, Terry and Sue managed to juggle a visit to the West Country between house hunting and viewings. They enjoyed a gathering of Sue’s family in Ottery St Mary and a visit to the seaside at Budleigh Salterton. They also reacquainted with Dawlish after the lockdown and were pleased to discover that the refurbishment of the seafront was not as bad as feared.
William and family visited the UK just after we had moved home and before we could fully unpack, we stayed with them in an Airbnb in Crystal Palace. The girls were excited to meet their new cousin. Hazel had previously complained that she had only one cousin and that was a dog. During their visit Simon and Shruti took the opportunity to throw an Open House so that all branches of the family could meet up with each other and introduce themselves to Rhea.
Amongst other ventures, we joined Willam and family in their wish to see Hampton Court and Evie fulfilled her ambition to swim in the Stratford Olympic Aquatics centre. Evie has now started middle school but has still managed to keep up her swimming practice. She was pleased to learn that the US swimming team will be based in Cary in the months leading up to the next Olympics. Hazel is making very good progress at school after the transition from home learning under covid.
Terry has just joined the Jazz Appreciation group of Dulwich U3A. He has reduced his involvement with the website for the Medway U3A. During the year he has seen performances by Soweto Kinch, with Orphy Robinson and Pat Thomas at Café Otto, Mud McKinley at the Eel Pie Blues Club, Nduduzo Makhathini at Ronnie Scott’s and Charles Lloyd at the Barbican. Terry's Web App has now recorded a total of 27,000 hits following a surge of interest in India. He is still working on an upgraded version. Terry submitted final comments to the public enquiry on the proposal to increase Eccles village by an additional 120%. Hopefully, the Inspector will issue the appropriate decision soon. Terry’s annual diabetic results were less encouraging this year and he has had to increase his medication, exercise and dietary vigilance.
Sue had to reluctantly relinquish her gym and swimming pool membership in Maidstone just as her fitness was rebounding from previous setbacks. She has swum a few times at ‘The Spa’ in Beckenham and also experienced free swimming with her sister Penny in the lake at Beckenham Place Park but she has yet to settle into a new regime. She is on the waiting list for a number of Beckenham social groups.
Since their move to Beckenham, Terry and Sue have found some opportunities to resume their Lindy Hop dancing. They particularly enjoyed a Sunday afternoon at the Jamboree venue near King’s Cross but they have yet to make it back to the Rivoli Ballroom despite the fact that it is now just a short drive away. They have however enjoyed some fringe theatre in their locality and they are looking foward to more performance at the Bridge House Theatre in the new year.
Once again we wish you a Safe and Merry Christmas.
Terry and Sue
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