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Menagerie
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In July, a little grey and white kitten ( one of this years crop in our garage! ) entered the house and soon was named Claudia or more aptly CLAW-dia ( and she practices her biting and scratching on us at every opportunity ). So we are back to 6 cats and 2 dogs. All seem in reasonable health. |
Family
This has been a terrible year for Douglas’s mother - Mavis.
In March, someone barged into her house and grabbed cash and was only driven away by her dog. By the time he returned with an accomplice, my mother had bolted the door and telephoned for help.
In April, she became very breathless and agreed to see a doctor...he immediately called an ambulance. She has Congestive Heart Failure which responded to treatment in hospital and she came out of hospital after 3 weeks with a daily cocktail of drugs to take.
Her strength gradually returned during the early summer until on 2nd August, Douglas found her lying at the bottom of the stairs at her home – apparently after tripping on the carpet near the top. We called an ambulance and she was admitted to Trafford General hospital
with a broken wrist and major bruising ( It only took 8.5 houirs to find a bed ).
She was then kept in hospital for 13 weeks - at various times they thought she was diabetic ( Wrong!) then that she had suffered a stroke ( Wrong!) then she became dangerously dehydrated ( at which point Douglas snapped
and persuaded the ward staff to put his mother on a drip ) and thenshe did suffer a Deep Vein Thrombosis. Until the dehydration, the doctors would not talk to us at all, after that episode they condescended to talk to us occasionally. At the very end of her stay she caught the "Winter Vomiting" virus.
Finally she was released at the start of November in a very frail state. One month on she is nearly back to herself but still has to take things carefully and slowly. Currently Douglas takes her to the anti-coagulant clinic every week for blood tests and she is on the drugs Warfarin and Digoxin. She will be going back for a full check just after Christmas.
Holidays and trips
| Douglas went to the Astrofest 2002 show in Kensington, London on the day Princess Margaret died... | Once again, a trip to Venice in February...and Douglas left the chocolates at the duty free shop there (but did get them back at the end of the flight ) | We went to the Autographica 2002 show in Northampton and it was great fun – Paul Darrow, Erin Gray, Denise Crosby, Richard Kiel and Debra Jo Fondren were the highlights for us | Douglas drove both of us and both our mothers down to Heathrow then we took a taxi to the Chelsea Flower Show in May |
| In June, we took both mothers to the Goyt Valley and to some of the small plant nurseries near Macclesfield |  |
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Later in June, we went to the rose nursery of David Austin ( home of the "English" roses ) at Albrighton near Wolverhampton. This was organised by the Royal National Rose Society and was a fascinating behind-the-scenes look. We even met Davis Austin himself. To see all those thousands of roses and know that at most 6 each year will be marketed was astonishing |
| We did take Douglas's mother to Hardwick Hall and she wandered all over the house and gardens taking the great staircase in her stride ! Other day trips included Chatsworth ( Their Farm Shop does marvellous bacon and sausages !!), Arley Hall, Tatton, Lyme Park and Dunham Massey |  |
In July, Claudia arrived on the day of our trip to the RHS Tatton Park show so only Douglas & his mother went and it poured down with rain!! | We cancelled our trip to Cologne for the Photokina exhibition and the Chris de Burgh concert in September because of worries over Douglas's mother. |
| We saw David Beckham at Marks & Spencer Handforth Dean one Sunday morning – a very pleasant man who took care to talk to each young or not-so-young fan individually and even was signing other peoples till receipts!!! | Once again we went to Eyam at the Late Summer Bank Holiday to see the Well Dressings and this year they did an interesting display on the Queen’s Golden Jubilee based around the national symbols. |  |
And on Bonfire Night, Douglas was second in the queue for this year's Terry Pratchett book signing at the Manchester Arndale |
Health & Jobs
No changes at Trafford Bibliographical services for Christine yet ( Although another major reorganization is currently underway ) nor at Ramesys for Douglas
Douglas was sent to Guernsey by Ramesys in early June to develop some bespoke software for Wayfarers Travel.
We have both had good health all year for once!
Concerts etc.
| We did get to the Halle Carol Concert and thoroughly enjoyed it but we had to miss the 007 evening. | The Stockport Garrick’s performance of Carpe Jugulum was excellent ! It is a small theatre but it was very well acted and staged. |  |
In November 2002, we went to the Chris de Burgh concert at the MEN Arena in Manchester. You get quite a good view from the second row… |
Unfortunately in 2002 the Halle sent out plenty of letters asking for increased donations but did not send out the bookings for the Christmas season so no Carol concert this year for us.
Congratulations
To Joan and Martin in Jersey on their Diamond Wedding anniversary
To Joan on her 80th Birthday
We hope to celebrate Mavis’s 80th Birthday on the 17th December 2002.
We hope you have had a better 2002 than we had and with good wishes for a much happier 2003
Douglas and Christine