Saturday 15 November 2014

Yorkshire catch up time.

Amazingly....this is in Hebden Bridge, not Caunes. Sun shining, window boxes still blooming away.
It is well over a month since I posted a blog. It is weeks since I returned to Yorkshire. Since we arrived back, life seems to have been very hectic. So this is a bit of a catch up on what we’ve been up to.

I spent some half term time with Jess in Liverpool, seeing her classroom for the first time, since she started teaching in September.

Jess in her classroom
We have ensured we have seen plenty of the grandchildren, including having 4 of them to sleep over for Halloween. The question is, will we cope with all 5 of them next year...or maybe there will be even more by then.



I have returned to working my shifts at the Hospice shop, and am loving seeing all the people I enjoy working with, as well as the excitement of never knowing what treasures have been donated every time I walk through the doors. The customers are pretty wonderful too.

We enjoyed putting an Armistice day window together at the Hospice shop.

I got another “all clear” from the hospital.

There have been a couple of Christmas shopping trips,a meal out with women from the shop, coffee with a few friends to catch up, parkruns with the children and grandchildren, dentist visits, hairdresser visits and even a first session with the personal trainer I worked with before I was ill. I've also managed to spend a bit of time doing some family history research and have made a couple of breakthroughs that are very likely to become the subjects of future blogs.

My cubby hole office ( how dare the estate agent call this a 4th bedroom ! ) where I wallow in my family history research.

So, all in all, I’m not surprised there has been no time for blogging. I had various blogs from Caunes planned, and one or two of them may emerge over time....but at the moment, it’s just a matter of enjoying the new routines of being back in Hebden Bridge.

It is a little strange. We felt more emotional leaving Caunes than we expected. We are missing friends from the Minervois ( looking forward to seeing them at Christmas, when they are planning a quick trip to Hebden Bridge), but we are really enjoying Yorkshire again.


The fact that the weather has been lovely ( until now) has helped. The Calder Valley is stunning this time of year.

Hebden Bridge last week.....looking so beautiful.

21 comments:

  1. First of all, Janice, good news on the health front. :) I'm sure it is a relief to hear.
    Good to see you settling back in Hebden Bridge, and all your activities there. The kids look so "spookily cute".

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    1. Thanks Penny. Yes, I was pleased about the latest "all clear". I keep hoping they will only require me to be checked every 6 months, but they're still wanting 3 or 4 month gaps between hospital visits. I'm happy they're keeping such a close eye on things....but 6 month intervals would be lovely !
      Being back in Hebden is good !

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  2. I reiterate the above comment about your health -- very happy to hear that! I don't know how you manage to do so much! I find that family research eats away the time even more than blogging! Glad to hear that you are enjoying being back in England. We, too, have had a very mild and beautiful autumn and, for me, as much as I love our time in France, I am always glad to be here, too.
    We

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    1. There is no doubt that the family history research is the thing that eats most time for me. I sit down to just work on a little something for half an hour, and suddenly the whole day has gone. Its fascinating though, and those breakthrough moments are amazing.

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  3. Gosh, is it a month since you left Caunes, Janice? Reading about all your activities since you got back to the UK,makes me think the time must have gone very quickly for you. I'm glad you're enjoying slotting back into your winter life in Hebden Bridge and truly delighted to hear about the all clear you slipped in so matter-of-factly. :-)

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    1. Yes, time has flown since we've been back...but it must have passed pretty quickly for you too, with the move, and then within what must have seemed like no time at all, heading north again.
      It is, of course, good to feel fit and well, and be told that things are fine.

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  4. Great to catch up with the events of the past month. Good to see that you are thoroughly enjoying life, whether it be in Hebden bridge or Caunes.

    Hope your return to the UK was more welcoming than ours. No oil, central heating boiler broken, no hot water, electric shower fuse exploded and to cap it all a stinking cold!!

    Really pleased about the 'all clear'. xx

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    1. So sorry you had a miserable "getting back" experience...but by the sound of you blog post, Tim proved his worth ....yet again. Welcome back....now you will really feel retired, as you dont leave for work from your UK home !

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  5. Of course you are all clear - but good to have it confirmed again. Hebden Bridge looks lovely - and glad the weather has been so kind. The children look amazing in their costumes and you must have all had a whale of a time at Halloween...the more the merrier, I always say!!
    I think it must be wonderful to be a child in Jess's classroom too - it certainly looks fun.
    Lovely too that you have friends coming to visit from Caunes - that will bring the two places together perfectly. Just wish I was popping over too - but not this year...Axxx

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    1. I loved visiting Jess's classroom Annie. I cant beleive how adult she suddenly seems. I've watched a couple of videos of her teaching ( filmed for a professional development programme she is on )....biased I maybe....but she is wonderful. Those 4 and 5 year olds just lap up every word she says ( which I might add, emerge from her mouth in a scouse accent ! ...whatever happened to my Yorkshire born daughter ? )
      Maybe we do need to talk more about a bloggers' get together in northern Spain next year ! xxxx

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  6. I know what you mean about leaving Caunes...from a holiday bolthole it has turned into a place where you have friends and become another facet of home.

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    1. We were both really taken aback by how sad we felt to be leaving Caunes this time....and it is obviously about the people we will miss this time, as well as the house, the garden, the village itself etc......it has certainly felt like home this time.

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  7. You have been busy! The photos of Hebden Bridge are lovely....on Aussie TV at the moment, we have a series called Happy Valley. HB is mentioned in episodes and in the last show we watched we saw a bus with HB on the destination screen.
    The photo of Jess in her classroom brought back wonderful memories of the Early Years classes I worked with...all those displays etc.
    such great news for you that it's all still clear health wise.

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    1. Several bits of Happy Valley were filmed in Hebden Bridge....for a couple of days last year, several streets were closed to traffic, and one of our favourite cafes was used for several scenes. In one episode ( the last one I think...the Hospice shop window appears for a split second ! ) Also....the harrowing scenes in the last episode, in the canal boat, took place on the section of canal between the Stubbings Warf pub, and our house....literally, just about 100 metres from the back of our house !
      As for Jess....it does seem that she is going to be a very good early years teacher. Her enthusiasm and the amount of work she is putting into it all is phenomenal.

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  8. Great news re the All Clear, Janice! And well done being back with the personal trainer. Aren't they good? Mine has stuck with me on and off through the difficult times, and worth her weight in gold. How busy you have been, clearly you are in the peak of good health. Halloween with grandchildren must be Awesome - I am jealous :))
    Hebden Bridge is beautiful: what two gorgeous places you have to call home.
    Great to see you back blogging. xxxx

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    1. The personal trainer was the person who I worked with before I was ill....she was the reason I was so "fit" when I was ill, which meant I was strong enough to fight so hard ! I trust her completely !

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  9. You have managed to choose two beautiful places to live. It must be difficult to leave both, but then a joy to arrive.

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  10. It's wonderful to read such a happy post - with gorgeous photos! Can't wait for the family history posts.

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  11. Thanks nilly. I am delighted to feel so good about being back in Yorkshire. It would seem such a waste to be wishing we were somewhere else all the time !

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  12. Great news, another 'all clear.' And what gorgeous visiting Halloween ghastlies you had! As a Yorkshire woman in exile I love your photo of Hebden Bridge, it is fit to grace a calendar!

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