Hello

As a Christmas present I was bought a weekend course at Zantium Studios to try Kiln Formed Glass with Barbara Coulam. I had a wonderful time and met a lovely group of people, read about what we did and the processes involved.

In 2008 we went to Jersey and when we got back I wrote this short paragraph that still stands.

“Back from a great holiday, very relaxed and very poor. We are lucky we are relatively well off but I have to say that Jersey is not the cheapest place for a holiday. However, if you can afford it, it's great. Pick of the week Durrell Zoo or correctly Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. I should really say Pick of the Year; on a few occasions in a lifetime you feel you have come across something really good, this is one of those! Occasionally, I just want to shake the hand of someone and say thank-you for being who you are (were), Gerald Durrell is one of those people.”

The Herbert Strutt School is it appears to be transferred to a charity called “The Guardians of Strutts” who intend to hold it in trust for the people of Belper. This is I hope great news giving us a self financing Community Center to read more go to the site for the Centre or the Belper Strutts Society Site where the day to day activities of the volenteers, etc can be followed.

A long term campaign I have been watching and commenting on is BATS (Belper Against Tesco Superstore), becuse of the way Tesco and the Amber Valley Planning Department operate developments on the "Belper relief road" are slow and spasmodic but I will continue to follow and coment upon them as they develope. This is very important for Belper we must get it right!

Tracey writes stories, all sorts of stories, some are for children and some for adults, most are short but they are getting longer. In all cases they are well written and many of them are funny and/or thought provoking. Here is the first of hopefully many to be published here and by others, this is a simple childrens story inspired by one child and illustrated by another. "The Thing" is just simple magic children love it, particularly if you use their name.

We have both been interested in Speedway for a long time, Tracey is the real fan but I can claim to have seen it first as I was taken to what I believe was the Brummies as a child. My dad was a big fan and would have been as happy to see the Brummies return as he would have been sad to see the Cradley Heathens demise. We had both been going to Wolverhampton for a number of years on an intermitent bacis (It is nearly sixty miles away.) but Tracey now goes to Birmingham on a weekly basis complete with an assortment of children, most of whom come back convinced it's great.

John is a very good friend and just possibly a distant relation (very very distant!!!!). He has been to Africa on tour a number of times and has now written two Blogs; both are full of his wonderful pictures as he trailed for miles across country in his Disco(very) which was specialy modified for the trips. Read about the first trip here and the Second here.

Nondas Corfu Holidays are some very good friends who operate a small Greek family holiday company in the small village of San Stefanos on the north-west corner of Corfu. A great place for a quiet restful holiday with the family, sun, sand and good food.

Belper Art Group is where I go to throw paint at paper every Thursday night. A great way to pass a couple of hours relaxing and meeting people. I used to be incapable and now I am just incompetent, so I have made some progress.

Frank

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