Christmas 2009
Wishing You a Happy Christmas and a Successful New Year

We decided to put our news from 2009 on our website this year as it enables more pictures to illustrate the usual waffle.
The most important event of the year was the birth at the beginning of March of our first grandson, Seth, to Stephen and partner, Clare. He is now 9 months old and is a very happy and active child. He started crawling in November and loves exploring. As yet, he lacks a little finesse and has a habit bumping into things. He has of course been provided with a Newcastle Falcons rugby and a Sunderland football shirt as well as balls from both sports.

 

Seth on the the Day of His Birth

   Clare and Seth a Week Later


March also saw Patsy and John visit Boston for a holiday that had been built around two concerts involving Irish artists, the Chieftains and Celtic Woman. As there was a week between, we included a 3 day excursion to Niagara Falls. The best way of exploring both places is on foot and as the weather was beautiful throughout albeit a little cold, we did a lot of walking. This also ensured that the many delicious meals (including the mandatory visit to Cheers Bar) in both places didn’t result in increased waistlines.

John at Horseshoe Falls


Patsy Waiting for her Albanian Meal in Boston

'Make Way for Ducklings' in Boston

The walking did result in John having a few problems with his back but as the taking of aspirin followed by a lie down seemed to alleviate the pain, we were not concerned. However, as the pain was still there when we got home, he went to the doctor who thought that it was probably muscular (John had been laying a laminate floor prior to going away so a muscle problem was quite logical). The pain persisted and further visits to the doctor were made, the final one resulting in John being taken to hospital and having an emergency operation on his back to remove a Myeloma tumour that had totally destroyed one of his vertebrae. He has subsequently been given chemotherapy, the latest phase of which involved a massive dose which has made him into a Telly Savalas look alike (showing my age but I couldn’t bring myself to use Dom Littlewood). Although Myeloma is not currently curable, it is very manageable, hence, with a bit of luck, he will not need any further treatment for several years.


Although the operation and the chemotherapy had a significant impact on John’s mobility, by the end of July, he was fit enough to join Patsy for a long weekend in Ireland. As with the Boston trip, the visit was based around a concert as John had managed to get 2 (free) tickets for a live recording of Celtic Woman at the beautiful Powerscourt House and Gardens near Dublin. This will be used for their next DVD and is currently being shown on the public service broadcasting stations throughout the USA. It was a unique and very enjoyable experience, the only downside was being eaten alive by midges and being the ‘last domino of four’ to be knocked down after an over zealous American fell during the ‘spontaneous’ standing ovation.

The Concert


Powerscourt House and the Steps Leading to the Lake



Stephen with Seth at Yankee Stadium, Seth Showing that he has Already Adopted the Traditional Atkinson Politeness



Having experienced the joy of becoming a father, Stephen then had his own health problems. At the end of August, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer and had to undergo an operation. Fortunately, it appears to have been diagnosed early and a subsequent scan indicated that the cancer had not spread. Hopefully, he will have no further problems. His recovery was quite rapid and he, Clare and Seth were able to continue with their planned trip to New York at the end of October. Also, with a bit of luck and a following wind, they will be moving into their own house early next year.

Seth Getting Ready to Brave the New York Weather


Jan still has her own mystery health problem but she has learned to live with it. She and partner, Dave, managed a holiday to Sydney back in March while John and Patsy were in Boston. As both Jan and John took their lap tops (sad people that they are), we even held a video phone call to check how things were going. She also managed to see her nephew for the first time through a similar link up with Clare and Stephen. She still lives in the city but is beginning to realise that sharing a small two bedroomed flat with 9 guitars, a double bass and several computers is somewhat claustrophobic.


Jan and Dave Relaxing in our Garden

Ready for the Blaydon Race

After all the trials and tribulations of John, Jan and Stephen, it is good to report that Patsy is still very fit and continues to exercise every day. She again participated in two 10k runs including the famous Blaydon Race, immortalised in the song of the same name. She has started a part time job (1 day per week for 9 months) with an organisation that provides work for people with learning disabilities.


Finally, the newsletter wouldn't be complete without a rugby item. John and Jan continued their shirt sponsorship of Dutch winger, Tim Visser. The deal included attending a sponsors' dinner and receiving a framed signed shirt. We were unable to attend the dinner so our presentation was done in corporate on a match day just after Christmas by one of the players not involved. As luck would have it, the player turned out to be World Cup hero Jonny Wilkinson.


Patsy and Jan Receiving the Shirt