My 12 monthly reflections of 2024 - February

I'm enjoying looking back in detail on my 2024. What has surprised me so far and worried me a bit is the amount of walking we did last winter and how little we are doing now. When we had Leia I was out in the valley every day.... I do miss Leia.

Seems there was a DIY push on at my youngest sons house over in Chinley. Not surprising as he was aiming to move in over Easter and we'd took on an extensive ( back to brick ) refurb over the previous 12 months. 

February started with a reunion of RB MacMillan staff. That was the first job I had. I turned 16 in August 1978 and on September 4th I started my work life  - in fact I then worked uninterrupted ( always in work) for 10,090 days !  I've never regretted retiring at 55 best decision and best bit of life planning ever !!

Anyhow it was nice but surreal to meet people I'd not seen for 30 plus years, but as in work they were all friendly. In fact it was doubly surreal as in that week I meet all three of my bosses from the three jobs I had in my career. Ian Liddle, Kelvin Wellard and Ian Willgoose. All good men and I got on well with all three. Here is a picture of me with Ian Liddle and my workmate Eddie Russell. Eddie and I got into some scrapes and had some fun working together, great memories. 

As written above we were active in the valley  - this bench is on the way up and down from Sheepfold car park. Its a nice walk to the lakes and on to the Black Lion pub that sits on the railway/canal/river. This was Sunday 4th February

I make no apologies for the amount of bike pictures  - they are my sanity in an ever more confusing world This was on the Monday the 5th February on Butterton Moor. 

We were to moor looking back at the mill On Percy in October of this year. Passing the mill twice on our way to Buxworth basin.  

It must have been a decent run to get shopping  - out into the Staffordshire moorlands then up through the Macclesfield forest to Bollington, then back to Leek for shopping 

The other bike the Honda NC 750 was getting some attention, wheels off and new tyres on early February.

I'd obviously been watching the weather  - you tend to where we live. So I was getting the back up genny run up as we were expecting snow and possible power cuts.

We got the snow on the 8th February, so it was light the fire and read and eat !!

The best type of snow comes and goes and on the 9th we were out walking again  - would be a sun set as we are not early risers. ! 

On the 10th February we were in Buxton house sitting our sons flat and their cat Dotty. We like Buxton lots of history. 

I was taking my mum out for coffee and cake on the 12th - this time Little Eaton garden centre, she looks so well in this picture.

I have a tolerant wife  - I was running a blood bike shift on the 14th February, our 39th wedding anniversary.

It was a PM shift and I was looking forward to a slow ride back to base in Stoke from Birmingham 

Middle of the month bike cleaning  - need to keep the salt off them if you can, for a well used 365 days a year bike it scrubs up well 

Our walking on the 18th. This is Kingsley church yard or part of it. It forms a 2 mile short 'circular village walk we do. When we moved to our cottage in 2017 there were just three occupants of this section of the grave yard. A good way to remind you and me this is the end game and it comes sooner than you think.

19th of the month I was over at my eldest sons house. Seems whoever installed his kitchen didn't connect the sink overflow. Only discovered when our daughter in law inadvertently tested the overflow with an over running tap that delivered a wet cupboard below. I'd brought stuff fron Screwfix to resolve. Thats why I like to DIY when ever I can 

20th I was over having food at the CMC cafe in Clay Cross and bike dreaming ! I think this is a Woodsman Royal Enfield Bullet 500 

Mid week back at youngest sons on the central heating install  - time was against us but we were cracking on and good to be able to see the finishing line 

We try and keep our brains active and and not watch TV every night.  Not sure who won this one 

Spring was around the corner and the moss? was doing its bit to brighten my day despite the frosts.

25th and back at Callum's in Chinley to fit the gubbins under his sink set in a lovely granite island, and yes overflows fitted and tested.  Proper job 

27th up around the Roaches on my Himmy. No doubt a Sainsburys in Leek shopping trip, any excuse to clear my head by riding my bikes. 

28th out on my other bike  - looks like the Buxton to Congleton road - a beauty for bikes 

Looks like I was using the bike to visit my mum on the 29th  - stopping off in Matlock Bath... the mecca for bikers but not in February it seems unless you are a hardy biker !

This is the back of Matlock overlooking Darley Dale - a future place to live for us ?

I was not shirking  - building the vaulted ceiling in the workshop  - same day !

With my mum and one of my sisters Pam at the Windmill with our mum x 

There was a visit to our eldest son Tom for his birthday on the 28th but surprisingly no photos - sorry about that Tom.

So February was dominated by bikes and DIY with walks and visits  - bodes well for 10 weeks time if we get similar weather ?

My 12 monthly reflections of 2024 - January

In January 2024 I was looking forward to another year of memory making. Sadly over the course of the year the memories were to be made of friends and family struggling with health and loosing a good friend to cancer. Trips were planned and cancelled as people got ill, some got cancer diagnosed. Some are clear some are dead and some are still in treatment. 

2024 wasn't the year I envisaged. However its easy to look back and only remember the bad bits. I like to take photos and they are my visual reminders of what I've done where I've been. In the long distant past when I was much more active on my blogs I'd do a 12 month review... these posts were long and slow to make and slow to read but a good reminder for me on my year .... so this time in the run up to Christmas I'm going to review each month per day so remind myself how lucky I am to have loving family and good friends. 

January started off on New Years day with a family get together at our cottage. Our family was in the growing stage at this point with both daughter in laws expecting. As always it was a nice if a little manic day cooking for eight. 

On the 3rd I took my mum out from her care home to a favourite cafe - the windmill cafe near West Hallam Ilkeston way. Sadly over the year she's declined with dementia and we can no longer take her out, for such an active 89 year old her not asking to go is such a shame but an inevitability of the condition. 

Motorbikes have been an ever present in my life since I was 16. So I've had a bike or two on the road for the last 46 years !! Most of those years I've had a couple of bikes and one has been the all year bike. So it is with my Royal Enfield Himalayan, a real workhorse and it's surprised me how much I've enjoyed riding it for a 24 horsepower 411cc air cooled single. Amazing to think I part exchanged or swapped as it was a direct swap with the dealer my much travelled Honda ST1300 which was a V4 1260cc 117 BHP superbike! I was out in the Staffordshire Peak district on the 4th January, visiting Dovedale and Ilam in the cold and wet  - a great time to hone your riding as smoothness on wet greasy roads is a pre requisite. 

It was a bit of a warm up to a days green lane'ing organised by a local bike dealer. In late 2023 I'd dropped a deposit down on the successor to the Himalayan  - the Himalayan 452 a water cooled version with more power and more tech. I subsequently didn't buy it as on a test ride preferred the simple charm of my existing bike. Anyhow I enjoyed if thats the right word the bimble around the top of Winster and Matlock on some muddy green lanes.

Ever present in 2024 was the conversion of our old two room and outside loo workshop/laundry room back in 2023. I'd split it into 4 rooms using timber from my sons house conversion. Making a smaller laundry room and a workshop at the back with a materials storage area above the new laundry room. Over the year I'd opened up the outside loo by cutting a doorway inside and bricking up the old doorway... photos will appear through the year showing the staggered progress. In January I was framing out the walls to add insulation made from recycled plastic bottles.

 

At one point it looked like a murder room with all the black plastic !!

We were getting our exercise by walking in and out of the valley, something we don't do as much due to illness ... need to get back on that horse ! This was the 12th January 

More workshop conversion therapy ! This was an inside wall and I'm running in the ring mains and lighting circuits, middle of the month 16th January 

Next day out walking agin this time up onto Clamgoose lane  - great name. It's a nice 4 mile walk all lanes and a couple of fields, some lovely views on the lane which is a bit of a ridge. You can see over to the Roaches and Hen Cloud. 

Visiting and taking my mum out again on the 17th Jan. She looks so different to now, a stark reminder we get old far too quickly and that day you promised yourself might still arrive but maybe your body or mind won't be in a condition to do what you thought you would! 

I was engaging my mind as well as my legs by getting involved in something called Home Assistant, a cerebral workout to build and run a little server that monitors lots of 'entities' and devices to record sand show data on how the systems in the house are running . It may be a 250 plus year old cottage but its systems are quite modern. This was the start... it's much more now !

 

Then on the 18th I'm back in the murder room laying an insulated floating floor  - limited on the depth due to French doors we had installed last year.

We were fitter in January than we are now for sure. We were back in the valley in the ice on the 19th January.

Walking agin this time on the lane to our cottage on the 25th. In between I'd been tidying the west side solar array wiring   - we have panels on the workshop roof I put on in 2023. Also tidying the yard and making stews to keep us nourished. 

Back to the windmill cafe with my mum on the 27th January ...

All through January I'd been scanning old photos from a box we have in the loft... lots and lots of long ago memories there .... yes that was the bathroom in our second home !! 

I ended the month fetching my lads from the airport after their skiing holiday (take after their old dad) and put some new tyres on my Honda for the coming tours that some happened and others got cancelled. 

Ivy Cottage shivering  in January cold 

My mate Tezza who died last week

I post this as I know it'll pop up in future years to remind me. Not looking for comments just a memory  - they are very important to me. 

I lost a good friend. Tezza to us Terry to family. I've know Tezza for many years riding many miles with him in the UK and Europe. He was a great part of the group of friends who ride/rode to meet ups  - the Sunday Breakfast club was his and I rode a few when we lived down south. Even after coming back north I rode down just to ride with him and other friends around the South Downs  then go for a fry up somewhere, then we'd all depart for out different lives. I visited many Uk battle field sites and museums with him and others and we also ventured onto mainland Europe for the same, bikes battlefields and beer. 

Our last ride together was November last year when Tezza organised a few days around Cambridge, signals museums and Duxford. All great memories with a great friend who will be deeply missed. 

Rest in Peace Tezza I'm sure the dogs were waiting for you.