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This is the Christmas
Letter for 2011 from John Saville for British
friends
(each click will open a new window so you
may wish to close each one after reading it)
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December
15, 2011
(updated December 24, 2011) |
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I’ve
decided to repeat what I did last year and put down information
about my life and family on a page on my website. As well
as saving paper, using web technology allows me to put in links in case you are
interested in learning more about a particular area I mention. You’ll see links
and thumbnail pictures that will open up other pages.
From
www.jrsaville.co.uk/diary_2011.htm you can see details to everything in my
year!! |
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Much
of my activity in the year concerned the health of my mother (age 88).
Whilst she is still very active she has continued to have problems with
her eyes. You may remember she had cataract operations on both eyes a
few years ago. The right eye had settled reasonably well but often they
find the lens needs “cleaning” after a while. Her left eye suffered from
Fuchs Dystrophy in which cells in the cornea fail to do their job of
removing fluid, The ultrasonics used during the cataract operation
destroyed some cells taking the count below a critical level. In
February we went to Moorfields Eye Hospital in London (one of the
leading teaching hospitals in the world) for her to have the laser
treatment on her right eye and discuss the possibility of a corneal
graft on the left eye. She successfully had the former and we agreed the
corneal graft should go ahead.
They
offered to do the pre-op medical there and then. Just as well!. After a
battery of tests they found irregularities in her heart beat/rhythm, and
said they couldn’t operate on her left eye and pointed out that she
should see her own doctor the next day as she was liable to have a
stroke at any time. This led to working with her local hospital
cardiology department to get her heart under control. That took several
months but eventually was declared to be successful allowing her to have
the corneal graft operation in October. This led to repeat follow up
visits and, although the corneal graft has taken, as yet she still has
very blurred vision in her left eye. I’ll update this note as things
develop.
[update] We went
to Moorfields hospital on December 19. She had a retinal scan that
showed some defects so will see a different specialist in the New Year.
As I explained to her in terms of a camera : they've dealt with the
problems of the lens {cataracts and cornea} now they've found problems
with the "film". |
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In spite of this she still
entertains family for lunch three times a week (including me). She
continues to help run a "Tea Dance" ballroom dancing which she and Dad
started 27 years ago and helps look after "Old Folks" every week (most
are younger than her). In February, I took her
to see a show of "Strictly Come Dancing" at the
O2 Arena. She came to stay
with me for Mother’s Day weekend (which is in April in the UK) to come
to an afternoon’s entertainment by MBC (see below). On the way home we
went to a concert by my favourite group Steeleye Span (who do folk/rock)
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We also went to a spin off
dancing show "Midnight Tango" based around the Argentinean Tango with
the world champions of that genre. |
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So on
to my sons.. The major news is that Martyn & Fiona are expecting their
first child next June. That’s very exciting and has triggered them
looking for a new home. Martyn has changed his role within the company
involved with school photography and has been hiring and managing other
salespeople. That has meant he’s spent a lot of the past few months
travelling round the UK. Fiona still works sorting diamonds! They
continued running and both took part in a Half Marathon in March. Then
in July, Fiona took part in a 10k charity run where she destroyed any
opposition by winning by a clear 4 minutes.
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Jeremy still hasn't found
work which is almost impossible in the current economic climate but acts
as a "house husband" as Sharleen had a part time job in a local pub. I
took the elder two girls, Jasmin
and
Sky,
to see the latest Winnie the Pooh film (“Grampy John likes Winnie the
Pooh and maybe he’d like to take us”). I took them all including the
other two children,
Bailey
and
Summer,
to a Santa Special Steam Railway trip where the man in red came along
with presents |
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I have seen Jez’s other
son, Jacob, every month or so to maintain contact. In early summer he
was staying very near here for 8 weeks with his sister and mother. That
was great as I could see them and take them out every week |
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Extending family contact out to my cousins:
Michael & Ian took part in the London Triathlon again this year and Mike
ran in the London Marathon. |
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My cousin Emily has spent
the year as a backing singer to the Aussie Pink Floyd band touring
Europe and the US. I went to a concert in London where they were
recording a DVD and a live album. |
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I’ve continued to help
with Music Builds Communities (MBC): teaching guitar and playing at Fun
Singing sessions (for those who think they can’t sing or want to sing
but outside the structure of a formal choir.). We’ve also started a
couple of new activities mid week: I’ve been getting together with a
couple of friends and our electric guitars; it’s the first time for
years I’ve used my Fender copy and Bass; recently I started a Fun
Singing group for adults with a mix of Christmas songs led on guitar
with others sang to backing tracks. |
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With help from friends all
over the world I’ve continued with my website documenting the little
cottages (etc) made by
Lilliput Lane. That’s part of this personal
website. |
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I also develop and
maintain websites for the
local church,
Music Builds Communities
and the
Church Community Hall. |
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Speaking of the local
Church, this year I actually preached again at the Harvest Festival in
one of our churches (which has no heating or lighting!). I play guitar
in the music group. During the Summer I helped at a “music week” for
children where they rehearsed and then performed songs from "Jonah Man
Jazz" |
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I’ve
continued to play Real (Court) Tennis with doubles every Tuesday evening
and some other games. I also played more golf this year with my friend
and ex-Ford colleague, Bill Fairclough.
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“Work” wise I did my talk
on “IT @ F1 Speed” to a local professional group. I attended Formula
Student (as a visitor) at Silverstone the week after the British Grand
Prix. I might get back involved as a judge next year. I’ve followed
Formulae One which has been an even more successful year for my friends
at the Red Bull Tilbrook factory where I worked as IT Director in 2001/2
(when it was Jaguar Racing owned by Ford). Ford of Britain celebrated
100 years with a big day at Dunton, I lent some materials from my
“archive” and took my grandson, Jacob, and his family. |
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I’ve attended a number of
talks and visits organised by my professional engineering group. One of
the most interesting was a tour of the Churchill archives at Cambridge
University (with all Winston Churchill’s private papers) followed by a
dinner in the Fellows dining room. |
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On the lighter side I’ve
had a very active social life this year with a few shows including "We
Will Rock You" (based on music by Queen); plays: Noel Cowards "Blithe
Spirit"; "Hamlet" in the Fellows garden of Corpus Christi, Cambridge
and "The Syndicate" with Sir Ian McKellen (Gandalf in Lord of the
Rings); opera Madam Butterfly |
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Concerts have included:
Paul Simon; Josh Groban; Steeleye Span; Boyzone (at Newmarket Nights
which combines and evening of horse racing and a concert) and The Royal
Philharmonic Orchestra |
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Because of Mum’s operation I didn’t get away for a holiday this year –
but I did spend a delightful weekend in Normandy in France as part of an
exchange between villages there and near Cambridge.
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I
wish you a very Happy Christmas and every blessing in 2012
& hope to see some of you soon
John |
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