2021 - Another Dodgey Year In Pictures

The Dodges in 2021

Now then, where were we ? Ah yes.....

In December 2020, we finished as follows:

Yes, we’re on the move ! Back in October we decided, in a spirit of “it’s now or never” to move away from the house that has been our home together for almost 38 years, and indeed to leave Keynsham altogether. The ultimate plan was to buy our own narrowboat, and to keep it somewhere in south Staffordshire, this being pretty much the epicentre of the English canal network. This being the case, we decided to migrate to Worcestershire – it’s a lovely part of the country, and one which we already know pretty well. This would give us easy access to the boat, whilst still leaving us handy to the M5 for trips to family and friends in the Bristol / Bath area, as well as to Devon and Cornwall.

At the start of 2021 we were focussed on securing a new-build plot in Stourport-On-Severn but we were somewhat frustrated by Taylor-Wimpey’s slow progress in terms of ‘releasing’ the plot, which was what needed to happen before we could pay a deposit and actually get our names inked in for it.

All of this meant that it was virtually certain that we would need to go into rented accommodation for at least six months, as the projected completion date for Plot 15 was August / September 2021. Given (a) the highly volatile situation re Covid and (b) the fact that our social life consisted of socially distanced walks with existing family and friends, we decided that we would be renting somewhere in or close to Keynsham.

At that point, fingers well and truly crossed !

This was the Soapstones development, and Plot 15 in particular, early in December 2020. You can find the accompanying video here.

So, 2021 began with another lockdown, this time in the depths of winter. Needless to say there was no Tenerife trip for us this January, the first time for 20 years. Having said that, preparations for the sale of Cedar Drive certainly kept us busy. Denise worked her final shift on New Year's Eve, so officially became a retired woman on New Year's Day.

We got the call that we'd been waiting for - to say that Plot 15 was being released - on January 9th. Everything was done over the phone. We then waited eagerly for news that construction was under way.....

A New Year's Day dog-walk for Denise, along with Judith, Becky Steph and Alice, with

(L-R) Remmie, Rufus, Aslan, Pepper, Fiddy, Zebedee, Muttley and Dolly. Photo by Alice Jay.

Flooding adjacent to the River Avon back in January. Muttley was utterly unimpressed !

...and this was our first view of our new home, taken at the end of February.

Taylor-Wimpey's Sales Exec Laura Hemming shows us what will become our back garden...

...before taking this photo of us outside the patio doors.

A walk with Steve & Sarah Rendall in late February, with the first signs of Spring in the air.

Siesta in the conservatory, with two dogs on this occasion

Two weeks later, we were back at Soapstones again, this time with the drone.

Front view, showing the masonry almost complete to the top of the bedrooms

Rear view. Our garage is the one to the left of the house, as seen from the rear.

Looking northesast - Plot 15 is bottom centre of this shot, with Steatite Way - the road that's already completed - running across the top and left.

Meanwhile, back in Keynsham.....

Two last shots of the model railway, prior to dismantling.

Meanwhile, on 25th March, we got the keys to No 13 Oak Tree Walk, literally just a stone's throw from Cedar Drive.

This was to be our temporary residence, on a six month rental, until our new home was ready. In the end both the location and timings fell into place beautifully.

Late March, light evenings at last, and a lovely shot taken by Denise, as we walked near the River Avon.

A couple of days later, a trip to Deer's Leap, on the southern edge of the Mendips, along with Pablo. Brent Knoll is visible on the right-hand-side near horizon.

This included an unexpected sunset.

Our purchasers had been pressing for completion in late February, however we decided on April 9th, as this would give us the opportunity to have various friends round for lunch one last time over the Easter weekend.

Nigel & Sally Drewett and Steve & Sarah Rendall joined us on Good Friday.....

Carla, Ollie and family joined us on the Saturday....

A cuddle for Pablo

...and on a very cold Easter Monday, we hosted Judith Wood (on the left), Maxine Hayes (Fliss's sister), back to camera, and Tom & Fliss Harper.

Pausing for reflection, with the packing almost complete

A few days later, it was time to begin unpacking at Oak Tree.

If our plans come to fruition, we will be buying a narrowboat sometime in the near future. On 17th April (Chris's 68th Birthday) we viewed the boat which might just be the one.

This is Denise aboard 'Maye', currently a hire boat with Black Prince, based at Stoke Prior

It's uncertain at present exactly when the boat will become available, as their boat building program is currently being affected by the inevitable supply chain issues. In the meantime, we are 'pencilled in' and will get first dibs when the time comes.

On a busy and memorable day, we then headed to Soapstones

Drone's eye view of the front......

.....and the rear.

Whilst Sales Exec Hyacinth was looking the other way, Chris ducked under the scaffolding to step inside for the first time !

The dining end of the kitchen / diner.

Before any stud walls went up, this is the Study, Hallway and part of the Lounge.

Looking in the opposite direction, the Lounge is visible here, front bay window on the left.

The 17th April was also the day of Prince Phillip's funeral. During the afternoon there was a 2 minute silence from 3.00 pm. On the Severn Valley Railway, the start and finish of this was respectfully marked by long blasts on the whistle from loco 2857, which paused in Bewdley station. Here it is seen departing immediately afterwards....

...as seen from the garden of The Great Western Arms.

Just three days later however, Denise's year went to ratshit !

Here she is, having taken a nasty tumble in the back garden at Oak Tree Walk. Unable to get up, she was stuck for three hours before an ambulance arrived. In this case the 'first responder' was Carla, former employer and near neighbour, with Muttley also keeping her company.

She had an absolutely miserable time of it, stuck on increasingly cold concrete as the evening wore on. Here, we've made her as comfy as possible.

A selfie, taken whilst awaiting treatment in hospital, where she was diagnosed as having a double fracture of the pelvis. An extremely uncomfortable and frustrating month ensued.

Her expression says more than words ever could !

However with all the positive cards, flowers, gifts, visits and messages received during her convalesance she couldn't help but smile.

In mid-May, Chris and John Virgin spent an unseasonably cold day at the Severn Valley Railway Spring Diesel Gala. This is 'Western Champion', a loco which would assume added significance for them both later in the year.

A Brush Type 4 (latterly Class 47) diesel, resplendant in mid-1960s two-tone green livery.

This is a Clayton Type 1 loco built c 1960. Never seen on the Western Region during B.R. service, in preservation this one now lives on the S.V.R.

Four different types of loco, all built by English Electric in the 1950s and 1960s

We should have spent a week on a boat with Diana in mid-May, but had to defer that until later in the year. Instead, Diana came to stay.

Upward dog, anyone ?

By late May, Denise had regained limited mobility, albeit with crutches. Having declared herself "well enough to shop", she is seen here trying a DFS sofa for size.

Our rental in Oak Tree Walk gave us the opportunity to keep tabs on developments at our former home in Cedar Drive, including in this case an interesting approach to Health & Safety.
Yes, he is standing on the glazing bars of the conservatory roof !

Mid May, scaffolding down, the house suddenly had a much more complete look about it.

The staircase had been fitted......

....as had the patio doors, the keys for which would subsequently go a.w.o.l. !

First view of upstairs, completely 'open plan' at this stage !

A couple of weeks later, Denise was sufficiently mobile to travel once again. On this occasion we were accompanied by Diana, who was staying with us at the time.

By now the stud walls were in place........

This is one corner of what is now The Growlery, where you can see the red and blue plastic pipes which supply the shower in the en-suite. A good reason to be very careful with the drill when fixing anything to that part of the wall !

Diana surveys the doorway to what will become one of the Guest Rooms....

....and assesses the view from the kitchen window.

June 6th saw Chris travel to Old Warden along with Mel Cunliffe for the June Airshow.

Here two Dragon Rapides look delightful as they fly in formation.

We had a 'blink and you miss it' fly-past from the Red Arrows

An Extra 300, mid-display

On this day, the weather was kind, which meant that 'The Edwardians', as the oldest aircraft in the collection are collectively known, come out to play. This is a replica Bristol Boxkite, built in the 1960s for the filming of 'Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines'.

The Avro Triplane, so-called due to it's three wings.

A stirring sight for any aviation enthusiast.

Safely back on the ground !

Steam Loco 46100 Royal Scot heads an excursion during June.....

....seen here heading towards Bath, with Saltford in the background......

...and making a magnificent sight !

Despite being officially retired, Denise enjoyed an evening at the Vets4Pets summer barbecue.

Stourport's War Memorial Park is only about 10 minutes walk from Soapstones. These lovely looking daisies were photographed by Chris prior to a site meeting with the man from Sharp's Wardrobes.

The dining area, with plastering completed and drying out

Work still being finished off in the lounge

Even the garden was taking shape. Sadly, we didn't get to play with the little digger !

Once again we didn't get to France in 2021, instead we managed a staycation on the Caledonian Canal.

This is the Le Boat base at Laggan.

The Dodges never travel light !

You get serious infrastructure on the Caledonian - the swing bridges are manned and powered affairs, and usually carry 'A' roads. This is the bridge at Aberchalder, at the northern end of Loch Oich.

Refresher training for Muttley !

It was great to get Loch Ness under our belts.....

...even if there was a bit of swell later in the morning !

"Okay Muttley, right paw down a bit !"

It's about as far removed from an English canal as you could possibly get.

Urquhart Castle

'Liquid Rehab' eventually moored between the castle and Loch Ness Harbour, where we spent a night.

We were joined for 24 hours by Jude and Nick, who live just a few miles away.

Calm waters once again at dusk

At the northern end of Loch Ness is Bona Lighthouse, reputed to be the smallest in Britain

An 05:30 start heading south on Loch Ness on the Tuesday morning,

to get to Fort Augustus locks by 09:00

Fort Augustus locks

The view looking north, onto Loch Ness....

....and south towards Fort William

The Ben Nevis cable car

A study in concentration

Despite disappointing weather overall, we got the best weather when we most needed it.

The small gondolas were ideal for social distancing !

The tattered remains of a windsock suggest that it can get a bit blowy in these parts !

At Banavie, Neptune's Staircase provided Denise with interesting photographic possibilities

The staircase in evening sunlight

We treated ourselves to a trip aboard 'The Jacobite'

The magnificent Glenfinnan Viaduct

At Mallaig - the end of the line - a ferry is seen leaving for one of the Western Isles.

Next morning, back at Neptune's Staircase, the road and railway swing bridges both need to be swung for canal traffic.....

...in this case two yachts heading for the sea.

'Black 5' loco number 45212 approaches with the morning 'Jacobite'.

Later in the day we headed back across Loch Lochy.....

...before finishing a memorable trip back at Laggan.

After a couple of days at home, the 'Grand Tour' continued....

Firstly to Clevedon, for a couple of nights with Tom & Fliss Harper.

With a siesta inbetween of course......

This was the time when mid-July gave us the best weather of the year

Clevedon Pier in the evening sun

Keen photographer Tom was in his element.....

...though Fliss was unimpressed with his explanation of the trade-off between exposure and aperture !

This was the first of several memorable evenings

To Teignmouth the next day. This is the view from the outdoor tables of The Crab Shack.

The 'Back Beach' is in the foreground, with the River Teign estuary, Shaldon Bridge, and Dartmoor forming the horizon.

A simply fabulous evening...

....as the evening sun gave way to dusk.

Breakfast at The Cliffden Hotel the next morning

Onwards and westwards to Cornwall next, to stay with vet nurse Sarah Kaines and Simon Bond

With temperatures above 30c during the day, the evening was the time to hit the beach..

We were joined there by Alice Jay, former colleague of Denise and Sarah, and of course the breeder of Muttley.

Weather ? Simply perfect !

Alice, Sarah and Denise pose for the camera.....

...before enjoying the sunset. Alice's Schnauzer Ruby seemed unimpressed.....

...though Muttley thoroughly enjoyed it.

Chris and Simon put the world to rights.....

Fistral Beach at dusk

Sunday 1st August, less than four weeks until completion, and the house was certainly looking 'almost ready'

Denise's 'Study'

The Kitchen

Looking from the Lounge towards the Diner

The Scaring Cupboard

And finally the rear, our garage being the one on the left.

Dog-walking with Alice, Ellis Haddrell, Judith and Lynn (the photographer).

Aslan is now much bigger than in the photo taken in January......

....but still sees himself as a lapdog !

Friday 27th August - Completion Day !

Photos marked * are by Diana

Laura hands over the front door key to Chris.....

....before Denise gets to put the 'Completed' sticker against Plot 15. *

A moment of contemplation, or something, before..... *

Into our completed new home for the very first time !

...in at last ! *

Diana and Harris ready to follow, helping us to move in.

Keys laid out, a welcome hamper, and a box of paperwork, which we really ought to get round to dealing with sometime ! *

All the keys laid out, except for the Patio Door keys, which had gone AWOL....

....so we were therefore unable to open them throughout the first weekend, meaning an awful lot of things had to go in or out of the kitchen window.

Lots of 'Happy New House' cards soon filled up the windowsill.....

...including this one from Tom & Fliss Harper, Fliss being a bit of a whizz with Photoshop *

Time for tea, and a brief moment of contemplation

The unpacking begins !

Muttley looked a bit unsettled at first......

....but soon settled in.

Contented retired couple !

A Chinese takeaway was a no-brainer for the first evening.

Diana assumes a peacekeeping role during Ikea construction

A few days later we took time out to visit the Malven Hills for a lovely late-summer evening.

This is the view to the south-east, with Bredon Hill in the distance, and the Cotswolds forming the horizon.

Looking south down the ridge line. The specks in the sky are hang-gliders.

The view to the south-west...

...and the sun setting somewhere over mid-Wales.

Remember 'Western Champion', shown above during the Spring Diesel Gala ?

Well, both Chris and John Virgin booked the S.V.R.'s 'Train Driving Experience', originally for the Summer of 2020. Obviously that never happened, but the opportunity arose, albeit at short notice, to do the experience on September 10th 2021, when both of them got to drive 'Champion', each driving for half the length of the railway, about 8 miles. This was with 4 coaches, weighing about 120 tons, and containing the guests of the eight people who did the experience.

Chris's guests included Allan Sale, who lives opposite to our old home in Cedar Drive, neighbours for almost 39 years.

Also avid rail enthusiast and photographer Tom Harper

and former next-door neighbours and latterly Cruising Buddies Sally and Nigel Drewett

Denise and Nigel

Bridgnorth Signal Box, at the far end of the line. 'Western Champion' can be seen running round it's train, prior to the return journey. Chris worked signal boxes like this throughout the 1980s.

J.V. in the back cab for the second of two runs back to Kidderminster

We were under strict instructions not to touch anything !

Back 'on the cushions'.

Turn of duty complete !

In September we took the boating trip that we deferred from May due to Denise's injury.

We took 'Agnes' from Stone (Staffs) to Shardlow and back

Lovely countryside, and great weather too !

Moored at Burton-On-Trent, close to Marston's brewery

Early evening, having just turned the boat at Shardlow

Contentment !

Diana joined us for a couple of days during the second half of the week.

Sunshine, sunflowers and Pimms - a fine combination

'Pet Lamb' - holding her birthday present - meets 'Jolly Lamb'.

A thoroughly enjoyable late-summer trip

Autumn sunshine and a rainbow in the park.

With wardrobes finally fitted, carpets laid, and beds delivered, by the beginning of October we were able to start hosting friends for either weekend or midweek visits.

First up were Tom & Fliss Harper, plus James & Caroline Bryant. Here Tom contemplates the photography of one of the seven locks that connects Stourport's numerous canal basins.

Caroline and James with Widget, who sadly had to be put to sleep in early December

Next to the canal basins, Stourport has a permanent funfair.

The wide lock connecting the lower basins to the river Severn. The footpath leads to 'The Angel', now one of our regular haunts.

On the Friday afternoon, we set our guests to work, Fliss relishing the challenge of bedside drawers,

after already constructing an Ikea desk unit....

...then on Sunday, James, Fliss, Tom and Caroline made a cardboard pig. As you do.

Why ? We now have a 'DY' postcode, as in Dudley, this making us borderline Black Country residents.

Traditionally, Black Country families kept a pig in the back yard / garden.....

A tradition that we have been delighted to embrace....

One man and his pig !

...and look what you can get at Stourport's 'Hollybush' !

Nigel & Sally Drewett and Steve & Sarah Rendall visited for a weekend in late October. Here we pause for a drink beside a somewhat swollen River Severn at Bewdley

Later we called in at Bewdley Staion. Here the drive of GWR Pannier Tank No 1501 hands the token for the single-line section from Highley to the signalman.

Sunday morning, and Sarah gets busy with the roast......

...before a lunchtime riverside walk......

...which included Stourport's Grumpy Tree.

A trip abroad at last, as we return to Tenerife for the first time in almost two years

Even in November, the temperature reaches the mid-twenties on most days.

One of the more unusual visitors to Los Christianos heads out to sea

Here, Bencomo Express (left) passes Benchechigua Express, a couple of miles out from Los Christianos. Bencomo is heading for El Hiero, Benchi is inbound from La Gomera.

It seems completely bonkers, but you can get this view of the peak of Mount Teide simply by walking up two flights of stairs to the sixth floor of the apartment block where we stay.

At Los Cristianos Harbour, one of the boats that would shortly be taking part in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge is loaded aboard the ferry, bound for La Gomera, which is the starting point for most transatlantic rowing challenges.

Lunchtime, and there's always plenty to see at Playa La Pinta, including here Freebird 1, as she returns from a morning cruise.

Chris was up at 05:30 one morning to photograph a partial eclipse of the moon. None of the moon was totally eclipsed, but all of it appears a dull orange colour.

Steve and Rachel Wells joined us for the first week

Pushing the boundaries of photography somewhat here, we see 'Volcan de Taburente' (right) and a Tui cruise ship. They look close, but they're actually several miles apart.