John & Noelene's Fourth Estate 2010

John and Noelene Gillatt, 23 Fourth Avenue, Heaton, Bolton, Lancs BL1 4LU, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1204 843429, E-mail: us @ gillatt.org, Internet: http://www.gillatt.org

If you click on the little red camera () you should be taken to some piccies of the event!

Since 2007 we've not been sending Christmas cards, we've been e-mailing as many of the Fourth Estates as possible and donating the money we've saved to those who need it most. As in the last three years, the money we save will be donated to those whose lot is just as bad this year as last — the destitute refugees and asylum seekers in Bolton who are being cared for by BRASS (Befriending Refugees and Asylum Seekers), Victoria Hall, Knowsley Street, Bolton BL1 2AS. Why not help too?

Good-bye Ma!

Very suddenly and unexpectedly in March Merle died, just a couple of months before Jack came along. It was as if nature was renewing itself with one life finished as another began. Those of you who met her in Bolton last year will know what a lovely woman she was, a wonderful mother and my favourite mother-in-law. We all miss her greatly.

2009

Me And My Mum

Hello Jack!

The reality is even better than the promise! This time last year Jack William Morris was just a twinkling in all our eyes. On May 30th, after 36 hours trying to escape from his mum, he burst into our lives and has been at the heart of them ever since. “Grandparenthood” is highly recommended and you can always hand him back to mum when he starts squealing!

Battered and Bruised - Day 1

That's Better

Me and Mummy

Going Hiking?

Good-bye BEC, Hello Jules!

Just before the 2009 Fourth Estate went to press Noelene was made redundant by the Bolton Equalities Centre and spent some time “reflecting on her future”.

But you can’t keep a good woman down and now she has two jobs — part-time for the Bolton Hindu Forum and full-time as the Senior Caseworker for Bolton West’s new Labour MP, Julie Hilling.

Looking Worried At The Count

The New Boss - Won by 92!

Still At It!

Talking of elections (and you knew this was coming, didn’t you!) it was the rest of the UK that really let Bolton down in May. Here we elected three Labour MPs, strengthened our position on the Council and I got almost 2,000 votes in the safest Tory ward in the Borough. Mind you, I didn’t win, of course!

So now we have several years of this damn ConDem coalition and the greatest attacks on those who are most reliant on the state since Maggie’s era.

At present I’m making as much use as I can of my bus pass, free swimming etc. and keeping my fingers crossed that I'll still be able to retire in 3 years, 6 months, 20 days and.....hours!

Keep The Flag Flying

Nearly Beat You!

In The Pink! This has definitely been the “year of the hospice”. In June Noelene did the Midnight Memories Walk, in August we did the Morecambe Bay crossing (a trifle “damp” at times) and later the same month I tackled the 25 mile Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge. Altogether we raised almost £1,000 during the year. So thanks very much to all who helped and we promise we won't tap you up next year (honest!).

Midnight Memories	Morecambe Bay	Yorkshire Three Peaks

Places to Go, People to See
Go North, Go North As the years go by we celebrate more and more our lives past and good times still to come. So it was wonderful to begin 2010 with a long weekend in the Scottish Borders to mark our friend Gary’s transition to the bus pass generation. The weather was good, the company fantastic and even Noelene’s trial of deep fried Mars bar didn’t go too badly!
	What IS That You're Eating?!	The Man Himself

No - South, South! As you’ll have read, we were in South Africa in March, in less than happy circumstances. But we were able to catch up with the family there and spend a little time putting sad thoughts behind us and having several “get away from it all” nights, including jazz in Sofiatown (home of Hugh Masekela). On the way back we met up in Dubai for a one night stand (surely not at our ages!) and spent a night in London to see the rather superb Tangerine Dream (yes, Edgar Froese IS still alive!).

You Can Take The Woman Out Of Africa	But With A Dude Like This?!	One Night In Dubai

End Of The Road? Unfortunately no long walkies this year but, after about two years, we did finish walking the Llyn Coastal Path from Caernarfon to Porthmadog and, of course, we celebrated in fine style (it’s Champagne in the mugs, naturally!).

Just The Walk Back To Caernarfon Now, Then!

With The Lotus Eaters In the summer we joined the Lotus Eaters Gary and Charo in España for the spectacular Festival of the Moors and Christians in Almoradi. It was a wonderful holiday, but southern Spain in July for someone used to English summers.......... However, when it’s so warm, the advice is always to relax and take plenty of fluids and we certainly did a fair bit of the latter!

Who's The Big Guy?	Just A Light Lunch

Restoring Body Fluids	Thumbs Up All The Way
And Next Year? Perhaps a return to the Cambridge Folk Festival after several years away and a nice long walk in Scotland, maybe — possibly the West Highland Way/Great Glen Way or Southern Upland Way, who knows? But we do know that we’ll be in Bonny Scotland with Goughie, Julie and the Titters at Crinan on the NW coast for New Year - haggis hunting with the locals, no doubt and possibly imbibing just a little of the local speciality!

Zounds, Those Sounds! This was a good year for music, but quality rather than quantity. We saw the exceptional Fado singer Mariza in Manchester, Tangerine Dream at the Royal Albert Hall, Noelene and sister Helen went to the Mark Knopfler concert in Manchester and I saw another blast from the past (ain’t that what we all are these days?) the superb Doobie Brothers. And 2011 promises good sounds too. We’ve already booked for Roger Waters performing The Wall in Manchester and Eric Clapton + Steve Winwood, again at Albert’s Royal Hall, as B.B. King once called it!

Mariza	Tangerine Dream

Mark Knopfler	A Doobie Or Two Having Fun!

Finished?

Of course not, but at least, after 18 months prevarication the front drive has been completed. So now we only have one car there’s room for two! Mmm, that makes sense!

But What Goes On Top Of The Gateposts?

A Few More Random Piccies From 2010

Well It Is A SAAB!		England Vs. Bangladesh At Old Trafford

Who?	That's My Boy	Always Sleepy - Dawn And Jack

In The Fairy Glen, Parbold!		More Tangerine Dream

Hunting Wild Garlic!	Walking In The Rain!	With Some Cheffy Dude!	That Tastes Good!

Finally

You've hopefully seen the links to our photos by clicking on the little red camera () but if you want to see all of the thousands that we've accumulated this year and last just take a look at http://picasaweb.google.com/giblets09. Hopefully, if we've seen you this year you'll be able spot yourself in one or two of them!

A very special thanks for all the good things that have happened to us in 2010 and especially to our friends and families for their love throughout the year.