Merry Christmas!

Well, we’re a bit knackered We weren’t expecting that

Merry Christmas!

Hi everyone. As always this time of year I post the Ladley’s circular, the ‘Cat’s Letter’. Have a lovely Christmas and a very relaxing New Year,

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It’s getting rather full up here.

I know it’s hardly the apocalypse – although looking at some of the decisions you’ve made we are making the appropriate preparations – but the Ladleys have lost two dear friends this year: Mary and Malcolm. And Jen and James, bless them, a niece.

Mary took up a good chunk of mum and dad’s time. Firstly looking after her for three months as her Parkinson’s and then a brain tumour took her away. It was, in its way, a loving time as Mary got to see out her final days at home with wrap-around support provided by some excellent carers. And then, for mum and dad, a couple of sessions of sorting out an old lady’s estate, exposing a lifetime of memories … and, sadly, multiple trips to the dump. Malcolm, mum’s brother-in-law, also joined us after a period of dementia and a peaceful demise. The good news is that Mary has already brightened the place up with fabulous flower arrangements. And Malcolm has organised a car boot sale so we can get the funds together to build a dyke to protect us from rising sea levels. It’s all go.

I told you last time that dad had got a job, like a proper job in business? Well that didn’t last long; he’s much more flaky than you think he is. He kept it going until May. At which point he realised that retirement, a bit of leadership coaching, and pretending he’s a world-famous novelist, was much more fun. Which, by complete happenstance, fitted in with Mary’s final months. Finish one job – start a different sort. You won’t be interested but, although slightly later than routine, he’s almost finished book 9 in the Sam Green series. That’s almost 1.2 million words … that no-one in particular is reading.

Mum held it together. She had a ladies’ operation at the beginning of the year which prevented the usual ski-trip to Chatel (in any case, dad was pretending he was working for a living, so couldn’t have gone). But they did manage a trip to Lanzarote with dear friends Annie and Al, to watch their daughter race a professional IronMan competition. The summer was all Mary and – and this will surprise you all – mum showed remarkable compassion and humour, using all her care home experience to ensure Mary was as comfortable as could be. Mum even managed to extend that good humour when dealing with everyone whilst clearing the estate. The subsequent trip to France and Spain in Doris was much more her thing, where running and cycling and drinking red wine came to the fore – business as usual!

Bex (and Steven and Henry) are thriving in Saudi. She’s now an academic deputy and has glasses and shoes to match. They both live to work in term time, and then live to play when the much needed breaks come. They brought, as Henry calls it, ‘a holiday home’ in the summer – a house in Penkridge, which gives them a firm place to call home during the hols. That hasn’t stopped them from travelling, tho. A week with mum and dad in Sharm El-Sheikh (with swim up rooms, don’t you know), and another week in Dubai with Steve’s mum and uncle (with direct views onto the Burj Khalifa, don’t you also know), ticked their travelust bug.

Henry now deserves his own entry. Now four years old – and a demon cyclist, scooter rider and proficient at not drowning – he’s at school! Where have those years gone? Dad/grandpa won’t have a word said against the lad who is always smiling, and happy to share most things which aren’t chocolate. Bex and Steven are looking at darts as a career option and have installed a board in their new garage; his nickname might be ‘the Littler Littler’, I guess.

Jen and James hang on in there. It’s been a particularly tough year. Jen’s health woes continue and she now has an abdominal peg fitted. Unfortunately it doesn’t work yet and so she continues to feed herself through a nose tube. On the plus side she’s now on weed (prescription, of course) to help with the pain. It’s not cheap and dad’s doing all he can to set up a production line in one of the stables. Unfortunately James lost his niece, Summer – Henry’s age – in the autumn, which has been horrible for all of the family. As you have come to expect, they get on with it all with stoicism. Jen continues to be the best smiler and hugger in the business; and James, who deserves his own accolades, finds humour in almost everything … a tonic.

And what’s next? Mum and dad are pretty keen to spend everyone’s inheritance. You only live once, as they say. After another very enjoyable autumn in Doris they intend to match the same thing later in 2025, possibly with a trip to Morocco (dreadlocks and nose piercings included), Between now and then they’re definitely off to Chatel skiing for three weeks, with B, S and H joining them for the February half term. Before then they hope to slip away for a couple of weeks for a short slice of sunshine somewhere hot. Then possibly Scotland in Doris over Easter, followed by Sri Lanka before the summer holidays kick off? In the meantime dad expects to publish book 9 in the summer and has asked me to print at least one recent review, so that you all don’t think he’s completely wasting his time.

Us? Well we are aghast at some of the choices you are making. Four more years of His Orangeness is going to test everyone’s sanity, and if the Labour government don’t find a gear who knows where you’ll all end up. Climate change continues to test us … think of it as Her dusting off the ark solution. And remember, only two of you please, and then watch out for the bitey tigers.

In the meantime, have a fabulous Christmas and peaceful New Year. And if you’re ever in Gloucestershire mum and dad would love to see you. If not, just stay on the M5 and promise to pop in next time. It’s what I would do.