Liz's Year 2005

Dear Family and Friends

January: Lots of socialising with old and new friends then I got flu, which affected my lungs, scarred by a bout of pneumonia in 2002. The effects lingered on into the summer. I soldiered on to propose the Immortal Memory toast at the Burns supper at Wiston Lodge, a YMCA near my place in Scotland, arriving late with my son in law Jim who had gallantly agreed to accompany me - we thought it started at 7.30pm but everyone was already seated by the time we arrived, and Meg the organiser was cross and worried in case I had forgotten. John Sanders of Simpson and Brown, architects in Edinburgh came up to Crookedstane re. the conversion of the stone stell (ancient round sheep shelter) into a meditation space. Ian Ramsey (retired social worker husband of my Danish basket making teacher Lise Bech) had a 5-day retreat at Crookedstane. My next door neighbours noticed that the brickwork on the façade of 52 Paultons Square was bulging out. Mike Demarco came to have a look and said it wasn't about to fall off, but worth doing something to fix it back when danger of frost is past. Meeting with Anna Clark re my Henry James project at Chelsea Old Church. Bob the Builder came to have a look at the façade. My theory is that the bulge is due to the recent underpinning of no 50, which no longer moves, as all the other houses in our terrace do, with the seasons because they have no foundations. I enjoy going for Reflexology with Rosanna Bickerton. Paultons Square Residents' Association meeting in the upper room of the Cadogan Arms. An Italian who lives at Claridge's but has a house on the corner of the square suggested we institute armed patrols and guard dogs following the murder of a banker nearby in Cheyne Row. It was suggested to him in return that the best security is for residents actually to live in their houses, not in expensive hotels. Overnight stay at the Crown and Cushion in Chipping Norton for Jenny's exhibition of photographs to mark the Nelson Mandela anniversary. Holiday to SA cancelled because of Abi's ear infection and my lungs.

February: To Ardrossan to see Airtricity's windfarm turbines with Colin Hynes, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The turbines were both silent and beautiful. I am converted and have started negotiations with them to put 3 or 4 on my land as part of a bigger (170 3.5mw turbines) scheme. Met my bank manager Andrew McWilliam for lunch at the Moffat House hotel to explain what was happening in case it needs funding. Back in London, tea with Sheila Donaldson-Walters, the artist friend who was on guide duty at Chelsea Old Church when two French visitors left their £20 and thereby inadvertently got the Henry James project started. Committee meeting of the London branch of the, Fellowship of St Alban and St Sergius of which I am now membership secretary. Went to 'Turner, Whistler, Monet' at Tate Britain. Saw The Producers. To Cape Town with Abi,Elly and Jim - expecting their first baby in August. Guest house standards had slipped since it changed hands. During our stay, the English owners revealed that they are selling after only a couple of years to SAfricans. Swimming pool too cold to swim in. V. hot and windy during the days. Lovely to see friends and family locally.

March: To Crookedstane for 3 weeks. Saw various neighbours and talked about the trust to be set up for community purposes with Airtricity money (£500,000 pa) for the windfarm.. Frogs spawned Mar 17/18. Crisis because I couldn't get into the barn - the French door handle was stuck and the connecting door to the garage was bolted. Rescue effected by George Hunter, who cut a panel out of the plasterboard, crawled through the roof space in the garage and down through the trap door to unbolt it from the inside. Mum and Jenny came up and we went to hear Leah G-C (Henry;s youngest) play in Glasgow with her Big Band.

April: Gave notice to Michael and Renee, my reclusive Australian tenants. Elly and Jim have sold their house in Battersea and will be here with me for a year or so. Mosses and liverworts survey by Ben Averis at Crookedstane (see my website). Back to London to give talk on Sister Joanna at Holy Trinity, Sloane Street. Dinner beforehand with Irina Kukota and Jenny. To Scottish Countryside Alliance conference at the Royal Society, Edinburgh. Stayed with Rebecca and family for Forestry Conference at Heriot Watt university. Attended a Planning inquiry into an inappropriate and unwanted tower block on Chelsea Reach at Kensington Town Hall. Finally got to see Alan Bennett's History Boys. Friends came up to Crookedstane for the May Bank Holiday, water supply failed. (It was to be finally rectified in November).

May: General Election. I voted early and often - first in Scotland and then in London later the same day. The Royal Mail notified me I had had my maximum postal forwarding time, so got a key made for Jim Campbell the gamekeeper to check the mailbox in between visits. Various builders gave me quotes to repair the brickwork on the façade. Negotiations re. the windfarm Heads of Agreement took a downward turn. Started trying to walk an average of 10,000 steps a day - more or less 5 miles. Walked to meet a Russian friend on a very hot day at the Paddington Hilton with Simon Keyes of St Ethelburga's to discuss an exhibition in 2006. AGM of Lambeth Library with Archbishop of Canterbury.

June: Mysterious but wholly welcome Irish building firm started work on the façade repair and re-painting. Archbish.Rowan again, this time at Ennismore Gardens for Fellowship meeting - he is now Patron. On duty in our square for London Squares Open day. FSASS committee meeting. To Rye for the weekend and visited Bobby Meyer publisher, (Sage Press) of my little book on Sitka Spruce. AGM of Friends of the Anglican Centre in Rome. Homestead came to measure up for The Shed. Icon seminar day at the British Museum. Chelsea Festival and Physic Garden fair - a highlight of the year, more comedy at the Arts Club, first committee meeting of Henry James in Chelsea project with the vicar Peter Elvy at the church hall. Soc of Authors drinks party at the Foreign Press Association club. Reunion lunch for prep school friends (Portsdown Lodge) at Wildacres hosted by Jenny.

July: Went firm on 'shed' (a very pretty timber 'home office' building) purchase. Invited with Oliver Rackham, specialist historian of ancient woodlands at Wildacres by Jenny for 2 days. Bomb attack on London - I walked to an appointment with the dentist, exactly as I did on 9/11, which he and I agreed was pretty spooky. To Cumbria for a 60th birthday party, and friends at Greystoke on my way home. Square Party. Churches Together/Faith in Europe meeting in Southwark, heard Craig Murray, former British Ambassador there speak about his experiences in Uzbekistan. Chelsea Society residents meeting at the Town Hall , I got up and mentioned the curse of the 'Chelsea tractors'(4x4 utility vehicles) to loud approval. Lung function tests at hospital. To Crookedstane. Tour of the Western Highlands with Tony, my neighbour in P. Square - great fun. Ullapool, Lochinver, Shieldaig; Glengarry; Ardfern; lastly, the Howards again at Johnby by Greystoke.

August: Turandot at Covent Garden with Jenny, wonderfully conducted by Gergiev and. Holland Park opera with Elly. English song recital at Cadogan Hall. Billy Elliot. Bobby Boardman's 80th birthday at Wildacres. FSASS annual meeting at Aylesford Friars.

First grandchild Harry born Aug 25.

Three proms with various friends including prom with Jenny. On one occasion, our box shouted out a message to the prommers saying their appeals were too boring (for funds for a musicians charity), which brought the BBC round to find out who we were.

September: Abi started working at Betty Jackson. Phoebe GC b. Sept 16 to David and Sue (Henry's eldest son). To Daisy Miller at Richmond with Rosanna Bickerton. Jim cleared the end of the garden ready for the shed. I got a digibox for the TV in the drawing room. Guiding at Chelsea Old Church. Mouseman came to treat basement infestation. Went to see Simon Keyes at St Ethelburga's about the FAM event next year. Visited Clarence House.

October: Memorial tree planting for Anthea at Wightwick. The Shed works started with concrete plinth, completed only 10 days later. Went to see Oliver Twist film (Roman Polanski) at the Institut Francais cinema - so incredibly overheated that we left before the end. Lisa Wright's 'Spilling the Beans' in Eynsford raised £600 (clear after all expenses). Flu jab. Lise Bech to stay for the second week of the Chelsea Craft Fair. Lizzie Rose sent me one of her birch pastel drawings. John Ward's poetry reading at St Giles, High Holborn. Mum's retirement lunch and 88th birthday at Read's in Faversham. FSASS AGM at St Sava's, Portobello Rd. Missed John Johnson's drinks party for his 50th birthday at the Reform Club - tired and looking after Harry. Gas safety and maintenance call, landlord's safety certificate issued. To see Duncan MacAskill's show in Joanna Lumley's studio in Lambeth. William GC's 2nd birthday. To see Richard E. Grant in 'Otherwise Engaged' at the Criterion (press night) with Robert Ronus, over from Los Angeles.

November: Florestan Trio at Wimbledon, supper beforehand with Roger and Noni. To dinner with John Lahr and Connie Booth, Rob & Liz D, Elsie Burch Donaldson and Jonathan Keates. To Crookedstane for three nights. Barry and John, a friend from school days, came to supper. My god-daughter Anna Dudley to Sunday lunch. Abi started moving back into Ashchurch Grove. Her career moonlighting as a standup comedian flourishes and she now has a manager. Did reminder labels for FSASS following a committee meeting. Tea with Sheila, whose eye op. has been a success. My barrister godson Gideon and Sadie (adviser to Deputy PM John Prescott)'s engagement party at 7 Southside with fireworks. With Elly and Harry for lunch at Wildacres. Finally registered my address in London for my Tesco card 'points' (£15 worth have accumulated). Snow in Crookedstane forced me to postpone a planned trip north with Elly and Harry while Jim is playing with English National Ballet in Manchester (he will be with them at the Coliseum over Christmas).

Have a lovely Christmas and a happy 2006 with very best wishes from Liz