Celebrating a Life. Pete Goodridge

We went to Pete's Big Sendoff on the Summer Solstice.
Sad to see him go,but happy thoughts and celebrations of him and how his actions had touched so many.

Songs were sung, and,as he had chosen a while ago, "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" by Eric Idle was sung led by his daughter and son and joined in by the 300 or more of the rest of us.

He had been to a burial at the Memorial meadow a while  ago and said he'd like it here, with the sheep grazing over him in the Winter, at the top of the slope with a good view of the rolling hills of Gwent.   He has a view of a field of barley and a wooded slope as well,for a man who planted trees.  All that,and as a potter...it is good clay soil.

Then up the road to his local pub, where a sign greeted allcomers..we are sorry but the kitchen is closed today as we have lost our great friend Pete.
Inside a great Pete style buffet awaited and people played boules outside..the only sport Pete had won an award for!
The weather was perfect for doing as he had ordered..talk to three persons that you'd never met before...and to many old friends.

One comment came from many...you just expected him to come round the corner and say "and how are You today?"

It was a great Sendoff and left you feeling sad but glad.  
He always said he'd never reach 65..

quilting

sewing hard to finish Woodchip's quilt before we go to stay with Carpenter and family.

Peter Goodridge

Potter, friend for 44 years, mover of Art running his company Artworks, previous director of the International Ceramics Festival in Aberystwyth, Big Pete will leave a massive gap in many hearts all round the world.
Died June 1st, the first day of Summertime, aged only 61.

Missing you.  

Celebrating your life.

sunset

Taken just now, at about 10.15 pm,(BST), looking towards Rothesay and the Bens.
The view from my study window can be distracting.....

Spring Fling break in Kirkcudbright

We had two days going round Spring Fling this year, starting with Hannah and Dougs' workshop at Lochdougan House.   It was good to see four studios open there, one painter,one painter/printmaker and a fused glass artist.
On via Christine Hester Smith at Barnbarroch (and good coffee and flapjacks!) where Wendy Kershaw was the visiting clay artist again.
I bought The Pirate an early birthday present....a Badger, Badger coffee mug.....

We stopped in Kirkcudbright for a late lunch by the Harbour...and ended up staying there overnight, rather than driving home and returning.
It is a fascinating wee town with much history, including being known as an Artists' Town. Many have settled here, visited, been inspired by it over the past 120 years and more.
I was fascinated by all the doorways and ginnels.

There are still fishing boats working from here, mainly scallop dredgers, but only about half a dozen.

pottery progress

The stock shed is up, carpeted , shelves bought and erected.
The boxes of stock have been emptied onto the shelves, plus some of my archive work and collection.  Perhaps I ought to sell some of the latter...but when I look through it , it can be inspiring....

All the photos from New Zealand are in one file on the computer now, the next step is to sort them and edit as well.  
There is so much to do, I'm running out of time on a rainy days!  We are now catching upon the rainfall, nicely timed for planting onion sets.  Warm weather and high pressure is promised for next week and we are looking forward to that. I cannot say that I've appreciated returning to cold windy weather, even though it is now the same in New Zealand, plus snow...but at least it is getting on to Winter there!!

we're back...

But we wish we could have stayed....
We've done a lot of sorting and tidying,  grass mowing, stock shed erecting, paperwork.....in the past week.

We've managed a few short rides out on our bikes, but being travel lagged it feels as if the brakes are on. I managed to avoid picking up a bug on the plane, but I've picked up a home grown cold..bleagh! It doesn't make feeling enthusiastic about anything very easy!!  However,it will pass, especially if we learn how to relax and get in some R & R .

We had a walk and explore around Irvine yesterday, and had ice cream, and tea in a cafe/restaurant on the harbour. Most enjoyable, and purely in the course of research ...well, partly...if any Family come to see us it is good to know where to take them.

Now I'm back online with a new modem and what looks like a good deal (surprising what the companies will do when they lose you completely for three months....)
Three months' worth of photos need sorting, Etsy seems to be changing, it is all systems go....hopefully!