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October Letter from Rev John Potter
John was minister at Ipswich Road URC until the summer, when he retired and moved to North Yorkshire
Dear friends in NAURC
This is the first opportunity I’ve had to sit down with my computer and write to you with an update from Middlesbrough. First, and most importantly, we wanted to say a huge “thank you” for the great send off and all the gifts we received. The flowers were wonderful and the many presents too – we were bowled over by your generosity. Life in retirement seems to be just as busy as working so far – just replacing ministry with wrestling with Ikea furniture and DIY. The move was tough going and we ended up with the majority of our possessions, including some clothes and bedding crammed into the garage which is now quite impenetrable as its stacked floor to ceiling and front to back. I think the process of decluttering will take years! Even after the garage got filled we still ended up with a pile of items sitting on the front drive, so I had to buy and construct a shed the day after we moved in – and that’s full as well now. I still wonder at just how much ‘stuff’ we have, but we are making gradual progress and it’s a blessing that we don’t have to rush and can take a break every so often. We have managed to take a few opportunities to explore locally, and I managed to go off on a photo expedition for an afternoon to find a standing cross – called Ana Cross high on the North Yorkshire moors. It was quite an adventure along single track roads marked ‘do not use in wintry conditions’ dodging sheep and then scaled, in first gear, what is reputed to be steepest hill in the country which includes two hairpin bends! But the scenery up there is breath-taking. It was also the first outing for the high quality lightweight (carbon fibre) tripod that I purchased with some of the vouchers you gave me. Dannie and I also enjoyed a trip to an event at Chester’s Roman Fort to mark the 1900 anniversary of Hadrian’s Wall and came back with many more photos – one day I’ll get round to editing them with the new software that was another of your gifts. We haven’t found a church to join yet as we have been so busy and tired, but Pauline has done some research and found many options from various denominations to try, but I am missing the NAURC churches, the worship and the fellowship terribly. It’s also just a couple of weeks before Dannie resumes studies in Newcastle so gearing up for that will keep us busy too. That’s all for now, so grace and peace to you all.
John, Pauline and Dannie