I’ve just scrolled back to find to my amazement that I started this blog over 10 years ago… and in that decade of very sporadic blog posts, while documenting the family history our own family has grown and developed: Chris and I have both retired, all three of our children have acquired their own homes, and we have gained a beautiful daughter-in-law and two incredible grandchildren. We are truly blessed, and as I sit here in the lovely in between time after Christmas I can reflect on a wonderful ten years full of love and laughter.
Ten years ago I was still teaching, mainly supply work but then having joined Sandown High School for a term, that became a year leading up to retirement after which I still spent more time in school than out of it for several years…however, retirement enabled me to give more time to my interests and hobbies, and I have embraced the world of local amateur theatre and been given opportunities to act, work backstage and front of house, sing, dance even – and direct. I directed Macbeth last November, leading to a one hour/four person version which we performed for Cowes Enterprise College in December and are taking to the IW Storytelling Festival in February; I took part in Iolanthe with GASP (Gilbert and Sullivan Productions) in September and their Carols and Mince Pies afternoon in December and am preparing to start rehearsals for The Savoyards’ Me and My Girl next month ready for an April production. I sang at a Christmas event at Monkton Arts and look forward to getting to know the people I met there better – life is good. I have met so many lovely people that I can call good friends.
Chris and I also perform as a musical duo, Elsinore, while he is still a member of the Ventnor Guitar group and performs with Sid and Rosa as Out of the Shadows. I have formed the Banjolele Babes duo with Karin who I met through the Guitar Club, and we have an open mic coming up next Sunday. And one of my Christmas presents this year was a Fender Stratocaster! I’m very much an acoustic guitar girl, but Chris has been encouraging me to go electric and a friend of Ronan’s offered him what they thought was a broken down old guitar – after he and Chris had worked on it, it’s brilliant!!
My writing has taken a back seat recently but I have started meeting up regularly with Bev and Erica as a small informal writing group so in the new year I iintend to go back to my historical novel and see if it deserves an edit and partial rewrite. Most of my writing has been for IW Theatre – I’ve been reviewing shows for them for several years but in 2022 Simon Dabell asked if I could put him in touch with Allan Gregory who runs IW Theatre as Simon wanted to revive a form of IW Theatre Awards and thought it would be a good ‘host brand’. I introduced them and somehow have been included on the steering group: we have just celebrated the first year of the Awards, and as Allan is up to his neck at work I’ve more or less taken over the day to day running of IW Theatre – finding reviewers, contacting theatre groups etc. I enjoy it and I end up writing quite a few reviews and previews myself.
Most of all I feel incredibly blessed that in retirement Chris and I at the moment enjoy good health, a lovely home, three incredible children – four including our lovely daughter-in-law – and our amazing grandchildren. Joe is the Director of the Cartoon Museum in London; Anne is Assistant Head in a large split site primary school; Ross is a Mental Health Practitioner in Manchester and Ronan works in the commercial department of First Bus in Cornwall. All in gainful employment with their own property and thankfully good health. Long may it continue. I am always aware that we cannot see into the future but as I sit here on the cusp of another year I feel very happy and very lucky.
Sullivan Blyth Family 