Move into a beautiful apartment in the new year

Live independently in our modern, energy efficient scheme in Oxenholme.

Prices from £60,000 for a 25% share*

You could move into your own one- or two-bedroom apartment for rent or shared ownership. With access to communal areas and on-site care, if and when you need it, Castlestead View is the perfect place to call home.

Two-bedroom bungalows are also available for outright purchase. Find out more by calling 01539 678 288 or emailing info.castlesteadview@housing21.org.uk

Castlestead View, Burton Road, Oxenholme, Kendal LA9 7FY

*other charges apply housing21.org.uk

The sad thing is that for so many of us, we didn’t know then that we’d had our last Christmas with someone that we would lose in that period of time. The scars of 2020/21 will need a lot more time to heal than just 2022 to begin again. On our first family holiday away from Penrith since 2019, my grandmother passed away the day before we returned.

Penrith is my home and has been for a very long time now, but there were two people I wanted to see before time ran out. One was a Primary school teacher, who found the best strengths in me as he did all of his pupils. He helped me overcome words like ‘ceiling’ when I was reading. He introduced me to Sir Patrick Moore. We had tea at his house one Sunday afternoon with three other lads, based on our interest in Astronomy.

Back in the days when three astronauts were back from the moon five years on and I was holding a piece of moon rock given to Patrick that was now in my hand. A few would question this today, but if we question what as a child I believed in then with regards to our 9 planets now being 8, we can’t change history as it was then, but we do have to adjust and accept changes we have no control over.

From primary school we move onwards, and in secondary education, just as I was finishing my CSE’s and ‘O’ level exams in June 1979, I was then looking for my first job part time. I had an interview with the store manager of our nearest Sainsbury store. I was questioned why I would give up playing football on Saturdays and other hobbies for a job. My answer then was I wanted to learn to drive and buy my first car. I was going to sixth form in the September that year and I needed to earn and save money.

I did get the job, I was offered two evening shifts 4.30pm starts finishing 8pm on Thursdays and 7pm on Fridays. Saturday mornings it was 8am till 1pm at 88p per hour. It meant that my life would carry on as normal, I would continue to play football and do all my other activities. I decided not to go to sixth form in September, but I went full time at Sainsbury’s.

I bought my first car for £175, which I drove for the first time on my 17th Birthday. That same manager put me forward when I was 17 for trainee management, and at 18 and a half I became a very young assistant manager, moved into lodgings 60 miles away from home four weeks before Christmas.

My little trip to the south coast and back via other destinations was originally going to be on the train to see John my teacher, then Derek that store manager. It was planned for 2020 and then 2021. Before Christmas, I met John, my Primary school teacher, we had talked on the phone, in his 80s now we had a whole morning together and an afternoon the following day. I had pictures from those days but I’d forgotten about the moon rock, but I had remembered every shed and telescope in Patrick’s garden, the first time I saw Jupiter and Saturn.

I did get to meet Derek my first boss. Originally I was meeting him at his house, then he moved to care assisted housing. Now he is in full time care with his wife. It took a totally of 27 hours and 800 miles there and back, stopping at seven destinations meeting other friends too. Finally getting the opportunity to meet both of these people was quite a moment. For me it was the perfect Christmas whilst also setting me up for 2023.

I’ll be back late February to early March, thank you again for taking some time out with your Eden Local, Happy New Year to you from all the team.

Lee