2023 Country of Living: England in Nantwich, Cheshire.

We are settling into our new life in Cheshire with Mel's business doing very well (“Paws a While Pet Grooming” in Cocoa Yard). She had a bit of a surprise as she started out renting a table in a shop owned by someone else but then that person had to stop trading for health reason leaving Mel sole leaseholder. Mel also had some health issues earlier in the year which meant an unexpected visit to the A&E, an operation, and a hospital stay.

Early in the year my company (MarkLogic) was purchased by Progress Software meaning that just as we had begun to make progress on the merging of one company's process with our purchase in 2022 we were now asked to merge with yet another making for a challenging year professionally. My role remains largely unchanged but working with a much larger company means I now have to deal with much more people in my day-to-day work to ensure all appropriate groups are involved.

We are once again travelling a fair amount. My Canadian passport expired this year but was easily renewed (Mel is working on getting her UK passport now). I was in Poland in January, October (for training) and again in December. We once again visited the “Stamp and Coin Fair” in York, North Yorkshire in January then again in July.

• March - Visited the truly incredible Egypt (see my journal here). This was one place I have always wanted to see and it certainly did not disappoint.
• April - Visited London to visit the dentist but also to see the Elton John: Farewell Yellow Brick Road The Final Tour concert at the O2.
• May - At the beginning of the month we were in London for the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla where we were lucky to view the procession from very close up with a spot at the front of the barriers on Whitehall. Later in the month, over the course of several weeks we attended a number of events at The Hay Festival 2023. Great being able to stay in the town as well in a “yurt” in a rather cold field…
• June - Trip to London for work.
• September - Mother came to visit for a few weeks so I took her on the ferry with the car to visit Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland for a week. It was a great trip with good weather. Saw a lot more of the country than I have previously seen including a great trip around the entire, spectacular, Ring of Kerry.
• October - After Mother left me and Mel returned to London for the annual “Stampex” stamp show. Mel and I both took each other's holiday off of work to do whatever we wanted. For Mel we visited the “Chester Zoo” (see Chester), for myself we visited “Beeston Castle and Woodland Park” (also see Chester).
• November - We paid a visit to North Yorkshire and Northumberland, staying at a self-catering cottage. Finally got to see James Herriot's surgery in Thirsk and “Housesteads Roman Fort” at Hadrian's wall.
• December - A very busy month ending with our visiting London to see the play My Neighbour Totoro, visit Battersea Power Station (including a trip up one of the smokestacks and ice skating), and catching up with friends.

Mel's mother, sister Char and niece Ashley came to visit for several weeks in June while my mother came to visit in September for three weeks (see above).

Most events confined to the north but we have still managed a few in London and the south as well.

There is a small Odeon in nearby Crewe so we still manage to see a few films…

Working our way through the dining options here in Nantwich and the area…

We have a trip to Japan set for March. This will be Mel's first visit to the country and my first visit for quite a few years. Promises to be a lot of fun.

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Visit here for my review of 2022.