An old slogan which I never thought I would be using, But! A few days ago Genny Ira Yura and I decided to go to Birmingham, I was not feeling up to driving so it was suggested we go by rail. What! You kidding me? After giving it some thought, well maybe not so bad an idea.
I discovered the train ran from Banbury station the parking easy and it's a short hop from home.
“Four tickets to Birmingham” I said to the ticket clerk, “which station she asked? The nearest to the Bullrings please, well if you go to Moor Street I can do you four tickets return anytime travel today for £26 what! You serious? How close to the bullring is it? right across the road, that'll do for me thank you”
Lifts gave me easy access to the platform good information on arrivals displayed, train arrived on time, plenty of room, comfortable seats, is this for real? (Ok it's a Saturday) sitting at a table take stock good signage, then I discover free wifi yes wifi for free great for surfing or emails bit much to expect streaming video and of course you can't but for everything else very good. Mind you how fast and accessible it would be at peak times I don't know. The train manager (apparently not called guards or ticket collectors anymore) was cheerful and helpful so different from the old days.
We arrived on time.
The Bullring was as described right outside the station, Irina and Genny enjoyed their wander round. I found an Italian cafe come coffee shop dispensing excellent cappuccino, I was happy, Genny too we both agreed a further trip to Birmingham will be called for.
If I can get the use of a mobility scooter I will not be confined to the coffee shop whoopeee, I can now visit the apple store I subsequently discovered is there.
Our return journey was a carbon of the first, arrival at Banbury punctual, a short gallop to the car and home. Probably the least stressful journey I have taken for a long time. Would I do it again? Sure of course, well if that scooter bit can be arranged.
Tuesday, 21 August 2012
Posted with Blogsy
Tuesday, 14 August 2012
I wanna tell you a story part 4
The story continues now with what happened after Yevgeniya she came to the UK.
It was 14 June in 2001 I was standing in the arrivals hall terminal two London Heathrow a mixture of nervousness and excitement my beloved Jenny was coming to stay in the UK. Thoughts are rushing through my head was she okay did she make the flight alright was she having a problem with immigration and customs? what was happening? minutes seem to be hours before finally she was coming through the exit gate to me. That was 11 years ago and since that time we have never been apart, 24 hours a day seven days a week of the most wonderful time I have spent ever.
The following day we had to go shopping I will never forget Yevgeniya’s face first time she walked into a supermarket. There are large food shops in Odessa but nothing had prepared her for what she was seeing.The variety and sheer volume of goods on offer was amazing, the biggest surprise was the delicatessen counter she had never ever seen such a display or variety of cheese. Ukraine's cheese is to say the least fairly dreadful there's a lot of it in many different types, much of a muchness tasting just about the same, pretty awful.
We began to settle down as a couple, doing the things couples do. Conversation was still troublesome, Genny started to teach herself English, every day writing down and learning five new words, my excuse for not learning Russian!? well: I'm lazy, no not really, its just that Genny's need was greater than mine, everyone around her is chatting away she is unable to join in, this did lead to a few comical moments, as Genny became more proficient I had less need to help with the shopping, however I continued to hold her hand, this lead one day to me a asking do we need tea? “Nesquick” she said, I handed her a tin, “no not Nesquick not that Nesquick next week” I know I speak with a strong accent but: Another time she referred to toes as feet fingers, and chicken hairs for feathers.
Do you know I can't remember how we went about settling Genny in. I think getting her granted residency was not to difficult the big effort came much later when she applied for citizenship, but that's for later on.
We were engaged and wanted to get married, except for an obstacle I had not divorced my children's mother, as it happened we had been separated for some years, I think she was relieved,when I finally got round to sorting it out, she readily agreed, a solicitor was found the papers signed, just like that a chapter of our lives wiped out in a pen stroke simple.
Yevgeniya was readily accepted by my friends and my workforce, the close family were much more reticent, Mother didn't know what to make of her son finding this foreign person “what on earth are you thinking of” she said there was no malice there just puzzlement, her boy who had never done anything so adventurous before. The children didn't know what to make of it either, Lizzy has never properly accepted her,this has been a big sadness for us both. Edward, though slow to come round decided that if that's what Dad wanted and she made him happy, well that was alright by him.
Eventually we decided to try and set a date for the wedding, the registry office in Oxford was chosen. The date set for the sixth of October, new clothes were bought and hired all the trappings of the day arranged including a translator, we were fortunate in finding Penny a fluent Russian speaker,she had spent much time in Moscow and was only to happy to do this for us. My favourite Uncle said he would be honoured to give her away, my son Edward was my best man.
My family and friends attended the ceremony, the sadness was that our other children were unable to do so, timing and visas being the issue.
Later that evening we were discussing this,anxious to get over to Odessa as soon as practical, the following month we were able to book a flight. A thought suddenly occurred to me,”would you like to be married or at least have a blessing in church” I said, (Oh Yes!) she replied “I have never been married in church,” (in soviet times it would be a five minute civil ceremony) I could feel a lump in my throat a mixture of sadness and elation
7th November dawned cloudy and rainswept nothing was going to spoil our day though. Our girls had a surprise in store for us, they had managed to find an almost forgotten little church set in woodland, it had recently been restored and was looking wonderful, a number of Yevgeniya's friends were waiting to wish us good luck,the little bell in the tower was ringing as we approached the entrance, the doors swung open, a wonderful sight greeted us, rich colours deep reds glorious golds breathtaking blue paintwork, polished and burnished gold fittings, painted icons richly adorned in gold, the frames heavily carved and gilded, a full choir the sonorous Bass and Baritone voices filling the church with this extraordinary beautiful moving sound, candles glowing in the darker recesses, I got that lump in my throat again.
The ceremony for me was so different from anything I had experienced before, of course carried out in Russian I had no idea what was being said, this lead to a incident which produced great mirth with our congregation, the gist of it was, we were making our vows, the priest asked me a series of questions I had no idea what he had said but a nudge from Genny prompted the reply Da (yes) another question, he looked very serious Genny too, I took my cue Niet (No) shocked silence, again he repeated the question I thought better guess right this time boy, I could feel the eyes burning into my back, Da (yes) I said, smiles, you could hear the release of breath back in Chadlington. The service continued without further incident Genny was holding my arm so tightly and sort of squeezing it if she thought I needed help.
After it was all over Yura said to me “do you know why we all grinned at your answer, the priest asked you first do you love this women will you be good husband?” “Da” “will you behave yourself not look at other women, gamble, get drunk or in other ways misbehave” “Niet) oops that was it big laughs all round.
The bells were ringing as we walked down the steps, as is tradition our friends were waiting for us with a bottle of champagne to toast our good fortune and happiness, it was raining the water slowly running down or backs, I didn't notice it, I was dry and warm inside the cloak of love and friendships offered to me this day.
Afterward home to a feast only the Ukranish people no how to put on, a speciality dish prepared by our friend Luda was a fish which was skinned and deboned the flesh being mixed with vegetables and herbs the skin being filled with the mixture, cooked and served cold,it is totally delicious. There were of course the famous Russian salads,dishes of caviar supplied by Ira’s friend Vitali, with copious amounts of vodka,wine and champagne.
I had met Gennys friends before of but this time it was different I was now part of her family, they had accepted me curiously before as her friend, now my changed status put me on a different possibly more intimate level. Sasha Litvin and I got on like a house on fire, we had from the start. A fascinating fellow trained to fly by Genny, he went on to a distinguished military career flying jets, piloting Mig fighter jets, he was shot down in Afghanistan rescued by another friend Sasha, (more of him later) finished his service as a ranking officer. On retirement he pursued his hobby as a model maker and artist going full time producing unique pictures which are part model part painting giving genuine 3D appearance, soon taking commissions he has produced a fine body of work.
I first met Luda and He in Derabasovska Square where they had a pitch selling his works of art to the tourists,I bought a couple of them as presents, subsequently he has gifted us with many of his pictures which now have a wall to themselves at home. Sasha and I hit it off almost at once he has become a firm friend someone I always look forward to seeing on my return to Odessa. The other Sasha was also trained by Genny he to had a distinguished military career his final work was test flying their version of a Russian Jump Jet the Yak 38 on and off aircraft carriers, these planes as I understand are not so dissimilar from the Harrier, I believe it used a separate engine driving a central fan mounted in the fuselage giving vectored thrust to produce the vertical lift. As with most military personnel there was little work for him at retirement, a very small pension was not enough to live on. Sinking his money into a second hand Lada Sasha started a taxi business, this is how I met him and his wife Nina, they brought Sasha and Luda (oh this is confusing)to the church for our wedding,as I had a similar business we found some common ground we haven't kept in touch but they did come to our 10th wedding anniversary party.
Tanya and Valoda are Gennys oldest friends she and Tanya go way back, she is another remarkable lady, she too was in the military as a parachutist holding the record for the highest jump from a balloon not quite as high as Joe Kittenger but very high. Her husband Valoda was a parachute instructor, he is a real character I have to be careful in his company he has a tendency to keep topping up my glass with vodka, (my tolerance for alcohol is not that high), it is sad that he speaks no English, my russian is non existent, however we do sort of communicate by nods and gestures if the chat is to difficult a call to Genny usually will give us the translation, he is such a rascal though we have to be careful what we say.
Vassa and his wife Luda are very close to Genny, a smart dapper man Vassa was a navigator a regular part of Anatoli’s aircrew. Living only a few doors away in the next block of flats their children grew up together, again a great guy full of laughter and stories,we always go to them a least once during our visits. Luda was a professional cook her food is very traditional and very very tasty, she is a brilliant hostess,when we visit she always ensures that she has prepared at least one of my favourite dishes. What an very emotional day, the richness of the choral voices always able to move me, the colour and splendour of the little church was delightful, but mostly the warmth of friendships and joy we experienced,to this day never fails to bring a lump to my throat.
On our return as I have said before we settled down to life together,me to my Private Hire business, Genny to sorting out this bachelor place turning it into a home. It has taken a long time, a lot of paint and much elbow grease, but she has more than succeeded turning this house into a home. For me after a long drive it was wonderful on arrival to be greeted with a kiss a cuddle and a cuppa tea.this flat oozes her personality it's cheerful warm and oh so comfortable. Having made the inside to her liking to my chagrin she set about the garden. My son Edward and I had laid out the front and rear gardens to suit our (my) needs we had built raised beds and covered the ground in weed suppression membrane a liberal covering of wood chips all to save work, we knew neither of us had time to do much to it once it was established, it looked in our eyes very good a courtyard style at the rear and raised beds and gravel in the front, specimen plants and ground cover formed the basis, with splashes of colour from bedding plants in the spring and summer.
Genny however had other ideas she believes if you cant eat it its not worth growing, I've tried hard to change her mind with some success, but still she has gradually replaced the non doer plants with fruit bushes,herbs and other such tasty things, Genny has what is called a green finger, plants seem to love her and respond to her ministrations, now the garden looks great a bit of a cottage style with vegetables dotted here and there among the shrubs and flowers.
Genny is a most resourceful person, she never fails to amaze me at what she comes up with,making an oil lamp one night from cooking oil and strips of and old tshirt when the power failed(My torch battery was flat) to a wonderful system of watering her indoor plants when we are away, this consists of water containers linked to a collection of her plants by strips of cloth, using a capillary action they can survive for weeks before the water need topping up, clever or what? I've marvelled at her needlework, the house is now full of her tapestry pictures, crochet table mats and coasters, she actually produced a beautiful dress this way,even a rag rug for the front door (my poor old shirts), the one small gripe I have is that space being at a premium I was cajoled into sorting the cupboards, numerous boxes of precious things? the garage, you get the idea. Anyway most stuff was dumped or given away I know it had to be done but a big chunk of me just went, (there’s that bloody lump again), of course she was right it needed doing now uncluttered the place is so much easier to keep up together.
The next major event was to establish a permission for residency, Oh Boy! I do not wish this rigmarole on anyone. We took trips to first to Birmingham, only to be told she had come UK on the wrong visa and therefore was required to go to London, Croydon to be exact, to a place called Lunar House,it is the sorting hat for all persons wishing to stay in the country, all asylum seeker applications are processed through there, and it was a nightmare to deal with. I had been warned of this by a client who some years earlier had this experience. I thought he was joking but nothing had changed, he it was who advised if we had to go there to arrive as early as possible the doors didn't open until 9 am but be there at least by 7-30. Duly doing so I was astounded to find a crowd of people already ensconced some I was told had been queuing since 3am. We took up our position at the end of the line, within minutes dozens more folk had arrived. We waited and waited almost on the dot the doors opened the queue. started to move, then stop then start and stop again. The nearer we got it became clear that a screening process was in place a single machine to scan everyone entering the building, our turn came we were given a number and sent up stairs there we waited for our number to be called, at last it was our turn we had been 7 hours up to this point. The clerk took Gennys paperwork scanned through it stamped something and passed it back that was it, in a few days he said she would receive her national insurance number and notice of resident status. That was it nothing more to be done for a further three years until she applied for citizenship.
That's it really, in eleven years of marriage we have achieved so much My Darling became a British Citizen.We've visited many places with Ira Yura and the grandchildren, Istanbul, the Crimea, Moldova, we have sampled the delights of Vienna, holidayed in Majorca. Personally I have seen things and been places I would never have done had it not been for this wonderful lady and her family.
Now retired and not in the best of health I am spending as much time as I can with my extended family, Lena and Nick in Shaldon, Ira and Yura in Odessa. The good news is that Ira and Yura now have a long visa meaning it is much easier for them to visit us in UK I am finding the journey to and from Odessa more difficult each time so this is wonderful news.
It was 14 June in 2001 I was standing in the arrivals hall terminal two London Heathrow a mixture of nervousness and excitement my beloved Jenny was coming to stay in the UK. Thoughts are rushing through my head was she okay did she make the flight alright was she having a problem with immigration and customs? what was happening? minutes seem to be hours before finally she was coming through the exit gate to me. That was 11 years ago and since that time we have never been apart, 24 hours a day seven days a week of the most wonderful time I have spent ever.
The following day we had to go shopping I will never forget Yevgeniya’s face first time she walked into a supermarket. There are large food shops in Odessa but nothing had prepared her for what she was seeing.The variety and sheer volume of goods on offer was amazing, the biggest surprise was the delicatessen counter she had never ever seen such a display or variety of cheese. Ukraine's cheese is to say the least fairly dreadful there's a lot of it in many different types, much of a muchness tasting just about the same, pretty awful.
We began to settle down as a couple, doing the things couples do. Conversation was still troublesome, Genny started to teach herself English, every day writing down and learning five new words, my excuse for not learning Russian!? well: I'm lazy, no not really, its just that Genny's need was greater than mine, everyone around her is chatting away she is unable to join in, this did lead to a few comical moments, as Genny became more proficient I had less need to help with the shopping, however I continued to hold her hand, this lead one day to me a asking do we need tea? “Nesquick” she said, I handed her a tin, “no not Nesquick not that Nesquick next week” I know I speak with a strong accent but: Another time she referred to toes as feet fingers, and chicken hairs for feathers.
Do you know I can't remember how we went about settling Genny in. I think getting her granted residency was not to difficult the big effort came much later when she applied for citizenship, but that's for later on.
We were engaged and wanted to get married, except for an obstacle I had not divorced my children's mother, as it happened we had been separated for some years, I think she was relieved,when I finally got round to sorting it out, she readily agreed, a solicitor was found the papers signed, just like that a chapter of our lives wiped out in a pen stroke simple.
Yevgeniya was readily accepted by my friends and my workforce, the close family were much more reticent, Mother didn't know what to make of her son finding this foreign person “what on earth are you thinking of” she said there was no malice there just puzzlement, her boy who had never done anything so adventurous before. The children didn't know what to make of it either, Lizzy has never properly accepted her,this has been a big sadness for us both. Edward, though slow to come round decided that if that's what Dad wanted and she made him happy, well that was alright by him.
Eventually we decided to try and set a date for the wedding, the registry office in Oxford was chosen. The date set for the sixth of October, new clothes were bought and hired all the trappings of the day arranged including a translator, we were fortunate in finding Penny a fluent Russian speaker,she had spent much time in Moscow and was only to happy to do this for us. My favourite Uncle said he would be honoured to give her away, my son Edward was my best man.
My family and friends attended the ceremony, the sadness was that our other children were unable to do so, timing and visas being the issue.
Later that evening we were discussing this,anxious to get over to Odessa as soon as practical, the following month we were able to book a flight. A thought suddenly occurred to me,”would you like to be married or at least have a blessing in church” I said, (Oh Yes!) she replied “I have never been married in church,” (in soviet times it would be a five minute civil ceremony) I could feel a lump in my throat a mixture of sadness and elation
7th November dawned cloudy and rainswept nothing was going to spoil our day though. Our girls had a surprise in store for us, they had managed to find an almost forgotten little church set in woodland, it had recently been restored and was looking wonderful, a number of Yevgeniya's friends were waiting to wish us good luck,the little bell in the tower was ringing as we approached the entrance, the doors swung open, a wonderful sight greeted us, rich colours deep reds glorious golds breathtaking blue paintwork, polished and burnished gold fittings, painted icons richly adorned in gold, the frames heavily carved and gilded, a full choir the sonorous Bass and Baritone voices filling the church with this extraordinary beautiful moving sound, candles glowing in the darker recesses, I got that lump in my throat again.
The ceremony for me was so different from anything I had experienced before, of course carried out in Russian I had no idea what was being said, this lead to a incident which produced great mirth with our congregation, the gist of it was, we were making our vows, the priest asked me a series of questions I had no idea what he had said but a nudge from Genny prompted the reply Da (yes) another question, he looked very serious Genny too, I took my cue Niet (No) shocked silence, again he repeated the question I thought better guess right this time boy, I could feel the eyes burning into my back, Da (yes) I said, smiles, you could hear the release of breath back in Chadlington. The service continued without further incident Genny was holding my arm so tightly and sort of squeezing it if she thought I needed help.
After it was all over Yura said to me “do you know why we all grinned at your answer, the priest asked you first do you love this women will you be good husband?” “Da” “will you behave yourself not look at other women, gamble, get drunk or in other ways misbehave” “Niet) oops that was it big laughs all round.
The bells were ringing as we walked down the steps, as is tradition our friends were waiting for us with a bottle of champagne to toast our good fortune and happiness, it was raining the water slowly running down or backs, I didn't notice it, I was dry and warm inside the cloak of love and friendships offered to me this day.
Afterward home to a feast only the Ukranish people no how to put on, a speciality dish prepared by our friend Luda was a fish which was skinned and deboned the flesh being mixed with vegetables and herbs the skin being filled with the mixture, cooked and served cold,it is totally delicious. There were of course the famous Russian salads,dishes of caviar supplied by Ira’s friend Vitali, with copious amounts of vodka,wine and champagne.
I had met Gennys friends before of but this time it was different I was now part of her family, they had accepted me curiously before as her friend, now my changed status put me on a different possibly more intimate level. Sasha Litvin and I got on like a house on fire, we had from the start. A fascinating fellow trained to fly by Genny, he went on to a distinguished military career flying jets, piloting Mig fighter jets, he was shot down in Afghanistan rescued by another friend Sasha, (more of him later) finished his service as a ranking officer. On retirement he pursued his hobby as a model maker and artist going full time producing unique pictures which are part model part painting giving genuine 3D appearance, soon taking commissions he has produced a fine body of work.
I first met Luda and He in Derabasovska Square where they had a pitch selling his works of art to the tourists,I bought a couple of them as presents, subsequently he has gifted us with many of his pictures which now have a wall to themselves at home. Sasha and I hit it off almost at once he has become a firm friend someone I always look forward to seeing on my return to Odessa. The other Sasha was also trained by Genny he to had a distinguished military career his final work was test flying their version of a Russian Jump Jet the Yak 38 on and off aircraft carriers, these planes as I understand are not so dissimilar from the Harrier, I believe it used a separate engine driving a central fan mounted in the fuselage giving vectored thrust to produce the vertical lift. As with most military personnel there was little work for him at retirement, a very small pension was not enough to live on. Sinking his money into a second hand Lada Sasha started a taxi business, this is how I met him and his wife Nina, they brought Sasha and Luda (oh this is confusing)to the church for our wedding,as I had a similar business we found some common ground we haven't kept in touch but they did come to our 10th wedding anniversary party.
Tanya and Valoda are Gennys oldest friends she and Tanya go way back, she is another remarkable lady, she too was in the military as a parachutist holding the record for the highest jump from a balloon not quite as high as Joe Kittenger but very high. Her husband Valoda was a parachute instructor, he is a real character I have to be careful in his company he has a tendency to keep topping up my glass with vodka, (my tolerance for alcohol is not that high), it is sad that he speaks no English, my russian is non existent, however we do sort of communicate by nods and gestures if the chat is to difficult a call to Genny usually will give us the translation, he is such a rascal though we have to be careful what we say.
Vassa and his wife Luda are very close to Genny, a smart dapper man Vassa was a navigator a regular part of Anatoli’s aircrew. Living only a few doors away in the next block of flats their children grew up together, again a great guy full of laughter and stories,we always go to them a least once during our visits. Luda was a professional cook her food is very traditional and very very tasty, she is a brilliant hostess,when we visit she always ensures that she has prepared at least one of my favourite dishes. What an very emotional day, the richness of the choral voices always able to move me, the colour and splendour of the little church was delightful, but mostly the warmth of friendships and joy we experienced,to this day never fails to bring a lump to my throat.
On our return as I have said before we settled down to life together,me to my Private Hire business, Genny to sorting out this bachelor place turning it into a home. It has taken a long time, a lot of paint and much elbow grease, but she has more than succeeded turning this house into a home. For me after a long drive it was wonderful on arrival to be greeted with a kiss a cuddle and a cuppa tea.this flat oozes her personality it's cheerful warm and oh so comfortable. Having made the inside to her liking to my chagrin she set about the garden. My son Edward and I had laid out the front and rear gardens to suit our (my) needs we had built raised beds and covered the ground in weed suppression membrane a liberal covering of wood chips all to save work, we knew neither of us had time to do much to it once it was established, it looked in our eyes very good a courtyard style at the rear and raised beds and gravel in the front, specimen plants and ground cover formed the basis, with splashes of colour from bedding plants in the spring and summer.
Genny however had other ideas she believes if you cant eat it its not worth growing, I've tried hard to change her mind with some success, but still she has gradually replaced the non doer plants with fruit bushes,herbs and other such tasty things, Genny has what is called a green finger, plants seem to love her and respond to her ministrations, now the garden looks great a bit of a cottage style with vegetables dotted here and there among the shrubs and flowers.
Genny is a most resourceful person, she never fails to amaze me at what she comes up with,making an oil lamp one night from cooking oil and strips of and old tshirt when the power failed(My torch battery was flat) to a wonderful system of watering her indoor plants when we are away, this consists of water containers linked to a collection of her plants by strips of cloth, using a capillary action they can survive for weeks before the water need topping up, clever or what? I've marvelled at her needlework, the house is now full of her tapestry pictures, crochet table mats and coasters, she actually produced a beautiful dress this way,even a rag rug for the front door (my poor old shirts), the one small gripe I have is that space being at a premium I was cajoled into sorting the cupboards, numerous boxes of precious things? the garage, you get the idea. Anyway most stuff was dumped or given away I know it had to be done but a big chunk of me just went, (there’s that bloody lump again), of course she was right it needed doing now uncluttered the place is so much easier to keep up together.
The next major event was to establish a permission for residency, Oh Boy! I do not wish this rigmarole on anyone. We took trips to first to Birmingham, only to be told she had come UK on the wrong visa and therefore was required to go to London, Croydon to be exact, to a place called Lunar House,it is the sorting hat for all persons wishing to stay in the country, all asylum seeker applications are processed through there, and it was a nightmare to deal with. I had been warned of this by a client who some years earlier had this experience. I thought he was joking but nothing had changed, he it was who advised if we had to go there to arrive as early as possible the doors didn't open until 9 am but be there at least by 7-30. Duly doing so I was astounded to find a crowd of people already ensconced some I was told had been queuing since 3am. We took up our position at the end of the line, within minutes dozens more folk had arrived. We waited and waited almost on the dot the doors opened the queue. started to move, then stop then start and stop again. The nearer we got it became clear that a screening process was in place a single machine to scan everyone entering the building, our turn came we were given a number and sent up stairs there we waited for our number to be called, at last it was our turn we had been 7 hours up to this point. The clerk took Gennys paperwork scanned through it stamped something and passed it back that was it, in a few days he said she would receive her national insurance number and notice of resident status. That was it nothing more to be done for a further three years until she applied for citizenship.
That's it really, in eleven years of marriage we have achieved so much My Darling became a British Citizen.We've visited many places with Ira Yura and the grandchildren, Istanbul, the Crimea, Moldova, we have sampled the delights of Vienna, holidayed in Majorca. Personally I have seen things and been places I would never have done had it not been for this wonderful lady and her family.
Now retired and not in the best of health I am spending as much time as I can with my extended family, Lena and Nick in Shaldon, Ira and Yura in Odessa. The good news is that Ira and Yura now have a long visa meaning it is much easier for them to visit us in UK I am finding the journey to and from Odessa more difficult each time so this is wonderful news.
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