Elizabeth Gibbs

I find, to my horror, that I haven't done anything to my web page since February 1999! My life has changed dramatically since then.

If you've visited this page before you can probably skip the personal details as they won't change much from month to month. New stuff will be at the bottom of the page, so if you've visited before read from the bottom up!

My husband, Alan, and I moved to Devon in April 2000 and in November Alan was diagnosed with cancer. The people in our church enfolded us with prayer and support at that time, although they barely knew us. Unfortunately Alan survived for less than two years, dying in September 2002. I still miss him dreadfully.

My logo was designed for me by a friend, Barbara Farnsworth, because my husband said I looked like an elephant in a tutu when I wore a skating dress! I should be grateful if you didn't use her as I like to feel she is my personal logo (and I have paid Barbara a copyright fee!).

I got really hooked on ice skating when an ice rink was built in Kingston upon Hull, in Yorkshire, England, in 1989. My instructor, Shane Leigh, was an inter-gold medallist in ice dance and very enthusiastic. As I didn't start till I was 50 (and my husband was 56) I was never going to be a champion, but we did get a lot of fun out of the sport, though Alan (said husband) was not so enthusiastic after breaking his leg in 1995 (on ice).

In 1991 I persuaded other skaters that an ice dance club would be a good idea, and we went ahead with no real idea where to start, but just got on with it. I was secretary for much of their history until we moved to Devon in 2000, and Chairman for one year. I was also a previous chairman of the Northern Recreational Ice Dance League.

The National Ice Skating Association used to have a recreational ice dance committee and in 1999 they asked me and Sue King (from Solihull) to organise an international recreational ice dance event the following year. Because of all the extra work I resigned as secretary of the Kingston Ice Dance Club and as Chairman of the Northern Recreational Ice Dance League.

This event is now known as The World Ice Challenge. Click here for up-to-date information on the next Challenge.

Now that I live ninety miles from the nearest ice rink, at Bristol, I seldom skate and all the skill I did have has gone. Such a pity as I love to skate.

I wrote to the Bristol Ice Dance Club to resign as I no longer had the courage to skate after virtually six years off ice. The secretary wrote back to say that they now had a male dance pro, so every ten days I do a four hour round trip for a half hour lesson. I hope to be able to dance again in due course, but progress is slow.

Instead I have taken up ballroom and Latin dancing, and am also learning sequence dancing. Unfortunately partners are as rare as hen's teeth. Is there anyone out there who lives in East Devon and is at least 5'9" and bronze standard?

I have also become involved with the local group of The Institute of Advanced Motorists as an observer and last year edited their newsletter as a stopgap editor, but fortunately someone else has now stepped into the breach.

We had two sons, David (married to Fiona) and Richard. Fortunately they are both computer-literate and on the end of a phone, which makes life easier when I feel like throwing something at the screen because it isn't doing what I want it to. They both used Apple Macs at university and persuaded me that a Mac would be my easy entry to computing. I am now a devotee, though Alan used a PC and thought I was mad to use anything else.

Five weeks after Alan died our first grandchild was born. His name is Thomas St John Harvey Gibbs and he is just gorgeous. Yes, I know all grandmothers think that but you can see that he really is! He is just three. When Thomas was starting to talk he called me 'Gan' but now I get the proper 'Gran'. He never stops talking and is very bright and great fun. I get withdrawal symptoms when I have been to visit them. His uncle Richard is as besotted as I am.

	David's web pages
	Richard's web pages
	Thomas's web pages

Someone suggested I put a counter on my web page but I feel I should get depressed if no one looks at it. Encourage me and write if you do! e-mail elizabeth AT gibbs FULLSTOP co FULLSTOP uk

Pages from my previous website (not updated since 1999): Kingston Ice Dance Club