Betty organised a pie festival as chairman of the Regional Tourist Board.

Marcel has been selected for training towards a chef’s qualification at an EU funded college.

An unseasonal grey summer in Romania, with lots of rain and mud. Then, in mid-August, the sun was shining again.

Betty took Lala, Denisa, Gabi and Stefan with all the young ones on holiday near Bran.

The Commemoration of the 1918 war for Romanians and Hungarians.

It was a big religious holiday and a celebration of war heroes recently.

The teenagers came to the staff party, an annual event organised by Betty, which gives them huge pleasure. Their husbands come and everyone has a very jolly time.

Marcel brought his drums and played splendidly.

Tobogganing in slight snow in the garden.

The younger children have been on a trip to the salt mines at Praid Transylvania and the five older ones went camping.

David and Eric Hardwick have just completed a sponsored bike ride for Friend of Children in Romania. They followed the River Severn, from its source in the Welsh mountains to the estuary near Bristol, finishing on the Severn Bridge, a distance of 225 miles. The Severn is the longest river in England, rising on Plynlymon, the highest point in the Cambrian Mountains. They walked up to the top before getting on their bikes and cycling back through Powys, Shropshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Monmouthshire and Avon over four days.

“I visited Harja two years ago and it was a wonderful experience. There was such a sense of warmth and of everyone looking after each other – it was inspirational,” said David.

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