Well, Hello again,

I have often wondered why I do this newsletter. Is it for my sake or yours? Then I received one from my friend Keith and enjoyed finding out what an interesting year he had. I have also had a couple of e-mails from old friends (have you tried friends reunited?) who have said that they have missed my letters over the last few years. So maybe it's all worth while after all.

This year started off as something of a shock to the system after 7 years in the Emirates. Yes, it snowed! I hate to tell you what our gas bill was for the start of the year; we had the central heating on almost constantly! However, we survived it, though it seemed to go on for ever. The worst part was that other people seemed to think it was a mild winter. Ha ha! Jo & Ian were both working for Falcon Games - Jo in the office, Ian in the warehouse - so Ian was driving them to work. The first day we had snow, it took them 2½ hours to do the 15 minute drive home! This is supposed to be fun?

Our Garden - Jan 2004

My own search for work wasn't doing too good at this stage. My last 20 years experience has been in Banking but there are no small banks left in UK these days, so nobody seems to need an old banker. (I've underlined the B just so you don't misunderstand) I did try several applications for civilian posts with the Police, but the application form is so Politically Correct, it's hard to work out what they want to know. Certainly, experience has nothing to do with it. They are more concerned with your experiences in "Diversity" than anything else. I did get one interview where I was told there had been over 90 applications and only 8 were chosen for interview. Needless to say, I didn't get the job. At the same time, Ian was having as much fun filling in an application form to join the Police. I thought my forms were bad, his was worse.

Many years ago, I was a campanologist. For those who don't know, and don't have a dictionary to hand, that means I rang church bells. In 1975, we moved to a new house and there were no bells in the local church, so I stopped ringing regularly, just the occasional practice. Finally, in 1985 we moved abroad and that was the end of my ringing. I briefly rang again in 1996, while we were living in Holmer Green, outside High Wycombe, but again I went abroad. So what, you are asking. Well, last Christmas, we went to the main parish church in Hatfield for the midnight service. The bells were ringing - but only 4 and they sounded dreadful. Sue spotted a notice in the church porch saying they were looking for bell ringers (they certainly needed them) and suggested that, as I used to enjoy ringing, I should start again. So, on a cold Thursday evening in January, I presented myself at the church tower to volunteer. The question "are you a ringer" was a bit hard to answer, so I said "yes & no", then had to explain that I had been a ringer but it was many years ago. Anyway, cutting a very long story short, I have started bell ringing again, at Hatfield and also a nearby village called Essendon. The ringers as Essendon are a friendlier bunch and, as they include the landlady of the local pub, everyone retires to the pub after practice on Tuesday nights, so a very social time is had by all.

Ringing Outing to Oxfordshire - November 2004

We had found a small dramatic group to join (well, we do enjoy our acting) but were amazed that they were rehearsing for their pantomime, to be produced in March. "Seems a strange time for a Panto", we said. "Ahh"came the reply, "but everyone does a panto in Jan or Feb, so we have to find another time". That may have been the excuse but we quickly realised the real reason was, they were too slow. They had been rehearsing since September and by Feb you wouldn't think they'd done more that a few weeks. However, we joined in wherever we could. They were doing Snow White and I ended up as the voice of the mirror, Sue did props, Jo joined the chorus line and Ian was the queen's guard. Oh, and Ian & I were also stage crew. Sounds OK? Not really. Rehearsals were in a school hall but the performance would be in a village hall. When do we get to see the stage? Not until the week of the performance! Scenery? We're hiring it. Props? Make them. So at last something we knew about. Finally, the Sunday before the performance, we all turned up at the village hall to be met with chaos. The stage was a dumping ground for old junk (caretaker says "sorry" and if we move it he will chuck it out) and the scenery needed a lot of work to modify and correct the fixings. We also had a backdrop to fix up, so we spent the whole day preparing things. Those not involved in stage work, or fitting up the lights, did a bit of rehearsal. Finally, when I thought we were ready for a technical rehearsal, they announced that we had to be out of the hall, so a frantic clean up and we were away. We hadn't actually tried any of the scene changes! Oh, thought I, we'll just have to do it at the dress rehearsal. Wrong! We couldn't have the hall for dress rehearsal (I found out later they didn't think they could afford it) so we were back in the school hall. So, on Friday night, for the opening performance, the poor stage crew had to attempt the scene changes in front of an audience with no practice and no room to move! Great fun. I had plotted the moves, worked out how the scenery had to be stacked to get to the right bits at the right time etc. etc. but it was still a learning curve. It didn't help the first change that I was "performing" as the mirror but that was only for about 75% of the scene, so I was able to rush back stage, only to find the crew having problems with two bits of scenery. Unfortunately, the stage manager wasn't watching us, he was watching for the end of scene and, as soon as the actors were ready, he started opening the curtains! There we were, 3 guys holding up the scenery while a 4th tried to tie it together and the curtains were opening! Yells of "Not yet you ….." were no doubt heard by the audience. Well, it was an amateur performance, so what did they expect? We got through it but vowed never again.

Our Boat - Gold Gem III

At Easter, we decided we wanted to do something different. So we hired a boat on the Norfolk Broads for the weekend. The weather wasn't too bad (cold at night) but we managed to enjoy ourselves for 4 days, traveling as much of the Broads as we could in the time and, of course, finding a pub for Dinner each night. On Easter Monday, my brother with his family and my sister, who had mum & dad staying with her, and three of her children joined us for dinner at a very nice pub in Horning. So we managed to make it a family time as well

After Easter, I had got my first piece of work, a contract with a bank in Kenya. Unfortunately, they could only afford me for 3 weeks but anything is better than nothing. Besides, Kenya should be warmer than UK. That's what I thought but I was only half right. While I was away, the rest of the family enjoyed wonderful weather. I, on the other hand, got to Kenya in the middle of the rainy season! I really had intended to get out at the weekend and see the game park near Nairobi but the weather beat me. The second weekend saw the worst rain they had seen in about 30 years! The highest rainfall was recorded outside Nairobi at 120mm in 3 days. Meanwhile, I can tell you that the inside of the Nairobi Hilton is warm and dry and very uninteresting!

It was about this time that Ian found out that a) he hadn't been accepted for the Police and b) Falcon games didn't need him any more. He had been working for them as a temp but after 6 months he almost felt like permanent staff. Then Jo decided that she was fed up with the company as well and the way they had treated her brother was the last straw, so she resigned. She had a "Master Plan" that she had been thinking about for some time. She was going to go to Cyprus and get herself a job there. Good plan? Well it would have been if either our home there was closer to the sea or Jo could drive. As it was, the best job she could get (from here) was as receptionist at our normal Diving centre. Just the sort of thing she wanted but Cyprus salaries aren't good. She was offered ₤100 per week but the cheapest accommodation she could find would cost her ₤125 per week. Huh? Jo admits she's not good at maths but even she could work out there was something wrong with that sum. In the end, Jo went to Cyprus anyway to see what she could get "on the ground" as it were. She had a lovely time but couldn't get any work, and then we turned up for the "family" holiday, so she gave up the idea.

Sunday Lunch at the Chalk & Cheese

We all had a wonderful time in Cyprus, with our friends Allan & Janis, their son Jonathon (the two girls fought over him!) and another old Abu Dhabi friend, Helen (old friend, not old Helen) plus Janis's mum and dad. We did lots of silly things, like picnics in the forest and go-karting, as well as the usual BBQ's, swimming etc.

You may have noticed that I haven't mentioned Nickie yet. The reason is, she was working hard on her final year at Newcastle. Which meant, by the time we went to Cyprus, she was finished and, horror of horrors, waiting for "The Results". It seems only yesterday but it was 3 years ago that we had the same situation while she was waiting for her 'A' levels. This time seemed worse because the results would be posted on the board at Uni, and posted to her at home, but we weren't there to receive them. Eventually, she got that long awaited phone call from a friend, to say she had received a 2:1 in Politics! At last, time to celebrate. Just to add to the excitement, it was Nickie's 21^st birthday as well, so we had a party. Well, what else?

While we were in Cyprus, I got a call from Abu Dhabi to ask if I would go there on a contract for holiday relief. I had to go back to UK to attend Nickie's graduation and we had planned a family party to celebrate that and her 21^st, so I agreed to go at the end of July. Janis & Allan offered me a bed in their villa for my stay, which was a much better prospect than staying in an hotel.

Unfortunately, at this time we had a bereavement in the family. Sue's mum had been unwell all year and had gone into hospital several times. On the second occasion, we found out that she had contracted the dreadful MRSA but nobody told us about it at the time! Finally, at the age of 90, she slipped away in her sleep. I may seem hard for saying it but it was a blessing in disguise. However, the funeral had to take precedence over my trip abroad, because Sue needed me to be here with her.

Nickie with flat mates Jane & Kat

So we had the graduation ceremony in Newcastle and a party at home, followed a week later by a funeral, then I escaped to Abu Dhabi. Escaped? Oh boy, I'd forgotten how hot it can be there in the summer., and this was July, the hottest part of the year. I must have been mad.

Meanwhile, what of the others? Well, Ian & Nickie had signed up with temp agencies and were getting some work but Jo had made a decision to change her life. She has always been good at massage, so she found a course on Aromatherapy, Reflexology and Massage at Hitchin College and had signed up. As the other two finish their education, Jo started again. At this time (Nov) she is doing extremely well (near if not at the top of the class) and is proving that this was the right decision.

I spent 8 weeks working in Abu Dhabi and then flew to Cyprus on my way home. We had offered to take mum & dad to Cyprus for an autumn holiday, so I spent 2 weeks decorating our bedroom and putting up stair and hand rails to accommodate dad. Sue flew out with them at the start of October and we had 2 weeks holiday. Well, they had a holiday; Sue thinks we worked harder than ever. I can only say that by brother's comment on how good and relaxed mum looked made it worthwhile. By the way, Sue asks that I point out that she is holding MY ice cream while I take the picture. NOT that she is eating 2 of them. OK?

Ice Creams on Paphos sea front

While we were away, Ian got a call to go to Abu Dhabi for an interview. He'd applied for several graduate training schemes, especially abroad (he doesn't like the weather either) and this company sent him a ticket. At the moment, he is still there, staying with Janis & Allan (what good friends they are) and waiting for news of the interview as well as sending his CV round to as many people as he can find. We are expecting him back for Christmas, but who knows?

I had hoped to be going back to Abu Dhabi on another contract but nothing has come up yet. Meanwhile, I've applied for several jobs and keep my fingers crossed. Sue has also applied for a few. If she gets a job first, I will have to become a house husband!

So that has been our year. Not very exciting but I've had enough excitement over the last few years, so I don't mind boring too much.

Do have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We'll be in touch again, that's a threat promise.