Well yet another
year has gone and I’m not sure where the time has gone.
It has been an
extremely busy and at times, traumatic year. In my last Christmas letter I told
you all about the service review we were undergoing in the Library service.
Well we are now almost one year into the new system, and the most any of us are
willing to admit, is that we survived. Not only have we had the uncertainties
of a new system and new roles, we have also had to get our Libraries (I have
five of them) through the process of computerization. I have done three and the
other two will be going live before Easter.
On a personal
level it has been a very sad year. Stephen’s father died the week after Easter.
He had been ill for a long time, but that did not make it any easier to bear.
However we are now coming to terms with it. I also suffered a loss in the
family as my Uncle died a couple of months ago; again, he had been ill for a
long time but it was a very sad occasion. Thankfully my Grandmother who has
just celebrated her 89th birthday seems to be keeping quite well. We were
able to go across to Southampton for her birthday, and there was a small family
gathering.
The boys are both
doing quite well. Nicholas got a distinction in his BTEC Music Technology and
has taken a year out from University, having decided not to take a place
offered at Bath Spa University. At the moment he works as a sound engineer for
a firm based in Bristol and has been all over the country working.
Christopher
did well in his GCSEs and is now at Weston College doing a 2yr BTEC in Computer
Studies. He has really settled in well. He has also got himself a part-time job
for Christmas, travelling up to Bristol to work in T.K. Maxx, an American based
Department /clothing store.
Part share in this Piper Cherokee
Stephen’s work is
as stressful as ever, but he is now a part owner of a Piper Cherokee aircraft,
so he can fly more than ever, and it is very good for the spirit. He also used
a week of his annual leave helping set up and then run the Air-day at R.A.F.
Kemble. It was a great success and next
year they are hoping for something spectacular. The station used to be the home
for the Red Arrows and as they are having a celebration year in 1999 they are
using Kemble as the main event of the season. This means that major display
teams from all over the world have also agreed to take part.
In February we
had a family holiday in Lanzarote. It was a very enjoyable time and the weather
was hot and sunny; a wonderful change from the drabness of an English February.
We think this is something we could do again just to break up the winter.
Chris & Nick attempt to empty the pool !
However the high
spot was definitely our summer holiday. It was just Stephen and myself and we
went to Virginia and Washington D.C. for the last two weeks of September. The
whole trip was planned by ourselves , even down to booking the individual
hotels. We landed at Washington Dulles Airport and drove to Front Royal, at the
edge of the Skyline Drive, which is a National Park in Virginia. Then we drove
down along the ridge as far as a place called Afton. The hotel there was built
on a promontory and the views were stunning. We stayed there two nights and
then drove across the state to Williamsburg, the Historic capital of Virginia.
We had three wonderful days there, sightseeing, shopping and generally soaking
in the atmosphere. Then we drove up through Delaware and Maryland to Baltimore.
We sampled the American portion sizes
Perhaps the most spectacular part of the journey was driving across the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel system, it has to be experienced. We stayed
two days in Baltimore, seeing the National Aquarium, having boat rides around
the harbour and visiting a book fair. It was then time to head for Washington.
It was an experience we will never forget. We saw all the tourist sights and
spent a whole day at the air and space museum. We were lucky enough to be able
to visit some friends, Dick and Elminda while we were there, and were thrilled
to see how well Elminda was progressing after suffering from a stroke earlier
in the year. Unfortunately we did not get to see some other friends, Ronnie and
Steve, because of a problem with the postal service, but as we have both fallen
in love with this part of America I hope we will be able to remedy that
situation in the reasonably near future.
I am still being
a glutton for punishment and am now half way through doing my MA. With any luck
I will complete it in the year 2000, just in time for my Silver Wedding
celebration.
We are both
looking forward to the new year and are hoping to go to Florida in May, as
Stephen wants to do another course for his flying, and I will be getting
withdrawal symptoms from the Malls by then. The boys have not decided where
they are going this coming year, but I think they will probably opt for
holidays with friends.
The work on the
house is still progressing. We have now done all of the hard work inside, or
rather Stephen has done all the work and I keep him fed. He and the boys have
also enlarged the drive and have completely recovered it in brick paving. It
looks very professional, but was extremely hard work. Anyway we can now get
Nick’s car onto the drive. Next summer Chris will be 17 and he is saving to get
a car , but he will have to park on the road, as we have run out of room for
expansion.
Anyway I had
better close for now. It is so lovely to hear from all our friends at this time
of year. A Happy and Peaceful Christmas to everyone and a Prosperous New Year
