As is the way of things the corporate world usually celebrates xmas well before the event. Shops for example start celebrating in September whereas corporate staff xmas dos begin early November. Gail's workmates organised a party in Manchester, in a tent, with other companies, for what turned out to be a windy and perhaps less than ideal time. I am assured however that the night was a good one... I didn't go / wasn't invited......
The girls below are Clair Helen Kim Laura and Gail, I think about 20 staff people went. I am told the entertainment was sort of okay but the food was ordinary and the drinks pathetic as was the service. I didn't miss much but it was mostly about having a time with colleagues so I guess that was the good bit.
What I was involved with was the overnight arrangements for a mate of mine from the 90's. Phil Crisp and I once attended an extended educational event in Sydney where we shared many a day and night and a lot of weekends together but regretfully not many since then. Anyway other than a brief visit to his coastal retreat in 2007 we have not caught up. He is not a traveller by nature but his new love, Lizzy, is and as they were touring the European and UK shores we demanded they spend a while with us. A great night and day were consumed in Wetherby with walks and meals and endless chat.
For those of you who know I write for fun may be interested to learn Pete Etheringham and I were chosen as in the top ten Yorkshire Ghost story writers by the Harrogate Library. Pete got third and I was in the top ten. this is a photo of us in a bar in Harrogate celebrating our win with a photo op and a little drink. Gail and Hanah also came along.
One of the joys of living in Wetherby is the nice folk we have met. In this photo are Rob and Angela on the floor with their dogs LuLu and Iforget, Clare's hand can be seen patting another Iforget and Paul is sitting next to Gail behind the beer bottle. The room is in Wales. At the foothills of Mt Snowdon, as in the following pic. They invited us to go and stay with them for a long weekend. What a fantastic time we had. Nights together partying and days they went dog walking on beaches and Gail and I went other places in Wales we had never been to.
These shots are of Portmerrion which is a wonderful quirky place built to a small scale but capturing all sorts of european architecture. It is pretty and you can rent rooms.
We had a fantastic lunch in the 5 star hotel and as it was mid week and mid winter the crowds were not there. It was a wonderful day out and I can recommend it.
As I said, we all caught up at night and this particular night it was Angela's birthday so we went to a great little bistro in a nearby town (Betswy-coed) for another fantastic meal. Around the table are me Clare, Paul, (some welsh git at the table behind us) Angela Rob and Gail.....
The river ran past the front of our little rented holiday home, just across from the railway line. The Ffestiniog railway was not that railway but one in Portmandog which used to pull all the slate down from the mountains to the port. It is now a tourist line but on the day Gail and I went it was a Santa Train with elves, mulled wine, champagne and mince pies all dome in Edwardian dress. We took lots of shots but these give a sense of the day
The Wales holiday was only three days and four nights and finished all too soon . There were many fine memories not the least of which were the ales shared in front of Pub fires in the Welsh valleys... A very comfortable way to idle away the hours.
And all too soon the Real xmas days were on us. Being away from home does mean these days are rather nicely spent with just the two of us but in a sort of tradition now, David and Carolyn, Gail and I share Xmas eve dinner.
This year it was Gail's turn to do the dinner and we ordered in a ham from a famous London butcher (online delivered to the door) who supplies meat to the big name chefs , and us. We had a very happy time and Gail and I both enjoyed the next day using our presents, Gail bought herself a cooking thing and I bought us a new music machine as the one we carried over from Australia didn't like the trip much and had been getting quite ill. The new one is tiny but much better, and does Ipod..... we don't have Ipods.
Some of you may know my Birthday falls around xmas and this is me having breakfast specially made from special birthday ingredients delivered in bed. YUMMY!
Finally, and simply because I am proud of the installation, here is our new kitchen tap. While we were quite happy with the old tap it leaked and they don't make replacement washers for it so you have to buy the whole ceramic valve, special brass enclosure and neoprene rings and flanges assembly, one each for hot and cold...I already did it once... it really was cheaper to buy a whole new tap. So I did, on line, delivered free, with all the gubbins and this one has replaceable O rings sealing the ceramic disc..... Looks good don't you think?
The girls below are Clair Helen Kim Laura and Gail, I think about 20 staff people went. I am told the entertainment was sort of okay but the food was ordinary and the drinks pathetic as was the service. I didn't miss much but it was mostly about having a time with colleagues so I guess that was the good bit.
What I was involved with was the overnight arrangements for a mate of mine from the 90's. Phil Crisp and I once attended an extended educational event in Sydney where we shared many a day and night and a lot of weekends together but regretfully not many since then. Anyway other than a brief visit to his coastal retreat in 2007 we have not caught up. He is not a traveller by nature but his new love, Lizzy, is and as they were touring the European and UK shores we demanded they spend a while with us. A great night and day were consumed in Wetherby with walks and meals and endless chat. 
