New Website Feature

I am putting together a family and friends Birthday Calendar so that no-one will be able to say - Sorry,  I Forgot !!! The Calendar is in early development stage, will be totally secure and privateand will only be accessible via a username and password page. I will be sending out requests so if I have got anything wrong or there is anyone else you want added - go to the reply page. I will be sending the user name and password out by email - if you don't get it, I don't have your email address - once again, go to the reply page.

Click here to go to the birthday secure access page

Christmas 2011

The end of yet another year and into the festive season once again. Christmas cards, stocking up the drinks, Christmas puddings, stocking up the drinks, Christmas presents, stocking up the drinks – the list of things to do is endless and exactly the same every year, or is it? Another year older and deeper in ……. Well, Europe is anyway!!

But of course we enjoy it; an opportunity to re-establish contacts, spend time with the family and generally have a good time despite what the papers tell us about the impending gloom and disaster all about us. Us oldies well remember Christmas when we were kids – a stocking filled with apples and oranges, a box of dates, rationed sweets and a wooden toy made by my father – all a far cry from the Wii, Xbox, IPad and computerised demands of the modern generation so don’t tell me how our living standards have fallen!!!

So what are our plans for Christmas and the New Year? Well, it’s our turn to be with Rhian, Guy and the boys this year so on 4^th I’m off to Maidenhead because I have a doctor’s appointment in the week following. Then Isobel flies on 14^th and I have no doubt that there will not be enough hours in the day with Gareth and James about!! Vague plans are in place to visit Newport, Cardiff, ?? St Clares and Kidderminster but no fixed dates yet – apart from Sunday 18^th when I hope to make it to the Port and Stilton morning at Kidderminster Rugby club and visit friends there if time allows.

Talking about Kidderminster, I heard the sad news this week that Dr John Ball passed away last week. A giant of a man both in terms of size and achievement in medical politics. Our sincere sympathy goes to his wife Pam and family. I am fortunate that I will be in the UK at the time and will be able to attend his funeral.

In November Isobel and I had the excitement of a visit to South Africa. We were wined, dined and admirably looked after by cousin Pam (of Dobbins fame) in Johannesburg. The holiday included a visit to a hunting lodge where I shot lots of wildlife - with my camera of course. This was really an opportunity ti live life as the natives because after an electrical storm we had no power and so it was bed by 8pm and up at 5 to be greeted by Kudu, Wildebeeste and wild boar. We also flew down to a magnificent Cape Town to see the spectacular waterfront, spend a day examining the end product of lots of vineyards and enjoy the views from the magnificent Table Mountain. The highlight of the trip was a visit to the Kruger National Park where we stayed in Pam and Mike’s timeshare – words just can’t describe the sights and sounds – let’s just say that it was more than memorable; go to the picture page and share some of the sights with us. We also had the opportunity of meeting up with my other cousin who lives in Pretoria, John Thomas and his partner Sandra. I can’t remember much about the first meeting with him at a BBQ organised by Mike apart from the number of empty bottles that we had to get rid of the following morning. The second meeting was at a magnificent restaurant in a wildlife park where we were admirably fed with Crocodile a l’orange, Ostrich Neck casserole and Kudu steaks!!! All Isobel and I can say is a very sincere thanks to Pam and Mike for putting up with us and looking after us so magnificently.

So, plans for next year? Not a lot in the diary at the moment, but, you know us, it will change at a moment’s notice!! In February, the Kidderminster lads will be picking me up in Maidenhead on our way to Rome to see the Italy Vs England six nations match. As a Welshman I can assure you that I will be shouting – Andiamo Italia!!!

That’s all for now folks. From Isobel and I, we wish you all a wonderful festive season and, despite what the doom and gloom pundits have to say, may 2012 be a healthy, happy and prosperous one for all our family and friends.

Barrie and Isobel

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or click here to go to the picture page

Isobel at the top of Table Mountain

Pam and Mike - our hosts !!!

Anogyra