A frighteningly early start! Up at 2.30am in order to leave for the airport at 3.30! A short 30-minute drive to the airport. After a lengthy check-in, we headed for the ‘VIP Lounge’ and waited for the flight. We took off a little late and arrived in Brazil around 11ish (allowing for the one-hour difference). …
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Holiday – Day 5 – Ranch Visit
We’re off on another tour today. It’s a full-day trip! We met our Guide ‘Natalia’ in the hotel lobby and we set off. The day was overcast (which was a bit of a surprise as the forecast for lots of sun). It was a long drive from the hotel – almost one-and-a-half hours, but I …
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Holiday – Day 4 (Boxing Day)
We’re on an all-day tour today courtesy of ‘WOW! Argentina. We’re off to San Isidro and Tigre with lunch on a Delta Island. We were picked up just after 9am by Josefina. We initially headed out of the city of Buenos Aires and into the province of Buenos Aires. We spent most of the morning …
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Holiday – Day 3 (Christmas Day)
We had a lie-in! Ann especially was still tired from last night. Must have been the champagne! We exchanged a few of our presents – the rest are at home for when we get back. From Ann Round cufflinks Cufflinks and tie set Coloured handkerchief set To Ann Sony MP3 player ‘Simply Brazil’ CD set …
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Holiday – Day 2 (Christmas Eve)
I think we’re going to have a lazy day today! We had a relaxed breakfast and then decided to have a wander round the town. We stopped of for a coffee and beer in a local coffee house and then headed for the shops! We suddenly realised how UNcommercial Buenos Aires is about Christmas – …
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Holiday – Day 1 – Landing at San Paulo
Hhhhmmm, not a bad night’s sleep on the plane, but my efforts to get extra blankets for each of us was a major challenge. Shame on you BA for your shoddy customer service!!!! Food was good though! We landed at Sao Paulo to let many of the passengers off. This gave us an opportunity to …
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Holiday – Day 0 – Heathrow Terminal 4
We left home around 3pm heading for Ralph and Karen’s. We arrived around 4.30ish. A glass of champagne later and we were ready to load the taxi with all our stuff. Kevin was our driver (an ex-copper, who had plenty of tales to tell of his time in the Service!) We had a good journey …
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Janet looking good…
It was good to hear that Janet was looking and feeling good after her recent bone-cancer treatment. Still some way to go yet, but she’s coped very well indeed. Nice one Jan!!!
Lost Technology!
Excellent! The Sat-Nav software arrived from those very helpful people at O2. It seems to do everything, including speed-camera locations and it also monitors congestion on the roads…
Christmas Meal with John M
John and I went to The Millhouse in Braunston for lunch and to look back on the year. I also test-drove some diesel Volvos in preparation for changing the car next year.
New PDA
My ‘XDA Stellar’ arrived today from O2. Wow! What a piece of kit!!! Everything that my XDA Executive was, but lighter, smaller, more storage space and it’s faster too! Not only that it’s got built in Sat-Nav too! Christmas has come early especially as O2 let me upgrade to it for nothing. See the full …
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The Golden Compass
Jo, Janet, Val, David, Ann and I went to see The Golden Compass at the local Odeon. It’s the Fantasy blockbuster for Christmas and stars Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig and many other big names. The plot? “In a parallel universe, young Lyra Belacqua journeys to the far North to save her best friend and other …
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Christmas Family Lunch
Phew! Thanks to Rosie and David’s help, we managed to clear-up from last night in record time! We have Ann’s family coming from Christmas lunch today – roast turkey with all the trimmings. We all had a great time, as we don’t get together that often… Bev and Jabe helped in the sink with the …
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High Chaparral Party/Latest tech Kit/Young Deer
HIGH CHAPARRAL PARTYToday’s the day of our party! Pity our costumes didn’t turn up in the post though. Tom to the rescue with a spare hat for me!!! Everyone else dressed for the part. Paul was a very convincing Mexican and Tom on his inflatable horse made a welcome return!!! See a larger of the …
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Our Anniversary – 23 years
It’s our Anniversary today. 23 years this year!!! Wed decided to eat in as we have a lot of preparation to do for tomorrow’s party… Pressies this year: AnnTony Benn TapesHeart-shaped hot water bottleShrek III DVDPinky-red gemstone paperweight MeBulgari toiletries set …and as always some very romantic Anniversary Cards too…
Getting in the mood for Christmas
We took a drive up to Leicester this evening to see David and his choir (The Cecilian Singers) in concert. We went last year for the first time and as then, it really got us in the mood for Christmas. The choir was great but the guest artiste – Roger Beaujolais a ‘jazz vibraphone’ player …
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Mum’s for lunch
We drove to Mum’s to drop off the Christmas pressies. It’s the last time we’ll see her until we return from our holiday in the new year. We arrived just before 12.15 – it was a slow journey down because of the weather. Still, the food and service at The Crown was as good as …
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LNG Meeting/Mazza’s
Took the train to St Pancras International heading for Rick’s flat and the last LNG meeting for 2007. It’s the first time I’ve been there since it officially opened. After the meeting we chatted for ages and then headed for the Champagne Bar at St Pancras International after taking a tour round. What a fantastic …
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Meeting at the School
I drove down to Selhurst today for an OCA Committee meeting. A great run down – it took just under two-and-a-half hours. After the meeting finished, I went for lunch at ‘Joanna’s’ with Keith W in Crystal Palace. Met his friend Mascha’. I left there around 3.30 and got home at 7pm – yeesh!
A Lazy Sunday
I didn’t get up until 8! Ann was up at 8.30. Closely followed by Nick and Celina. I guess we all drank too much and ate too much last night!!! Excellent! A full-English breakfast all round and then a slooow read of the Sunday papers. N and C left around 11ish. I then spent an …
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Nick and Celina here/Cats in for grooming
Nick and Celina joined us for the weekend. They arrived just after 2 and are staying with us until mid-morning tomorrow. We took a trip to the Alexandra Arms – a real ale pub in the town centre. We took the cats to Brigstock for their regular ‘comb-out’. Apparently they were difficult to handle (so …
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Last meal of 2007 with David and Val
We went to the Falcon at Fotheringhay with David and Val together with Val’s Mum and Dad, Mike and Rose. The drive over there was atrocious – rain, rain and more rain… and it got worse once we were inside (not the rain!) The food was very good, although the service was a tad slow. …
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Bromley Court Hotel
Met up with Peter, Isabel, Pauline and Margaret from The Old Croydonians at Bromley Court Hotel today. Gosh, I haven’t been there since 197? when I helped run the Effective Teamwork Course for Chislehurst JS. It still looks shiny and new! We had a good meeting and a good lunch although the sight of Waiters …
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Visit John C/Meal with Ian and Mags
I took a drive down to Camberley to meet up John C who went self-employed a couple of years back. Hard to believe that we hadn’t caught up with each other before now! John took me to lunch and I left around 1.45. I came back via the A34 – M40 – A43 rather than …
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Wrapping good time!
Got up at 6 to set about clearing up the kitchen after last night’s ‘do’. As it tunred out, it wasn’t quite such a disaster area as we both thought and everything was cleared up in just over an hour. Caught up with a few Sky+ recordings and then spent a couple of hours wrapping …
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Friends for Dinner
We had Gill, Chris, Denise and Steve round for a Mexican evening. Lamb Chilli, Vegetarian Chilli, Fahijas, Mexican Stew, Cheese melted over Nachos. For dessert, we tried one of Ann’s new desserts – Pomegranete jelly. Everyone had a great time, although we were all falling asleep towards the end of the evening!! There was tons …
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£1527.78!!!!
Ouch! I took the Jaguar in for its annual service today. Last year it cost around 500 quid. Total bill this time round – 1527.78 quid. Yow!!! OK it did need four new tyres…and it did need the discs replacing on the front…but it all feels very expensive.
Children in Need – Norfolk, Day 3
I rose a little earlier this morning – 7.30, as we planned to leave by 10. We had a light breakfast, said our good-byes and were on the road just before 10. A quick-turn round once home as I had to then drive to Manchester in preparation for work tomorrow. Next year, I’ll ensure I …
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Children in Need – Norfolk, Day 2
We slept in as we were wrecked! Up at 8.30 to a beautiful morning and the sound of screaming kids! Down to breakfast for 9.30 – a ‘full English’ – lovely! We then cleared up and headed for a brisk walk along the beach. A mammoth walk (by our standards) as we were out for …
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Children in Need – Norfolk, Day 1
We popped in to Lee and Bertie’s on our way to the neighbours’ Children in Need weekend in Norfolk. This year (our first time), the theme is ‘Bollywood’. We arrived at L and B’s around 1.30, had a great lunch with them and generally chilled out. Just before we left, we handed over Lee’s birthday …
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