Back to the Future

Rose, getting all confused with a Super 8 movie projector. We managed to find one that is bran new, in its box for more than 20 years at least. Tomorrow night we will have an old fashioned cine evening with Julie, Ed, and Ashleigh. Then I really must get these old films transferred to something digital!

Men are from Mars ...

Polish dancing club

That's our Jools, front row, left

Jools said she was petrified before her group went on stage in a demonstration event where several Polish dancing clubs, including some from other countries (not sure if Poland was there). They did a dance to music from the hit musical Chicago (All That Jazz). Her team/group/troupe have been training individually for ages, and only came together for three rehearsals together. Sorry, did I say Polish dancing? I meant Pole Dancing. The exercise kind. Fancy you thinking it was the other kind. The picture below is Jools flexing some muscle - been a while since I saw Rose doing anything like this!

How others see me

I was tidying up in my study and saw this birthday card received earlier in the year from Julie and Ashleigh. Cheeky rotters. But at least they gave me a little more on top than the reality. Having said that, it is quite strange that since living in the UK, my balding head has not got any shinier, and some days looks decidedly like it has more hair than before. Why is that? Great UK environment? Less stress? Happier at work? No kids at home any more? The jury is out.

Celebration Continues

Mark with his favourite dessert - Rose's Pavlova

To wrap up a week a week of fun things to celebrate my birthday, Julie & Ed, and Ashleigh, came down from Oxford to spend the weekend with us in Worthing. Rose put together a magnificent meal around a Salmon Mousse starter, roast leg of New Zealand lamb, and Pavlova for dessert. Add lots of laughter, some excellent Shiraz compliments of my Uncle and Aunt (Dale & Yvonne) in Johannesburg, and it was a family memory to treasure. What was missing of course was the presence of Michelle, Jason, Rhys and Matt ... which would have made it 100% perfect. It has been a fabulous week, and I have been made to feel very special by all my family.

Ash, Rose, Ed, Julie

First snowball fight

Ashleigh hits a bullseye!

On the same day that we experienced our first English snow, Ashleigh had her first ever sight of the white stuff. The picture is breakfast-time before work, in Oxford, and she has just thrown a snowball at Julie, who looks really happy about the bonding experience. The location is their garden. Photo by Ed

Christmas Day, part one

It has been really fabulous having Jools & Ed, and Ashleigh with us this Christmas. We were woken by our youngest, around (civilised I guess) 8am, with her attempt at reviving the old family tradition of the kids singing carols outside our bedroom, to wake us up for gift unwrapping. She had already made the coffee ... translation: I want my presents! Jools and Ed were finally coaxed up - not morning people at the best of times, and we had a great time exchanging many wonderful and thoughtful gifts. Then a mad rush as five of us had to share the one and only bathroom, and off to a family service at Grace Community Church. The photo above is walking back home after the service.

Then, all hands to work in getting ready for Christmas lunch, which was a huge feast, completely over the top because we all had contributed just so many goodies for the day. We had fun. Lunch came onto the table just as Her Majesty was talking to the nation, and we finally had our Christmas pudding around 6pm. Completely filled to the gills with rich and exotic foods.

Girls will be girls

Julie (the blonde) and Ashleigh (the purple)
in their wigs for a fancy dress birthday party in Oxford
this past weekend. I think they were going as
Marilyn Monroe and Cher, but not in those
clothes... I imagine.

Windy Worthing

The last 24 hours has been much cooler and blustery. The picture is a few weeks old, but was just as windy, as Julie and Ed's hair lend testimony! I learned yesterday that an umbrella is actually a liability, maybe even a hazard, in such windy rain! A good raincoat, hat, and bravely facing into the wind on the walk home is much more sensible. We have looked at our central heating! Not quite sure what to do with it, or even how to turn the thing on ... not that we are ready to do that yet. It seems that Autumn is a bit late this year.

The Uffington Horse

Sunday afternoon and evening -

Walked up the mysterious hill to where the Uffington Horse is located, with the nearby Dragon Hill, where St George may have killed a large lizard in days gone by. Followed by a gentle drive through local villages, and supper at The Fox Pub and Restaurant in Boars Hill, for a relaxing meal with Ed. Jools has gone walkabout in Sotland with her friend Nikki, out from Sydney.