BarberSASA Xmas Newsletter - 2000

Here we are again. The year has flown by yet again. Looking back I am convinced that we have missed some of the alleged 366 days that have passed since last Christmas. Anyway, with the PO urging early postage 'cos the trains don't run no more, time to put fingers to keyboard again. We have all been busy this year and had no time to develop the web style holiday pictures that we did last year so we resort back to the more traditional newsletter. 'Must do better next year' - but I don't hold out much hope!

The year divided itself into two halves. The first six months were dominated by Susan's studies in the run up to A levels in June. She had decided on a course for Mechanical Engineering at Sheffield University. Grades required were high (A, B ,B) but the reward would be a place on one of the top courses for the discipline in the country.

In order not to disturb the academic studies we did not go away over the Easter/May Bank holidays [they were all close together this year if you recall] and Andrew and I invested our time in lifting the main patio and relaying with new slabs. The area was large (45 m2) and required significant preparation. Buying a small trailer for the tractor enabled us to shift the tons of rubble, sand, concrete and mortar easily up and down the garden. The result has been a great improvement over the old broken and weed-ridden stones - a job we had wanted to complete for some time. We bought a couple of recliners so that we might sit in sunshine in a suitably leisurely way. They have been used only twice as the summer deteriorated into the wettest on record!

Susan's exams ran right through her 18th birthday and she had to delay her party until the end of the month. We hosted a B-B-Q and party for her friends (6th Form from school, Young Farmers from the valley). Over 70 attended - we hired a gas B-B-Q, plenty of crockery, glasses, ordered bread buns, sausages, steaks etc. - a splendid (and boozy) party. Susan was later awarded 'Female Member of the Year' by the Young Farmers.

The summer holidays proved to be just as crowded. Susan fitted in trips to: North Yorkshire (with the school Duke of Edinburgh groups); South Wales canals canoeing as a helper for holidays arranged for handicapped adults; a week backpacking in Scotland (Grey Corries) with me [Simon] (a trip to Cornwall had been cancelled so she could fit me in); two weeks work experience at Merck Sharp and Dohme in Cramlington (she had won this appointment in a school chemistry competition). Andrew has also been away with Bronze expedition for Duke of Edinburgh and a very enjoyable long weekend in London with his grandparents and (Uncle) Jon.

Our own annual holiday was (as usual) two weeks on the West Coast of Scotland. We opted for a backpacking holiday with walks behind Ullapool and across the Letterewe Forest behind Poolewe and Gairloch. The weather was not brilliant - some sunny days but more wet ones. It was relatively easy going and by venturing into some of the less frequented areas we hardly saw a soul during the outings. We were also able to use the Bothies more than before - sleeping in these remote cottages instead of pitching tents. Whilst the high tops have their attractions and rewards, the walks through the remoter glens are a real tonic to the soul.

In August the results were published and Susan learnt that she had achieved the grades she required. There was a push to get all arrangements made for her pending departure. So started the second half of our year - as a family of three instead of four.

Andrew has continued his interest in computing and the internet (his Blondes jokes page is definitely not PC). Susan took our laptop computer (Twiki) with her, so a replacement was ordered (Ziggy) as the remaining PC (Marvin) was not up to the use called upon it. This coincided with AOL offering unmetered access on an 0800 number. The result has been the effective departure of our second child! He is forever upstairs on the computer spanning the world for games and chat.

This is not really fair as he does still keep up with Duke of Edinburgh, tennis (summer), badminton (winter) and his music (violin and piano) participating in the School Orchestra. He has also pushed on with music Theory to Grade V level (got a Distinction) - this means he has no more Theory to do as achieving this level allows him to progress to the higher grades on instruments [hurrah!]. He has now started his GCSE course as these examinations come along in the summer of 2002.

As for our own work this is ticking alongside the children's activities. Angela continues to split her time between Morpeth and Hadston - and also helps out with my own work at Claremont. This has now developed into almost exclusively consultancy type work in creating database and other management based software for a range of clients. We undertook a major project for Loughborough University developing a design management tool - a particularly interesting and rewarding project. Work takes me out and about more than before and has kept me very busy throughout the year - hence the lack of progress in expanding our Scotland pictures.

Susan has clearly got on very well with her first term in Sheffield (judging by the parties, walking on The Peak, in The Lakes and in Snowdonia). She is living in a student hall of residence and I try and call in when passing for a drink, a chat and a meal.

That is about it for this year. We trust that all is well with you and your respective families. We all wish you all the very best of the Seasons Greetings and Best Wishes for the New Year.