Yes - Christmas greetings to you all!
It is better to give than to receive, and I wanted to share this Christmas thought with you. I could have used a Robin Redbreast singing in the snow, but this is so much more.....satisfying. Apologies to those of you who still believe in Santa, and thanks to Debbie Candy from whom I cruelly stole it (Sorry Debs - hope you don't mind......but it is good, isn't it) and apologies to those of you I have already plagued with it.
News from Mac -
Dull bit first....in 2001 I managed to plug up one of my coronary arteries with lots of gunge and yuck and stuff. No one was prepared to say that it was the residue of years of beer, fags, curries, yorkie bars, kebabs, chinese take-aways, biscuits, fish and chips, coffee, peanuts and crisps - but one has to suspect they might have had something to do with it. Basically I was getting Angina or chest pains, which made Pub crawls very difficult, as I am sure you will appreciate.
Early December 2002 the NHS discovered I was still on the waiting list and that I was still alive. So they performed an Angioplasty - unblocking said artery. I am now free of angina, about 3 stone lighter and the Cardiologist has told me he doesn't want to see me again. (Something I said? He didn't exactly say that he "never wanted to see me again" but...).
So that's one small problem that I can now put behind me. I am on the whole much luckier than the average Sudanese peasant and need to remember it. And I am under 11 stone. (Now I can start putting it all back on again!)
What did I do for the rest of 2003? Errrr.....well, that's enough about me then!
Gossip!
James (Jim) Bunn is engaged to be married! James and Amanda are getting married in March with a separate ceremony in the UK later in the year. I am probably not supposed to announce this in this manner - but I am sure all the society papers in Australia are plastered with it!
Julian and Carolyn Clive had their 20th wedding anniversary! Yes they really are that old. (Problem is, a lot of us were there too...)
Julie Wheeler is now Julie Bryan - Julie and Chris were married in August in the New Forest. Julian, Carolyn and I were on hand to eat the cake. It was a really nice day and we had a lovely time. The cake was nice too. Hot off the press...Julie tells me today that she is "with child" and that Julie and Chris expect the new member of their family to appear in March! Now - that is gossip!
Mark and Sue Steele have a new baby - Master Angus Steele. When I met him he seemed to spend most of the time being carried around by Carolyn Clive - younger Clives should note this tendency in their mother.
The Haunch of Venison got renovated. Its very clean and shiny now! With nice lighting. And lovely blinds. And a very nice electronic till with big bright thingies, just where the old beer pumps used to be, I think. And I'm not saying anymore....anyway - Rupert (the new - or is he the old? - Manager) says its "Chic - but not not pretentious". So there you have it. How can I top that?
I heard from Chris and Angie Sharpe in July. Chris told me to go and have 6 pints on him! But did he send the money? Did he...frankly, these days, if I had six pints I wouldn't be able to remember who they were on.
Nick and Catherine Nobbs are working in Africa for the Red Cross. Nick tells me that they are on a preventative course of drugs for TB, not because they have contracted it but because they ran into someone who had. The bad news is that as part of the treatment they have had to go dry for 9 months (gasp!!). Now - Nick told me that his 9 months are up 20th December. Happy Christmas to you two wherever you are (and don't gulp it as you'll get hiccups!).
Richard Ives keeps reporting in from all over the country. Last reported in Edinburgh although HQ is still in Exeter. I saw Richard in the Summer - and he has abandoned Beer for Red Wine. With some success.
Keith Button has left us for the far north. I was sure he was off to go and look for Noggin the Nog - but he says he's just working for HSBC in Sheffield. It was Buttons birthday a week or so ago and he mailed me to say he was given a talking Dalek! Looks like someones got his measure.
Julie and Bertie Hatt are missing. Well Julie is. I keep exchanging emails with Julie but do we ever see her? We did see Bertie and he says Majesty is consuming wine in the New Inn at £4 a glass. Disgraceful. I will track you two down this Christmas, £4 a glass or not.
What a lot of gossip. I'm all tired out now. Think I'll go an have a nice cup of tea. On the other hand...perhaps its time I went and had a few quiet beers somewhere. Yes, that's a much better plan....hope they are still open!
Happy Christmas to you all - at home and abroad -
and a safe and happy New Year. (By the way - it really is true - Santa
really is d...).