|  HOME  |  FOOT  |
1990    1991    1992    1993    1994    1995    1996    1997    1998    1999    2000    2001    2002    2003    2004    2005    2006    

CHRISTMAS 1994

It's that time of year again when we've run out of excuses for not having written to you, so make up for that fact with one very long letter which includes all the high(?)lights of our year.

Michelle has been very busy this year with her dancing.   She started off the New Year with rehearsals for the Judith Hockaday's show at the Wyvern Theatre, which was held during the last week of March.   During the year Michelle has passed examinations set by the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing in Grade II & Standard III Classical Ballet, Grade II Tap, Bronze Tap, Grade III Performers Award, Grade III Modern, and Bronze National, passing all with the highest pass grade.   In March Michelle entered the Bristol Dance Eisteddfod and, although not placed, gained two First Class certificates for National and Modern dance.   In July Michelle participated in the dancing school's National Summer School, where she studied two countries' traditions; dress, exports and dances, which culminated in an examination in September.   In September Michelle was presented with a silver Progress Medal at the Judith Hockaday School of Dancing prizegiving ceremony, and a commendation for her Modern dance.   In October and November she took part in the Rugby Festival of Dance and Drama; this time she danced solos in Ballet, National and Modern (not placed), and was a member of the 'Drum Boogie' group which won the Senior Troupe section.   October also saw Michelle enter an in-school competition in which she came second for a tap dance she choreographed herself.   According to this last year's calendar, Michelle has had 230 dance lessons, plus all those extra lessons which were not written down!

Besides dancing, Michelle also belongs to Central Sounds music group, the school choir and orchestra, is learning to play the guitar, flute and recorder, and was a member of the school's Gymnastics team (which came fourth in the Wiltshire Schools competition), until she had to give this up when a dance lesson changed to the same night as Gym Club.   In May Michelle celebrated her 10th birthday with a party for 20; we played lots of silly games, had loads of food and drink and finished off with disco dancing.   In June Allsorts, one of Michelle's rabbits, was ill and needed an operation and lots of love to make her better.   Michelle played a solo on the flute at the Harvest Festival in September, and for advent at the beginning of December.   Michelle has also gained her 800 metres and Silver swimming awards.   When she has any spare time she goes to school, eats and sleeps.

Needless to say, Mandy acts as chauffeur to Michelle, as well as costume and prop provider, hairdresser and make-up artiste.   Mandy still plays her guitar and sings with Central Sounds, this year playing at Avebury and Trowbridge as well as a once a month service at Central Church.   Mandy's role of Pastoral Secretary means she is kept busy at the computer keeping the various directories, lists and register up to date, as well as being on the 'minutes' rota for Church meeting.   Mandy continues to be plagued with back problems (a MRI scan showed a slipped disc among other problems!), but she continues to take the tablets!!   In June a 4-year old did some damage to Mandy's car - pulled bits off the wheels, scratched paintwork, walked up the bonnet, windscreen and roof! - but the police said there was nothing they could do about it.   As the car is now 10 years old, the cost of these cosmetic repairs would have been more than the value of the car, so the insurance company would have written off a perfectly good car; needless to say, Mandy was furious.   In September Mandy and a friend attended a rather emotional service at Westminster Cathedral in London to launch the start of Teddy Bear Week, organised by the CSSA (Christian Survivors of Sexual Abuse), for survivors and their supporters.

Duncan started the year in his normal way - he describes his role as 'family fund raiser', but in June he was made redundant.   This rather knocked us for six.   After writing over 200 letters to all the employment and computer agencies from Bristol to Reading, and beyond, he found a job he liked - and fortunately they liked him too.   In September, therefore, Duncan started work for Hoskyns (a computer consultancy company) and is now commuting to Bristol each day.   He's beginning to settle in to the work now, and is enjoying working normal hours and no trips to Jersey each week!!   During his 8 week 'holiday' he 'relaxed' in the house and garden catching up on the jobs he'd managed to avoid doing in the past 6 years!

In April Mandy and Michelle organised a little surprise (family) Birthday party for Duncan; it was nice to have a happy time to remember because a few days later Duncan's father was taken ill (thankfully, with lots of care he is well again now).   Duncan still helps out with readings, serving Communion and operating microphones at Church, and continues playing cricket and supporting Swindon Town FC (fortunately (and much to his relief) he'd already bought his season ticket before he was made redundant).

At the end of May we had a holiday in North Wales where we played in streams, climbed Snowdon, and played on the beach.   Michelle attended a workshop and made her own design on a T-shirt; and on a beach on Anglesey she learnt how to fly a two handled kite!   We came back feeling refreshed after having a lovely time.

Other things we've been up to during the year include day-trips to the sea-side (Michelle loved the fun-fair pier at Weston-Super-Mare), pebble-picking at Ogmore-by-Sea, visiting the Science Exploratory at Bristol, seeing the English National and the Moscow Ballet, visiting relations in Newbury (Michelle's most favourite place in the world!), and trekking around the Forest of Dean.   As a reward for all Michelle's hard work and successes, in October we had a day out in London where we visited lots of the tourist attractions and went to see the stage show Cats.   Also in October we visited three schools to see which we thought Michelle should go to next September (here in West Swindon we have a choice of three as the local school is far too small for everybody).   We thought this would be a difficult decision to make, but one school stood out as being well suited to Michelle - she even spent a morning at this school when her primary school had a TD day (she did French, Maths and another subject she didn't know the name of!).   More recently, we had our annual family firework evening when Mandy spoiled everyone with lots of delicious food, and Duncan was the brave one who lit the fireworks.   At the beginning of December Mandy's sister Terri arrived for a visit from Australia, and is now busy trying to catch up on news with friends and family.

As you can see, we've had a very mixed year, but we've managed to keep smiling.   We send our thoughts and wishes to you as we wish you a very Happy Christmas, and a healthy and prosperous New Year.


1990    1991    1992    1993    1994    1995    1996    1997    1998    1999    2000    2001    2002    2003    2004    2005    2006    
HOME       Contact Us       Errors       Introduction       Lea Family       Rabbits       Surnames       Us       Your Photo       TOP