Sundowners for Andy

Andy and I joined IBM about the same time some 26 plus years ago. We both joined in property Services looking after IBM buildings. We also both joined up in the "Back to the Field" call some 23/4 years ago; this was IBM getting non-IT professionals to move into IT. Andy ended up in sales where he had a very successful career and was well respected by all who worked with him. He was one of those who worked hard and played hard; apart form his wife Diana two of his great loves were sailing and the outdoors. Sadly Andy died of cancer almost two year ago. One of his last wishes was that a bench in his memory was installed by the sea at one his sailing clubs.
Thus on Saturday we went to Thorney Island Sailing Club for the unveiling of the bench; designed and built by his uncle, and drink a sundowner or two in his memory.

The plaque

 Diana saying a few words

Max with his son, my Godson Joe

Diaconate Formation

At last I started the formation programme which will, God Willing, lead me to the Permanent Diaconate in the Church. The formal part of this process is a degree course in Pastoral Theology form St. Mary's College, Strawberry Hill (scene of a recent visit by the Pope). This takes place at St.John's Seminary at Wonersh, there is one study day per month, two study weekends each year plus visits to your personal tutor - plus lost of reading. the first study was last weekend. It was very enjoyable except that now the homework starts! A reflective diary, a presentation and a 1500 word essay. If anyone would care to post a 1500 word comment How the letter, Dei Verbum, affects our understanding of the Bible as the "Word of God"  it would be read by me with great interest - complete with footnotes, bibliography etc please!!!

Dietary Update

As I haven't mentioned the diet for several months you have probably guessed that things went slightly askew! From a weight of X stone 10 lbs I managed to achieve x stone 14 lbs - a net gain and not at all what I meant to achieve. There are a whole raft of mitigating circumstances, but dear Oscar Wilde summed it up most succinctly in Lady Windermere's Fan; "I can resist everything except temptation." Matters came to a head last Monday when I went to a formal Catenian dinner and struggled for several minutes before I could do my trousers up! So it is back on the diet which means cutting down on bread, potatoes, pasta etc and no beer although wine is OK. So far I have managed to lose a few pounds, in fact this morning I was x stone 6 lbs although I suspect this may be a false low. Still it is in the right direction at least.

Dropbox

I have just installed Dropbox which is a file sharing application and it allows non Dropbox users to link to files you put in the box, even when your host computer is switched off. You simply put files into the Dropbox public folder on your machine and create a link to them. This Internet stuff will never catch on!
So to test this click HERE and you should see a family photo taken at Helena's graduation. Please let me know if this does/does not work for you.
Many thanks

Back from Devon

Julia and I spent the last 10 days or so down at our lodge in Devon. Despite the poor weather we had a great time. We met up with Mike and Jane, Mike is an old college friend of mine who lives in Exemouth,. We met at the Cary Arms in Babbacombe for lunch; as luck would have it this pub/hotel starred in the Sunday Times Travel Section the following Sunday. It is well worth a visit; not cheap but great beer and good food.

View from the pub

We also saw a great art exibition at Buckfast Abbey, it featured fourteen pictures of the Stations of the Cross and twelve pictures of the Stations of teh Resurrection - well worth a visit although the exhibition closes on September 13.

As always Dartmoor is lovely, as are the animals!

All in all a great few days.

Official Graduation Photograph

At last the official graduation photos.

Trying to trace Pauline ??? (nee Sollitt)

Rather a long shot this one. Julia and I are trying to track down one of our bridesmaids who we lost touch with shortly after she got married (neither of us can remember her married name). Her maiden name was Pauline Sollitt and she went to St. Paul's College at Newbold Revel with Julia all those years ago. This photo was taken at Pauline's wedding (I suspect that like all of us she may have changed in 37 years!)

A Hectic Few Days

Last weekend we had the great "excitement" of the arrival of a new Dyson Vacuum Cleaner (our first Dyson). The last vacuum cleaner had developed a habit of cutting out and you had to wait an increasing length of time before it reset itself. Like most modern appliances it was impossible to take apart to see exactly where the problem lay, that is progress for you. Matters came to a  head when it took me almost 2 hours to clean the car; most of the time being spent waiting. Anyway this machine is awesome in what it sucks up. It is not the quietest or the lightest but it certainly cleans.
Then Helena came down from Hull mid-week for a job interview as a management trainee. Julia went up to town with her (browsing the shops whilst Helena had the interview) and I joined them after work. We met up with Andrew and Gaew and had a couple of drinks followed by (sadly) a rather indifferent meal. Still we had a great evening; it is the people that count.
Friday the bottom fell out of my world as I had a colonoscopy in the evening (too much information). I see the great man this week although he did say that there is nothing seriously wrong; phew!

Sunday a long time American friend, Pat Reilley, came over for the day. I first met Pat in 1997 when I was in the States for six weeks on business writing an IBM Redbook. As I was over for such a long period I made contact with the local Scouts, I was a Scout Leader at the time. Pat was the international adviser and we struck up a good friendship. Pat made a small memento which is now one of my treasured possessions;

Pat had been to Scotland with some American Scouts and was now in London with his grandson, Todd and another scout, Ian. We had a most enjoyable day, we took them to Greenwich showed them the  Zero degrees Meridian Line, the Royal Observatory and then down to the town to see the painted hall in the old Naval College and the local market. Then back home for dinner, a most enjoyable day.

 

Todd, Pat and Ian

The Painted Hall