HaPpY NeW YeAr 2010
from MaRtIn!
It's that time of year for my annual newsletter.
Last year began with me in the Canaries on Black Watch and ended with me on Braemar in the Caribbean. There were 10 other cruises in between!
The best cruise of all was my month in the Indian Ocean on Discovery. I loved Mauritius, the Seychelles and the Maldives. I was impressed with the magnificent settings of St. Catherine's monastery on Sinai, Petra in Jordan and the Valley of the Kings near Luxor in Egypt.
In January I had to shell out over 22,500 GBP in Capital Gains Tax (CGT) to the Revenue for the sale of my flat in Parkstone the previous January. I still haven't decided what to do with the proceeds. I may visit Gran Canaria this coming February to look for a property.
Also last January I went back to Swindon for the first time in two years. I stayed with Lewis & Kevin and Mike & Stephanie taking in a line dance social with the former and a reunion lunch with the latter.
I visited my father in St. Osyth 8 times (that's over 3200 miles of driving!) including taking him down to Poole for two separate fortnights. He fractured his ankle in the Autumn which has set him back a lot. Visitors to Poole included Mike from So'ton, Sue from Swindon, and Mark from B'ton. I went to stay with the latter in Brighton a couple of times too.
In May I attended an interesting OU weekend in Milton Keynes. I am continuing to supervise one student per year on their course M801, the Computing MSc thesis to keep my hand in.
In September Mike, Brian and I went to see the Alan Titchmarsh show at the BBC Television Centre in West London. The first show with Cilla Black went out live on ITV, whilst the second show with Tommy Steele was recorded for later transmission.
I got back from my month long Caribbean cruise on the 22nd of December. I picked my father up from St. Osyth on the 23rd and we spent 4 nights over Christmas with my brother David and my sister-in-law Pam in Harlow. I may be back there this coming March dog sitting when they both celebrate retirement. I spent New Year with my father in St. Osyth before finally getting home on the 2nd. So please excuse me if I didn't send you a card!
Next week I'm off to Lewes in Sussex to attend a Port Lecturers course. I want to have a second string to my bow when my hips/knees/ankles give up on me!
In March I'm sailing from Singapore to So'ton on Cunard's Queen Victoria. I then have a couple of cruises on the new Saga Pearl II and the old Saga Ruby. In the Autumn I have 5 cruises planned with Fred Olsen including two to the Caribbean where I hope to spend next Christmas and New Year.