| Saturday 31st December 2005 | ||
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Felt
Ruff. Got up late again (10am) I felt ruff. I got some water and some tea. I couldn't drink the tea. Watched TV with Dad but after about an hour or so I was sick and had a really bad headache. We looked through lots of old photos with Dad. Found some old school photos and one of us on Brighton pier when I was a kid. I went off for a sleep just for about 15minutes and then felt much better, but then Andrea had a headache. Left Dads about 1pm. Got home and Andrea was feeling ruff so she went to bed and tidied up the house a bit and then went food shopping. I got back about 5.45pm and we had a nice evening together. Andrea made a lovely dinner and we had some nice crab cakes for a starter and I made chicken and chorizo for main. After we had done some cooking we prayed for 2006 and gave thanks for 2005 which was good. Watched a film called little voice and then watched some of the Jules Holland thing which was pretty naff. Then we watched the BBC for the London fireworks which were totally amazing. Popped a bottle of Asti and had a toast. Then went to bed about 12.30am |
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| The-Gunnells.com | ||
| Friday 30th December 2005 | ||
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Looked
at Kitchens Got up very late today (10am) and had some breakfast. Then we went to magnet and Wickes to look at more kitchens, found one we'd liked. Came home and pottered around for a while, then we drove to Dads about 4pm. Had some coffee with and chat with Dad and then he drove us to the bowling alley in Purley for about 6.45pm. Dad and Paz were already there playing pool. Then Pringle came followed by Andy + Vicki, Dawson, Sally, Doug, Laura + Becky and Leila. Started bowling at about 7.30pm. Billy turned up about 9.00pm. Had a couple of games I didn't do very well on either games. At about 9.30pm Dad picked us up and took Andrea, Billy, Dawson and Me to the Kabada restaurant in Coulsdon. That was really empty, so we pretty much had the place to our selves. 14 of us all round a nice big table, which was really good as you could talk to everyone. Ate lots of yummy food and left about 12.30am. We walked home which was nice. And sat up chatting with Dad for a bit before going to bed about 1am. |
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| The-Gunnells.com | ||
| Thursday 29th December 2005 | ||
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Looked
at Kitchens Got up late and went to have a look at kitchens at MFI and Homebase. Potter around for the rest of the afternoon and then we went to pick up Chippy at about 4.30pm to go to Sally's in Walthamstow, London. We got there just after 6pm and were the first to arrive. Atkins and Sam came over. Sam was 8months pregnant. Then Alex and Micah turned up and Roger as well. Had a good evening played some cranium and we did one of the quizzes I had done for Christmas. We left a bit before midnight and Andrea drove me Chippy and Alex home. Got in about 1am |
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| The-Gunnells.com | ||
| Wednesday 28th December 2005 | ||
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Joan's
78th Birthday Joan's 78th Birthday! Got up late and had our breakfast etc. Then we went to the Brighton Pavilion for the 11.30am guided tour. That was really good. Dad and Joan enjoyed it as well. After that we went next door to the Italian restaurant for some lunch at about 12.45pm which was really nice. Then we walked down to Brighton pier and had a stroll round there. Got home about 3pm Andrea quickly decorated a cake we'd bought from Sainsbury's for Joan's birthday and we all had some of that with coffee as well. Very nice! Dad and Joan left at about 4.30pm and the rest of the day unpack and chilled out. |
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| The-Gunnells.com | ||
| Tuesdays 27th December 2005 | ||
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Back
Home to Brighton Packed up the car in the morning and we drove back to Brighton. There was loads of snow as we lefts Dads, but none in Brighton. Got home and unpacked the car and then Dad and Joan arrived shortly after that. Then we all drove up to Anne and Mikes and got there about 11.30am. Juliet, Jamie and the kids were there already. We opened some more pressies and had a lovely lunch. In the evening we played a couple of quizzes and trivial pursuits as well. We left about 10.30pm. Dad and Joan stayed over the night. |
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| The-Gunnells.com | ||
| Monday 26th December 2005 | ||
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Anne
and Mike go Home Anne and Mike went home in the morning and Andrea, Me, Dad and Joan had the left overs from Christmas dinner for our lunch. After that we went for a nice walk on farthing downs. When we got home we watched "Once Upon A Time in the West" which was OK but a bit weird. At about 8pm we went over to Jill and Adrian's for the Evening. That was pretty good. Nick was there and so were Mike and Nancy. We did a quiz and played some give us a clue as well. |
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| The-Gunnells.com | ||
| Sunday 25th December 2005 | ||
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Springfield
Church Christmas Day Service We got up about 8.30am. Mike had gone out for a walk. Had breakfast and then we all went to Springfield church at Wallington Girls School. Got back home and then Clare, Dee and Ali turned up about midday. Ali did a big poo on the kitchen floor! We then spent the afternoon getting lunch all ready and ate about 2pm. Ian phoned just after we finished lunch to say happy Christmas and that he had proposed to April and she had said yes. It must be the day for it as I got a text saying that Tall Paul and Vicky had also got engaged. Then we all sat round the tree in the lounge and opened all our pressies. That ran into my birthday at 6pm where Andrea revealed the cake she had made for me. It was a bear Yule log cake! Very nice. So I opened birthday pressies and then we went out side to set off some fireworks. That was good and one of the rockets didn't go up so exploded on the ground right by us! Very exciting but a bit dangerous! Then Clare and Dee and Ali went home and Jill, Adrian and Nick turned up about 8pm and we did the quiz that Andrea and I had made. That was a good evening and they left about 12.30am |
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| The-Gunnells.com | ||
| Saturday 24th December 2005 | ||
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Anne
and Mike Arrive
Played Who Wants To Be a Millionaire |
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Got up late, had breakfast etc. We had a pretty leisurely morning. Played who wants to be a millionaire at lunch time with Dad and Joan. Anne and Mike arrived at about 4pm. We had some nibbles and planned out the time table for preparing dinner the next day. We ate the chilli I made for dinner and after that we all played who wants to be a millionaire. |
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| The-Gunnells.com | ||
| Friday 23rd December 2005 | ||
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Steve
Cook Finishes Work on Car
Drive to Dads - Auntie Joan was there To Merly and Paul's Party in the Evening |
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| Got up late and took the car to Steve's to finish off the work he was doing. I had to go to the ford garage first to pick up the accelerator cable. He finished that off all OK and then we went to Sainsbury's to get a couple of last minute bits and pieces. Then we went back home to pack up the car and drove to Dad's. Got there about 4pm and Joan was already there. At about 8pm we went across the road to Meryl and Paul's place as they were having a Christmas party for all the neighbours. That's was good and we stayed until about midnight. She was very good with her. | ||
| The-Gunnells.com | ||
| Thursday 22nd December 2005 | ||
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To
Steve Cook's to replace Glow Plugs
Made a Chilli Atkins Popped Round to Swap Presents |
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| I went off to Steve Cooks place for him to replace the glow plugs in the ford fiesta. That took a fair while to do. Especially with Peter and Rosanna helping! Steve also noticed that my accelerator cable had nearly worn right through so we arranged to that as well. I was meant to meet up with Dave Treener at 3.30pm but I phoned to cancel as there was so much stuff to do. I made a chilli in the afternoon and put all 4 chillies in without de-seeding them. This made it a little hotter than I had intended! Atkins came over in the afternoon for a bit. She gave us our Christmas present from her and Minton. We got some winter Pimms and a Jamie Oliver cook book. So we cracked open the winter Pimms which was nice. She stayed a couple of hours and we put up the Christmas tree. In the evening we put our feet up | ||
| The-Gunnells.com | ||
| Wednesday 21st December 2005 | ||
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Christmas
Shopping in Town I Dropped Andrea off at 7am, as usual. Came back and pottered around at home for a while and then went out and did some more Christmas shopping. That was a success apart from not being to find any Christmas tree lights! Madness. No where in town had any left. I bumped into Tall Paul and Toby in town which was nice. Then I went off to Anne and Mikes for lunch which was really nice. I got a call form Andrea at about 1.30pm to say she was on her way home, so I picked her up form Brighton station about 2pm. I went out and did a big Christmas food shop at Sainsbury's while Andrea made my birthday cake. In the evening Andrea made a nice chicken casserole and then we went to watch the burning the clocks do on the seafront. This is an annual event which marks the winter soltice. It involves loads of the local school children making paper laterns which are lit up with electic or with candles and they march through town accompanied by people playing drums etc. The procession ends on the beach halfway between the marina and the palace peir and all the laterns are then burned and some fireworks are set off. We're not much into these pagan festivals but I must admitt the firework display, although short is amazing!. |
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| The-Gunnells.com | ||
| Tuesday 20th December 2005 | ||
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Andrea's
UCL Christmas do
Christmas Shopping in Town |
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| Andrea had her works Christmas do today. I dropped her as normal at the station at 7am. Came home, pottered around doing some tidying and read my bible and prayed. Then I went to town to do some Christmas shopping. That was quite successful, but felt a bit rough all day. I then went back to the druids to finish off fixing their PC. Then I came home and watched "Aliens" Picked Andrea up about 10.30pm then came back home and watched the end of the film. | ||
| The-Gunnells.com | ||
| Monday 19th December 2005 | ||
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Run
Druids to Fix PC Drink with Adrian Spencer |
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| Dropped Andrea off at Moulsecoomb and then went for a run. Good run, I found it a lot easier than on the Saturday. About lunch time I went to the Druids and spent the rest of the day sorting out their PC till about 6pm when I picked up Andrea. I went to meet Adrian Spencer from church at the Black Lion pub at 8.30pm. That was good. Great to get know him a bit better. Home about 10.30pm | ||
| The-Gunnells.com | ||
| Sunday 18th December 2005 | ||
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Dad
for lunch
Druids with Dad Candle Light Carol Service |
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| Andrea was singing at church this morning so she took the car early and then I got a lift form the top of the foot path form Anne and Mike. I went to Tesco before church to get some mince pies for the candle light carol service. We did the tea and coffee after the service and then went home. Dad came for lunch at about 1.30pm and we had some lovely butternut squash macaroni cheese. Andrea went to singing practice at 4pm. I and Dad went to the Druids to meet people to go to the candle light carol service. No one turned up but we had a nice time. We had a Guinness and a nice chat. Saw Tall Paul and Vicky in there. Then we went to the candle light carol service which was good as usual. We all then went back to ours and Dad stayed over. | ||
| The-Gunnells.com | ||
| Saturday 17th December 2005 | ||
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Run
Leaflet Delivering Under 5's Carol Concert with Juliet, Jamie, Ronan and Kian To Matt and Kate's Lord Nelson Pub for Karen's Birthday |
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| I went for a run with Andrea in the morning. Then we were out at midday to Asda shopping. Back for lunch and then out again to deliver some leaflets for the Christmas Carol Service at church on Addison road. After that we went to Juliet and Jamie's and all walked down to church together with Ronan and Kian for the under 5's carol service. That was good and then it was all back to their place for some coffee, etc. At about 7.30pm we went over to Matt and Kate's flat to drop off a Christmas Present for their new born baby Alex. We stayed there for an hour or so. It was nice to see their place. Then we drove down to the Lord Nelson pub to meet Karen for her birthday drinks. Pub was really packed. We chatted a lot to Karen's friend Andy. It was a good night. We lefty them all to it about 11pm and drove to Seven Dials and picked up a pizza came home ate that and then went to bed | ||
| The-Gunnells.com | ||
| Friday 16th December 2005 | ||
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Booze
Shopping in France
Lunch in Calais Home to Brighton |
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| Dad woke us at 8.15am as we were having breakfast at 8.30am! So we got up and had a nice breakfast. There was another guest at the hotel there who was a funny old chap and right boozer by the looks of him, but very upper class with it. Anyway, after breakfast we went to Sainsbury's to get some wine and beer etc. Then we went to the main square in Calais which was good and went for lunch at a nice place there. Then it was back on the channel tunnel and back to Dads. We then packed up our car and pretty much went straight home to Brighton. Got in around tea time. Just unpacked stuff and chilled for the rest of the evening | ||
| The-Gunnells.com | ||
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Thursday
15th December 2005
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To
France! Up early at 6am and we were on the road by 6.45am heading for channel tunnel. Dad drove and we slept. Went straight to Cite Europe for a few bits and then we went to St Omer and had look around which was nice and stopped for some lunch a little café and had omelettes. Then we went to our hotel called Moulin De Lumbre in Lumbre, which was really nice. It was a place that mum and dad had stayed before. It was a water wheel in the building that is the restaurant and the river runs right under the hotel. Got ready for dinner and then Dad came to room to have some wine at about 6.30pm and then we went to have our meal at about 7.30pm. That was fantastic. We sat down stairs first and had gin and tonics and some nibbles and then went upstairs for our meal which was also very nice. Then we went back down stairs for coffee by the open fire. Lovely. Then back to bed about 10pm |
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| The-Gunnells.com | ||
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Wednesday
14th December 2005
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Mums
Anniversary
Lunch at Spotted Cow Stayed at Dads |
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| Packed a bag for a few days and we went to Rustington as it was the anniversary of Mum passing away. Meet at 11.30am at the lamb pub and had coffee together. Then we went and bought a plant to put by mums stone there. Went over and put that in the ground. Dad read Ian's poem as he wasn't there as he was in America. Clare read her poem. Andrea read psalm 23 and I said a prayer which was hard but I did it. Then we all went to the spotted cow for lunch. We sat in the other side of the pub to usual as it was full but that really nice as there was a nice big open fire there. Then we went to a garden centre on the way back and we bought a coconut fat ball thing to put up in the garden for the birds to eat. Left there about 5 I think and went back to Dads. Had tea and watched a couple of nature programmes which was good. Then bed. | ||
| The-Gunnells.com | ||
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Tuesday
13th December 2005
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Went
for a Run
Fixed the Druids PC |
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| Got up at 6am and dropped Andrea off at Moulsecoomb station. Then came back and went straight out for a run round Bevendean. Got back had breakfast and showered and then sat down and did some bible reading and prayed. Then cleaned the bathroom and the bedroom. At 12.30pm I went to the Druids to re-install windows on their computer for them. Came back at 5.45pm to pick up Andrea. Then Andrea dropped me back at the druids while she went to singing practice. I worked on their PC for a bit and then just chilled and watched TV with Chippy and Andrea picked me up on her way home at about 10.30pm | ||
| The-Gunnells.com | ||
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Monday
12th December 2005
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Fixed
Dads computer
Went to WWF to Get X-Box Went To Leathern Bottle with Mark |
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| Had breakfast all together at Dads and then Andrea went off to work. I helped Dad do some stuff on the computer and then had lunch there as well. Then I drove to WWF from Dads to pick up my X-Box which I had left there rather take back on the train with me on Friday. I went to the leathern bottle for an hour with Mark which was nice. Got home around 4pm | ||
| The-Gunnells.com | ||
| Sunday 11th December 2005 | ||
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Stayed
at Dads the Night
Marie Curie Christmas Service |
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| Went to church in the morning and did the tea and coffee after the service. Came home and packed up the car to go to Dads for a night. Got to Dads and had some lunch there. At about 5.30pm or so we went to the Christmas Carol service at the Marie Curie Centre in Caterham where Mum used to go. That was good only the coral singers got stuck on the motorway and couldn't come. They did their best however to improvise. Saw Rosie there who I used to know years ago and went raving with. She is working there doing fundraising. I chatted to her a bit after the do where we had mince pies etc. Looked at the book of remembrance and Dad had put some nice words in there. In the evening we watched a film on TV called "15 minutes" was just about OK. Stayed at Dads that evening | ||
| The-Gunnells.com | ||
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Saturday
10th December 2005
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CAT
Project Litter Picking
Wendy and Cara's for KFC |
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| We had a nice lie in after my two late nights. We got to Davigdor School for about 10.30am to do a HRBC CAT project, of picking up litter around the two schools. We were first there, and then Phillip D and Wendy turned up. Then Paul and Amanda turned up and then others as well. That was OK really. We got a lot done and picked up loads of litter. Did that for a couple hours and then we all got some KFC and went back to Wendy and Cara's flat. That was nice and good to see they're flat. Then we came home and watched a film and just crashed out really for the rest of the day | ||
| The-Gunnells.com | ||
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Friday 9th December 2005 |
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Last
Day at WWF
WWF Christmas Party |
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| Andrea decided not to go to work today so I didn't have to get up at 6am. Had a lie in till about 7.30am or so. Then got up and got ready for my last at WWF as a full time employee. Andrea dropped me off at Brighton station at 8.30am and I caught the train to work. That took 3 hours so didn't actually get in till about 10.30am. Did a bit of handover work till about midday and then database services went to the pub. We went to the inn on the lake and Sarah Addison and her little boy came along as well. Stayed out till about 12.30pm, then did some more hand over stuff and then at about 4pm Michelle did my leaving presentation, which was nice. She had written a ditty. I got an x-box which was pretty amazing! After that a few of us went to the lounge at about 5pm. I stayed till about 8.30pm or so, then went to the WWF Christmas party which was at the borough hall on the high street. It was a good do and I stayed till just before 10.30pm when I got the train home with John Kelland. Also meet another WWFer on the train from upstairs. Hadn't met her before and was weird to meet her on my way home from WWF! The train from Clapham junction to Brighton was really busy but I got a seat next to a couple of talkative chaps one was foreign and a bit weird but the other was OK. Another guy sat down at our little table who was also very chatty so more or less left them all to it. The two guys were going boozing back in Brighton though and invited me along but I thought I'd better not, and got around midnight. | ||
| The-Gunnells.com | ||
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Thursday
8th December 2005
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DSI
Christmas Party
Occam Christmas Lunch Andrea's Young Investigator Talk |
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| Today was my penultimate day at WWF. Got to work and sent out my CV to just about everyone I could think of, then did some hand over stuff till around midday then off for all to Christmas lunch at the Bell and Dragon in Godalming, with Occam (who were paying). From WWF there was Michelle, Andrew, and Mark and also Rachel, Jen and Kelly from the acquisition team. They left a bit earlier than us to go back for a meeting, but we stayed chatting with Occam till around 3pm Lovely grub! Chatted to a new guy at Occam called Nick Mason. Turns out he knows Owen Watkins! Small world. Left work about 4pm and drove home, got changed and then strolled to Moulsecoomb to get a train to waterloo for the DSI Christmas party. Mission train journey as usual but when I finally got there around 8.15pm or so, had a great night. The party was at Somerset house. Well round the back of Somerset house in a very posh marquee. When I got there, there were around 300 people already in there and it was packed. Found the other WWFers (Sarah, Jenny H, Bev, Leila, Janet) and hung out with them. There was a fantastic band there and lots of free champagne and cocktails. Great! I left about 10.15 with Sarah, Bev, Janet to get train home. I got in around midnight. Good evening. Andrea did a talk as one of the 6 runners up in the young investigators competition at a conference in London. She didn't win but did very well to be in the final 6 out of over 100 | ||