We hope this message finds you safe and well and you have had an enjoyable 2024 with some relaxing family time and hopefully managed a vacation or two.  

We wish you all a happy Xmas spent with your family and friends .  With our best wishes for a prosperous 2025.

Well 2024 was a momentous year as the class of 65 all attained the age of 70.  Graham's birthday fell on Jan 27th.  The children kept him occupied throughout the day with early morning golf; a leisurely lunch; followed by afternoon skiing.  The surprise evening party at Tewinbury Farm was attended by friends past and present including a total of 6 members of the class of 65!

We are both well and still enjoying retirement with the many activities we take part in with family, friends, hobbies, holidays and relaxation.  The grandchildren still occupy much of our time and energy!  Devon is now 9 and loves football and dodgeball.  His thirst for knowledge is great and for a new hobby he requested his grandpa invest in a formicary.  On the choice of queen ant he already knew which sub-species would fare best in the new nest.  Thea has just started her first year at school after reception.  She is following in her cousins footsteps with her reading and writing.  They are both exceptional with Devon having a reading age of 15.

We are still active volunteering with The Barn Theatre; RDA; and Woodland Management in our local SSSI where we, mainly Fiona, walk Rosie every day.  Following the demise of the oak and ash tree 2 years ago Graham has now processed the trunks into boards and posts.  These have started to be further processed into "Product" - candle sticks, bowls, tables, eggcups, spurtles, honey drizzlers etc.  All this is achieved in his new Man Shed complete with lathe, bandsaw and pillar drill to name but a few tools.

At 2 Xmas markets this year Graham started selling these items which has helped with the investment in kit but also generated donations for the Wood Wardens.

Fiona continues to support productions at the Barn Theatre.  She did one play this year  "Home I'm Darling".  With a very good cast, the local reviews raved, and the show sold out most nights.

In early April we were visited by our good friend Kenichi, who stayed with us in the 1980s as an exchange student from Hiroshima.  He brought his middle son Ao to see the UK and practice his English.  It was a flying visit of a few days as part of a bigger trip.

For the second year in a row we failed to get Glastonbury tickets and at the moment do not have tickets for 2025.  We made up for the missed event with visits to "The Isle of Wight" and "Latitude" festivals.

Our trip of the year was a 5 week journey to Javea in Spain where we had hired a villa for 2 weeks.  In the first week friends visited for a bit of golf; a lot of dining; and reminiscing over more than a few glasses of vino.  The family arrived for the second week to continue the 70th celebrations. 

The journey through France and Spain took us from Brittany to Bergerac onto Biarritz via "The Caves of the Dordogne" with friends also on their way south.  Then onto Bayonne, San Sebastian, Bilbao (Guggenheim Museum), Pamplona, Haro and finally Madrid.  21 days to get to Javea and 3 days to return.  Total trip of 3,000 miles in the car and 150 miles on the bikes.

My mum's brother, Niven, emigrated to Australia in 1964 and never came back.  So, a family connection was lost.  We repaired this loss in 2016 when we visited my cousin Johanna and her family in Oz.  This year after years of planning Johanna, with her daughter Bree, visited the UK for the first time.

The trip was always planned as a family journey through the past.  We visited places with links to our Scottish heritage through Edinburgh, Bass Rock, Fraserburgh, Elgin, Inverness, Croic, Stornaway, Callanish, Breasclete, Butt of Lewis, Skye and back to Edinburgh.  Whilst on the Isle of Lewis we visited the now derelict family croft, which we held from 1818 until 1928.  

On the way we enjoyed The Tattoo, The Fringe and Edinburgh Castle.  Our visit to the The lighthouse Museum at Fraserburgh was very special as they knew the history of our great grandfather and told us he was one of the most famous lighthouse keepers in Scotland.  This brought tears to our eyes and a commitment to build something with his memorabilia in the museum.

In London the family took much pleasure in showing Johanna and Bree our beautiful city.  On their last weekend we took in the Olympic Park, ABBA "Voyage" and a final meal overlooking the Thames at the Oxo Tower, very special.

As the summer waned we spent the last week of August with the grandchildren at Durdle Dor for a quiet beach and activity break.

The final chapter of the house subsidence saga started late in the year.  The project manager visited the site and announced the kitchen floor has to be replaced and that means you will have to move out!!!  With an initial plan of 5 weeks the insurance company provided us with a 6 acre farm in the middle of nowhere.  Stunning views, great walks, nice pubs.  But miles from anywhere and single lane tracks to go anywhere.  Graham cycled everywhere and managed nearly 1,000 miles in the 9 weeks, yes 9 the project was inevitably delayed.

We have just moved back in.  We have most of the house back to normal.  A snag list is being managed going forward.  Looks like next year to finish!!

All is well as Xmas approaches and we look forward to an enjoyable 2025 and Fiona's turn at turning 70.

Best wishes.

Merry Xmas everyone

Graham, Fiona, Natalie, Olivia, Robert, Lyndsey, Devon & Thea