A quick half-year update

Posted on July 20th, 2008 by bryan.
Categories: General, Holidays, Theatre.

We’re now well into the second half of 2008, so I thought I’d write a quick update about some of the things we’ve been doing over the past six months:-

  • Graeme and I moved into a new flat. It’s just along the corridor from our last flat, but it’s much bigger - there is actually room to swing a cat (maybe even a tiger)! On the whole, it was a good move, although we could do without the noisy kids playing outside and the floor that has a bad habit of flooding and lifting. The joys of London living.
  • We spent three weeks in South Africa, visiting Graeme’s parents in Jo’burg, Cape Town, Kruger Park and Pretoria. The holiday was amazing, as the 2,500 pics prove. I’ve only managed to upload a hand-full (click here), but the rest will follow - over the next few months. I’ve been wanting to go to SA for years, and it really was the holiday of a life time - but we will definitely go back.
Enjoying the sun, sea and sand of South Africa

Enjoying the sun, sea and sand of South Africa

  • We’ve had a few visits from our respective sisters (Gillian and Lesley). I miss my sister a lot, so it’s always fun to catch up - even though we struggle to find new things to do. It’s not through lack of choice, it’s just that we have different tastes and neither of us can make a decision! We also had a visit from my dad, who was in town for the London Marathon.
  • Graeme joined the London Gay Men’s Chorus (LGMC), which is keeping him out of mischief. He’s really loving the opportunity to meet new people and to perform, so far in two of London’s top venues - Leicester Square and Cadogan Hall. Both shows were excellent and I am hugely proud of him.
  • I finished and passed my company secretary exams, which means that I’m finally a Graduate (and eligible to become an Associate) of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA). My previous blogs testify that the exams were not the easiest in the world, so I’m glad to have that all behind me.
  • I started a new job just after we got back from South Africa: it’s a similar role, but working for a bigger not-for-profit organisation. It means a slightly longer commute, but it really was time to move on from my former employer: I’d been there for three years and I needed a new challenge. I miss my old work colleagues, though.
  • Graeme and I enjoyed a weekend in Cardiff, the hen and stag party capital of the UK - which is not a sentence I thought I would ever write. The pics will follow, eventually.
  • We had a great night out at The Old Vic, where we saw Pygmalion. I am a huge fan of My Fair Lady (and Audrey Hepburn), so it was great to see the ‘original’, particularly in such a unique venue. We’ve not been to the theatre much this year (only two productions: The Lion King and The Mikado), but this definitely made up for it.
  • Finally, Graeme and I joined London Zoo, which means this site will soon feature even more pics of penguins. I apologise in advance.

I don’t think there is anything else - well, nothing worth writing. We’ve bought our tickets for the Edinburgh Fringe, so we’ll be travelling north for 1-10 August - an opportunity to see family and friends and to enjoy some top quality entertainment (The Caesar Twins, Joan Rivers, Russell Kane, etc.). Then it will be back to London and all the good and bad that brings.

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A New Year catch-up

Posted on January 20th, 2008 by bryan.
Categories: General.

Well, it’s only mid-January, but the Festive Season seems like a long time ago. I guess that’s always the case - there is a two-to-three month build-up, but it’s all over in a week or so!

Graeme and I returned to Edinburgh to stay with our respective sisters. There was the usual over-eating and over-drinking, but there was also lots of time to catch-up with friends, see family, sleep, visit the zoo, sleep, shop, act like tourists, sleep … and freeze (oh, my God, was it cold!). I spent Christmas day with my dad’s partner’s family, including the four grand-kids: four boys aged six years and under! It was fun spending Christmas with children, but I was dead after two hours - but I was with them all day!

Graeme’s friend, Tim, was over from South Africa, staying with us in London and then with Graeme in Edinburgh. It gave us a great excuse to behave like tourists again, but I think we all needed a holiday afterwards to recover. I don’t think my feet have ever been so tired.

We had a pretty quiet Hogmanay. Graeme and I went for dinner with his sister and brother-in-law (Tim had by then returned to SA) , before watching the fireworks. The weather was awful, but it gave the evening a great atmosphere; I would have preferred a little less rain, though!

After a couple of weeks, we returned (with a new suitcase filled with presents and Christmas cake) to our new flat in London. We only had a couple of days to move and clean everything, but we got there in the end. The new flat is great - it’s just along the corridor, but it’s probably more than double the size, the furniture is ‘real’ and we have not had anyone sticking their head through our window asking for money! Even better, we have a cleaner - ridiculous, I know, but it means we no longer live in a hovel and it gives me time to concentrate on … work!

Yes, despite a New Year’s resolution to the contrary, I am still working long hours. January is traditionally a busy time of the year, but I just want a break. Things have improved slightly, though - I won’t go into the boring details, but I’m now doing only the stuff that I enjoy. I suppose there are not many people that can say that!

This weekend has been our first alone / relaxing in at least six weeks, so we have taken the opportunity to re-charge our batteries. We didn’t leave the flat yesterday, although we have been a bit more active today.

Well, I think that will do for the New Year catch-up. We are just waiting for the local Chinese restaurant to deliver our dinner - we’re even too lazy to do the cooking!

All the best for the rest of 2008! Bryan x

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Guy Fawkes’ (bonfire) night

Posted on November 5th, 2006 by bryan.
Categories: General.

October was the first month in ages that I did not have any pics to add to the website. Work, studies and family have all been keeping me busy, and it looks set to continue.

I had two annual weekend conferences, a Board meeting and an AGM to co-ordinate in October and the follow-up (and side effects!) are still plaguing me - and there is yet another Board meeting this Wednesday! The courses I’m studying are actually quite interesting - corporate governance and corporate secretaryship. OK, so I know these won’t appeal to everyone, but they’re related to my line of work and the people on the courses are good fun. However, exams are only a matter of weeks away! As for family - I had to make an unexpected and sudden visit to Edinburgh on Wednesday, fearing that I would arrive to hear the worst about a close family member. Thankfully, he is now on the mend, and I very much hope that it continues that way!

Well, that’s a quick update of what I have been up to. Now, I’m going to read about the death sentence imposed this morning on Saddam Hussein - the ‘guilty’ verdict was clearly right, but I’m less sure about the sentence - and hopefully beat Graeme at a game of squash later.

Bryan.

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