Hi J Brave move. If she doesn't want to lose staff all she has to do is to offer them some real incentive to stay I suspect. When do you plan to go to Morocco? Any chance of us seeing you before you go? Do you think you will actually go back to your Hackney flat? If you weren't I know Melissa is loooking for something soon as she has to beout of her place injune(?) I think - but you are probably more up to date with her moves than us as i suspect you have seen her more recently.
We're off to Halwhistle midday Friday 8 March - spare seat - you don't fancy coming?
Pete
posted by dixon family news 9:54 PM
Hi K
Tom says casually that I'm riding the tandem home - but I've never ridden one before - I've not even seen it yet - and it is right at the top of Eastern Avenue - so you will be able to visualise me riding a tandem solo at breakneck speed down that hill. Boinggggggggg!! It sounds good fun though.I just happened to see the ad a couple of days after Anna's great experiment and left Tom to do the purchasing.We forget that dear old Anna has never had the experience of whizzing along on a bike before - (except for that shortlived and not to be repeated experiment when she rode side saddle on the carrier on the back of my Dutch bike - only for me to find I was going faster and to turn round and see Anna lying on the tarmac.)
We are already for Spain on Sunday morning (well Pam is and I'm not - the usual story) and have now booked a five day trip to Gueret for the week before Easter - so the little French house will start to make progress. We're going up to Grandad and Thelma's in a couple of weekends' time and he has got a lot of spare tools which we are going to take ovr as well.
So no news from us next week I'm afraid. tom will still be here but Hamish will be having his hols in the Kennels and Anna will be staying at Quarry House. No more news I'm afraid. Byeeeee love Pete xxxxxxx
posted by dixon family news 12:44 AM
K What you mean - "you're coming back" ? That wasn't part of the deal. We've rented out your room and sold off your junk. Keep paddling that sampan my girl. On a more practical note, yes of course she can - I think we had rather assumed she would anyway.
Do they still have French as their second language? Yes Pam got her letter. wouldn't let the rest of us read it - said it was "hers" ! Will try to get Pam on again but if you take too long typing on bloggger you finds it has logged you off and you have to start all over again so I think we will do it in word and then paste when we are ready. Love P xxx
posted by dixon family news 10:45 AM
Ric
If you are reading this. Got the CD in the post this am but need an i/d number to install it please.
(for those idly scanning, Ric has got a CAD package which he has used to draw up plans for French house - but without the software I can't read them when he e-mails them to me )
Pete
posted by dixon family news 8:08 PM
Hi Kate + all other viewers (Hi J)
The winner was Will . ( says Anna). Saw Lord of the Rings last night - won't tell you about it until you have had a chance to see it (in vietnamese?) - but you get your monies worth at three and a half hours long. Been in Council all day - seat numb from sitting on hard old chairs - now sitting on a soft old chair all evening peering into a computer screen. Vietnam sounds just as I have imagined it. I really like the idea of cycling - will work on Pam. How is Kirsty these days - loosening up a bit - or still bed and a book at 9.00 pm?
Haven't seen Ocean 11yet, but it's on the list - just got to our cinema. That's it for now. P xxx
posted by dixon family news 8:04 PM
Hi Katie
I went to pitsford this afternoon with Tom And went on A Tandem. I sat on the back I realy enjoyed it.
love Anna xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
posted by dixon family news 5:34 PM
Hi K
Since I last wrote still nothing has happened! I'm going paunchy so have adopted a(nother) healthy eating regime and I am RAVENOUS. Dear God bring me my dinner NOW!!! Still we're going to see Lord of the Rings tonight so that should be interesting.
GENERAL NEWS for anyone who is reading this. John Snr rang me to say that - this bit gets convoluted - that tHelma has a friend in Carlisle who is either French or her husband is - no matter - they have a son who is a builder cum handyman - and guess what - he lives in the Gueret area. John's question was would we mind if Thelma got in touch with him, if only to seek advice from him and to find out a bit more of what he does? I said "yes". Can't do any harm and could, depending on what he actually does, be vey helpful. P
posted by dixon family news 5:28 PM
Hi K Since I last wrote nothing has happened - except the car failed its MoT - and I've got to take it back all the way to Wellingborough when they have got the bits. When I took it the first time I did my usual trick of sticking my bike in the boot and cycling home. It was a beautiful crisp day but I must be getting old - the first hill buggered me. Had to get off and pretend I needed to blow my nose.
Forgot to tell you that when Ric was here last weekend he told us how Richard (Bloggsy to you and me) has had to give up working on the buses - I think I knew that already - but that he has got his own single-decker bus (or coach? - I'm not sure) sitting on a bit of spare ground near his house and, even better, he's got an ALLOTMENT. "Way to go Bloggsy!"
We're looking forward to our week in Spain - Pam keeps reading yesterdays weather reports for Malaga - "Oh its 3 degrees now and raining - it's definitely getting warmer" that sort of thing and trying to persuade me to get interested in what clothes I should take - and heaven forbid - which suitcase I want. "What's wrong with the night before" says I - "it's always worked OK up till now". This does not go down well.
Your smallest friend has been helping Pam in the garden, while Anna and I went to choose a small tin of bright red paint to adorn the front door of her doll's house. You can guess who will end up doing the painting.
Hamish has asked me to warn you against eating puppy meat - he's joined a terrier self help group after reading about far eastern delicacies in a recent Guardian travel supplement.
That's it for now Keep in touch love P xxxxxxxxx
posted by dixon family news 9:43 PM
Hi J
Good to see you blogging.
Hi K
Let us know if you want us to register you on blogger - any particular password? Let me know by email. Nanky got her post card from Kuala Lumpur - very pleased. Went to show her where it was on the map but can't find the atlas - so where is it in relation to Singapore? I'm guessing northish, but not sure.
Pam very taken with idea of Vietnam. W saw "Apocalypse Now - Redux" recently. Have you seen that, or the original film? If not, a must. It's all set in Vietnam in breathtaking up-country scenery. Can you see any evidence of the War or has it (literally) all grown over now? Went to Brackley to see Tom's shop this morning. Lots of rooms, lots of books, lots of potential. Books everywhere - almost too much stock - can't see the wood from the trees. Your mother, true to her mother, said "The first thing this shop needs is a good clean!". But Tom has PLANS but is sensibly playing a softly softly game. He must be fed up with us. we have already written at least half a dozen business trategies for him in our minds eye. We will have to learn to shut up. Just like Hamish, who thinks he can hear a cat outside, and is bawling his head off (it's 10.55). Oops, Pam has just come down in her dressing gown and is bawling at me to do do something with him. Must go!!! Love P xxxxxxxxx
posted by dixon family news 10:55 PM
Previous wekend Tom, Melissas and went to Ange and Cath's for a weekend on the hills - in Tom's car. Quite strange sitting as a back seat passenger. It has been raining a lot inthe UK - lots of rivers on flood alert - and the mountains were awash. went to the Aber falls and they were a like a foaming water shute - spectacular - Tom took photos - will have to see if they came out.
Talking of photos - thanks for the two snaps - you both look very well - and happy new year to you as well !
Got otlog off now at 11.35 pm on cold wet Wedneday night. Your quiz question for the night is "what did Anna eat for second course at her Allsorts Club tonight" It's nothing chocolate she says, we've tried Ice Cream, Steamed sponge pudding, apple tart, apple pie - but all to no avail. First correct answer wins a fabulous prize!
Keep in touch (says he cheekily) love P xxxxxxxx
PS we're going to see Tom's shop tomorrow - that will embarass him!
posted by dixon family news 11:37 PM
Theother interesting news is that Ange and Cath and Ric and Janet and Pam and I all met last weekend at our house to have a grand Sunday morning conference on how to progress the French house. It had all the ingredients for a major family rift but it went very well. Agreement reached. Ric has produced a very neat CAD set of drawings. Ange turned up with a scaled model of the house made from paper - which Hamish has since started to eat - which was very helpful. pam and i are planning going to France the week before Easter to start the grand clean out and to try to get soem emulsoion on the walls. (we even managed to agree a colour in a morning - an event that takes months in our household - and judging by Janet's remarks - even longer in their household.
posted by dixon family news 11:28 PM
Katie
Just put a great long screed down only for blogger to tell me it had timed out and I have had to start all over again! Sorry for the long silence from this end. Bit busy what with one thing and another. Re Shamal, the reason we didn't tell you was becuase we hadn't heard either. John Snr. rang 25 Jan to ask how to cook his haggisand apparently meant to tell us then - but forgot - then swore blind he had told us - and then remebered that he hadn't after all - by which time we had just heard it from someone else - but I can't remeber who (have you got all that?). Anyway....... that's why we didn't tell you. How did you hear?
posted by dixon family news 11:21 PM
Reaching out to close family members across the globe... ;-)
And an especially big "hi" going out to "Kat" Katie in the Far East, from your lonesome papa, bought to you courtesy of Big T Tech services...inc....
...ok, enough of that nonsense. That was just a means of introducing the new Dixon blog, to which you (Katie/John/any other Dixons) can also contribute, details from Pete via email.
Looking forward to a regular posting from anyone that cares to contribute, from wherever you are,
Pete (& Tom)
posted by dixon family news 9:51 PM