Holidays	Summer's holidays are over. The Algarve was superb, lots of sun and surf - a real last minute bargain. France was fun too, although the weather did us few favours especially during the eclipse. A break in the clouds gave us a good view of first contact but thick clouds soon moved in and obscured totality. It was however an eerie feeling, standing on the beach in the middle of the day, with the sky gradually becoming darker, the temperature dropping, and a sunset forming all around us. At totality the lighthouse in the bay started up and fireworks could clearly be seen in the distance. Roll on Zimbabwe 2001! Finally, our short break to Ireland was also great fun. Our friends Steve and Eimear's wedding took place in a tiny picturesque church in the middle of a lake and surrounded by swans and mountains. The reception and our hotel were at Blarney. Luckily, we found just enough time to visit the castle and kiss the Blarney Stone.
Sport and Leisure	My exploits playing cricket in the BT inter-divisions finished with flattering averages of 18 with the bat and 7 with the ball! Valerie and I have started photography evening class. We'll no doubt share any half-decent results with you! Emma fell of her bike at the start of September and has broken her right wrist.
Work	Paul started his Modern Apprenticeship with BT in September and is really enjoying it. I have taken on a new role managing a sub-contract for the delivery of an Intelligent Voice platform. Valerie has been inundated with requests to facilitate workshops recently as well as working on the odd software development problem.
Exams	Danielle did exceeding well at her GCSEs finishing with 5 A passes, 3 Bs and 2 Cs. After a long and lazy summer break she's now started 6th form studying A Levels in French, History, and Photography.
Previous	June 1999