UK Photos 2001
Hunt Reunion
Wedding
AytonCottage

      September 2001 - Newsletter 3

Chris Ninham & Nicola Elliott 

Married on 25th August 2001 !

Click on the photograph below to take you to the Wedding!

On to the dreaded 13 hour flight from Singapore to London - absolutely packed solid only a few seats spare, then horror of horrors the back of the plane had NO screens working - the films, music and documentaries are our lifeline to getting through the endless hours of discomfort and boredom.  Paul was very firm but persistent in them finding us two more seats, they eventually did, in Business Class!  So we managed to have most of the flight there, and watch plenty of films, but it was SO cold, I think they were trying to freeze us out!

Landed at Heathrow, pouring with rain at night ..... set off to on our 5 WEEK stay in the UK - our itinerary and journey went like this:

19th July 2001  10.30pm  -  Newsletter 2

Typically I've left this to the last possible moment to let you know all our latest news.  We're packed and ready to go, leaving early tomorrow morning - no time to elaborate so it will have to be an IRN bulletin headlines page:

• Kate 'Sweetie' Gould came briefly to spent a couple of weeks with us.  She did miles of running to nowhere on the hotel running machine.  We tried to get her a sun tan - but the British summer, winter and spring weather was so engrained we didn't have a chance - even in 90 degrees of boiling sunshine.  Anyway we had a FAB time, culminating with afternoon tea at the Carcosa in the rain.  She is reputedly now ensconced somewhere in Melbourne with  a REAL Australian man.
• As Kate left, the sheets were whipped off washed dried and ironed for the arrival of Lesley Heseltine from Newcastle.  We had to try and put our feet up for an hour or two, because we knew that once Les arrived there would be no respite!  After a brief settling in period she and I went off to Bali for a week and did some SERIOUS shopping and I mean serious - we haggled and bartered and walked and sweated .... but we came back with some great stuff.  Back here for a few days of whizzing around KL and then before we knew it, Les was packing and back off to Newcastle.  She's got some great photos - so I am going to have to pinch some to put on here when we return. 
• Paul did a brilliant job surviving the year without killing anyone!!  He made a beautiful trophy in memory of Steve Warry for a Maths prize.  Photos to follow!
• I am now getting even better at Bahasa Malaysia - Saya pergi ke England pagi besok!  More and more bags have been made - with more material ready for our return.
• WE HAVE MADE IT TO THE PENTHOUSE!!  We will be moving in September 8th, our address is the same except the apartment number is B1206.  Watch this space for photos when it is complete!
• Nicola has graduated in Law from Glasgow University!  And we're really proud of her - well done Nic!  Next big event of course is the Wedding at the end of August.
• Still waiting to hear whether Tim is going to pass his driving test so he can be our driver in Perth!
• Can't think of anything else now - no Dead Donkey stories, well I could think of some .....

So it's Jump Lagi for now!  More later with lots of photos in September.

16th May 2001  -  Newsletter 1

I will hopefully keep this page updated on a regular basis with what's happening in our life!

For those of you very out of touch with what we've been doing I'll give you a quick update.

After two exhausting years working at The Alice Smith School I finished there last August in order to have a break, rest and hopefully get pregnant!  This has happened twice, but both miscarried early on.  So we are still living in hope - before I get too old!

Paul is still working as Director of Studies at the school and is enjoying being able to do ONE job instead of the  THREE he was doing previously.  The school is becoming extremely successful, and received a very favourable Ofsted report this year.  He's now on task to start next years timetable - having got his 'A' Level and GCSE students ready for examinations.   Incidentally if you can look at the Alice Smith School site here. 

In the meantime Paul and I have been learning to play golf more seriously this year - we decided to have lessons, and it's actually paid off!  I obviously go out more than Paul so am starting to get 48 for nine holes!

Oh!  The relevant news here is that Paul had quite a major re-build operation on his shoulder that he damaged 15 years ago in a canoeing accident.  It was basically broken, dislocated, torn etc. etc. and has been like that all this time!  Anyway after a 4 hour op. and weeks of pain he is finally on the road to recovery.  Needless to say, he hasn't got a full swing back yet, but his chipping and putting are looking excellent!

I have also been going to a small children's home for 7 Indian girls who range from 4 to 14 years.  I basically help them with their English, but also do other bits and pieces for Justine who runs the home.  At the moment I am helping sew items to sell at the many Christmas Bazaars the Expat women have.  

Needless to say I HAD to buy a sewing machine, which is sitting proudly in our spare room.

Our Volkswagen Beetle 'Herbie' has been in the wars again - he had a mishap earlier this year in the golf club when my sister Lorraine was driving him and he collided with a tractor (nobody hurt).  Yesterday I was hurrying to get to the children's home when I went through a orange/red light and smacked into the back of a car  sitting at a red light around the corner.  My first ever accident, but what a mess he looks.  Our wonderful mechanic Mr Shan has said everything will be fine, it's the only problem living where we do - there are no taxis, and the ones we order always charge a fortune.

I was also due to start some more advanced Bahasa Malaysia lessons, so they are on hold now until Herbie can be fixed.

The big event of this year is in August when Paul's daughter Nicola gets married in Scotland.  We are going back for 5 weeks to the UK - we are trying to save for the trip, because with being paid in Ringitt a trip back is always extortionate.  Fortunately we have been offered a couple of homes to stay in for the first half of the holiday.  We will also be going along to a reunion on my mother's side of the family.

Before that, at the end of this month my niece Kate is stopping over en-route to Australia and my friend Lesley from Newcastle is coming out for a couple of weeks in June, when she and I will be going to Bali on a 'Shopping' trip!

Okay - that's all for now, the weather today is glorious about 35 degrees.

Watch this page for future news.

Site last updated: 05/03/02 23:03 -0800