This Christmas season, Yasmin has had roles in two nativity plays and a school assembly, in which she her part was in Korean... She continues to do well at school and Julian is busier than ever at work - working for a accounting firm in a recession is some consolation as a lot of our services, for example, cost cutting expertise and administration of companies that have gone bust, are in high demand. However, a number of friends have lost their jobs and we expect many more over the next year or two. This is why one preferred living overseas...

The house continues to progress with the front hedge finally coming down - 3 meters or more of the most hideous, half dead fir trees that Julian has hated ever since moving in - and a temporary fence going up until the new hedge has reached a reasonable height. Internally, the Christmas decorations came down early to enable redecorating of the main living room - finally the yellow-brown, smoke stained walls and ceiling are being erased from existence!

New Year�s Eve sees us down on the south coast, staying with Charles and Tracey on Poole Harbour, for a leisurely dinner of Beef Wellington with a 1967 bottle of port to accompany the stilton and see in the New Year...