What a year! Our main news (which may be something of a surprise for you, coming as it does after nearly 14 years of marriage) is that Peter Robert arrived on 2nd December at 3 a.m, weighing 6lb 4oz. Mother and baby (and Dad) are doing very well, although a month ago Chris was doubting it would ever happen. The last couple of weeks before the arrival were somewhat traumatic as she had high blood pressure and was kept in hospital for several nights. Thankfully Peter was delivered without complication. The word on the streets is that he looks just like Chris did at the same age, big eyes staring at anything and everything. We are all really enjoying getting to know each other. And very conveniently we are able to combine our traditional Christmas epistle with an "Announcing the baby" mailshot.

The story since last time goes like this. Twelve months ago we were just about to sell our home in Solihull and were expecting to move soon after Christmas into a house in Marlow. Chris lived with Mum and Dad for six weeks and I lodged in Marlow Mon-Thurs until Christmas, when I too joined the Peart household for a holiday fortnight. It became clear that we wouldn’t be able to move into the new house quickly, so we decided to rent near to my office in Bracknell. We found a nice cheap (for down south) granny flat in Ascot available on 3 months let and moved in at the beginning of January. Worse was to come. The original house fell through in February (what a waste of four months) and we had to start again. There was still a shortage of suitable properties but it wasn’t too long before we found No 6 Cedar Drive which had itself been on the receiving end of a chain collapsing. We got a bargain cos it wasn’t revalued before going back on the market, and although a bit smaller than the other one is better in several ways. The two are only a few hundred yards apart! After various delays too painful to mention we eventually moved in at the beginning of May.

The house is similar to our Sheffield home in that it is a 3 bed chalet bungalow. It had belonged to a widower and needs loads of decoration and a serious amount of work in the garden. We’ve started well but there’s still plenty to do. My brother Dave very kindly came down for a few days recently and helped me decorate the lounge when Chris was not able to balance on a step ladder safely!

We’ve really missed friends in Solihull and have found it a bit slow to make new ones here - everyone is noticeably busier than in other places we’ve lived. Our new church has been the most help in this respect: it’s called River Church and is part of the Pioneer group. I’ve started helping out on the music side - will I never learn?!

The sad news this year is that Pepsi (the cat) died whilst we were in Ascot. She didn’t really settled down after all the moves, but at 19½ she had probably had her innings anyway. We’ve got a cat flap in the new house but no-one to use it (yet).

So just when we’d started to get settled in Marlow, guess what - yeap, a change of job. Not anything too radical - just another reorganisation. So I now lead a team of not just network designers but also sales people (nine people in total). It’s been very hard work to get up to speed on all the new aspects of the role but I think I’m getting there slowly, and pay rises always help. Too much of my time has been given to BT though. The highlight of work was a week-long trip to Nashville at the end of June to attend a conference. I stayed at a 3000 room hotel which was so big you could take a boat trip round part of it (on the inside that is!). As well as working I did the tourist bit round the area and celebrated my birthday by going on a white-knuckle ride in a theme park (and have a video to prove it).

The Nelson grandparents are also on the move - leaving Stoke on Trent, and the charity fund raising they were doing there for UCB, to ‘proper’ retirement in Buckingham (completion date 10th December). Phil has moved from Stuttgart to another part of Germany and has a job as office manager / PA to an entertainer. He now has a flat to himself and his own wheels. He continues with writing children’s songs and doing freelance translation work. Anna, Luca, Lois and Jem have also moved - this time a bit further, from Switzerland to the UK. Luca has changed jobs within Swiss Bank and now they intend to be over here for a few years at least. Dave has left teaching (too many after-school commitments to have a life) and now works for Rover’s training department near Warwick.

The Peart grandparents continue to lead a very busy life although this was somewhat hampered by Mum breaking both wrists (not at the same time). These accidents left Dad as the chief cook and bottle washer (and hair dresser). He also keeps busy learning about his new computer. Mike, Julie, Sussanah and Nick continue to lead hectic, sporty lives. Football plays a very major role in the household what with playing, coaching and watching.

That’s all for now. We hope that you have an enjoyable and peaceful Christmas time and that you will be richly blessed in 1998.

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