1. London Weekend

Andrew invited Kirstin and Matt to stay for a weekend at Gillian’s house in SW4. Activities included a wine and cheese party, a theatre visit (Billy Elliot) and a superb restaurant meal (as pictured).

The Good Life looks like this?

3. Compact Hockey

Silly toys find their way into Damson Rest from time to time and the ‘air hockey’ table seen in the picture is no exception. Grant and Lizzie are seen ‘enjoying’ a fiercely competitive game – can’t remember who won.

Slip-sliding away

5. Making an impressionl

The entire ‘Ewart’ troop went to a civil partnership celebration in Scotland in April. It was a somewhat ‘up-market’ event and Andrew and Gillian dressed accordingly. David McCallum, son of our long-time friends Alison and the late Sandy McCallum, formalised his relationship with Finlay. There is a picture of David and Finlay (albeit at a distance) on the Christmas 2006 family web page.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane?

7. Congratulations and Jubilations

By evening a first-class band arrived from Edinburgh and a wonderful Scottish evening of dancing and song took place. If you look carefully you will see Lizzie and Grant.

Dancing the night away

9. The Bar du Manor, Taden

Matt enjoys a beer at the pub close to where the caravan lives. New this year were the two folding bikes in the picture. These little bikes, with magnesium/titanium frames, run better than might have been expected. They ‘live’ in the caravan in France during the season.

Its not just the boat that folds

11. Flying the flag

The people of Brittany (the Bretons) are Celts, like the Cornish, Scots, Welsh, Irish and the people of the Isle of Man. The little flag on the prow of the boat reflects this in the set of flag-reproductions it carries.

Not too far from land

13. Three score years

It was Judy’s ??th birthday this year and we celebrated in France. The picture shows Judy with bunting and table decoration outside the Chalet she and Alan rented for the holiday.

Many Happy Returns

15. Picnic time

One of the most enjoyable ways of using the bikes in France is to take along a baguette and some fillings for a picnic.

The Great Outdoors

17. Three score and five

Another of the occasional ‘Ewart’ garden parties took place on 15 August to celebrate Matt’s 65th. A very large covered area was created to assure comfort for guests no matter what the weather did. The picture shows the garden before guests arrived.

“I went to a garden party” (Rick(y) Nelson lyric)

19. Remembrance in France

Our third and last visit to France in the autumn included a few days at chez Dugald and Elizabeth. We visited the site of one of WWII’s lesser-known atrocities - Oradour sur Glane. Here an organised group of German soldiers surrounded the town, collected the residents together and shot them. They then destroyed every building, including the church, by fire. The reason for this action remains obscure. The village has been left, unchanged, since then.

Orders, you know

21. Nostalgia time again

Another Kodachrome; from 1965. Dugald and Matt made several 8mm home movies. The first was a story about a spy (played by Matt) and has relentless pursuer – a policeman – played by Dugald. The picture shows them ‘on location’ at Longcraig Gate near South Queensferry.

Movie budgets don't get much tighter than this

 

 

 

2. New wheels

Andrew’s new job came with a company car; for those who cannot identify such things it is an Audi A5 coupe. Two litre, automatic shift and just about every automotive gadget known to mankind. Computer buffs may note the last three characters on the number plate – ‘URL’ (uniform resource locator, such as a web site name!)

'Audi' Partner

4. Puzzle with a difference

Kirstin has discovered a new type of jigsaw – a three dimensional one! The pieces a cut from foam printed with appearance of famous buildings. In the picture you her putting the finishing touches to Chateau Chenonceaux. We have visited this chateau (the real one) twice as in is only a short walk from a caravan site in the valley of the river Cher.

A steady hand is needed

6. Wedding group

Here we see the ‘Family’ group along with the principals of the occasion. From left to right – Grant, Lizzie, David, Finlay, Gillian, Andrew, Kirstin and Matt.

Best foot forward

8. Afloat again

Towards the end of April Kirstin and Matt returned to France – and took the folding boat. The picture shows Matt in his element chugging through the Port of Dinan.

No fewer than 3 pubs in the port!

 

N10. Rural roads in France

The bikes are a superb way of enjoying the French countryside. Our preferred route is along the side of the river Rance and canal; almost completely flat. Some excursions were more adventurous and further afield.

Someone does not like gradients

12. Jazz Bar

One of Dinan’s better hostelries was the Bistrot d’en Baste. The interior was outstanding – the ‘phone picture does not do it justice. It even had a resident cat. Sadly, it closed later in the year following the tragic death of one of the proprietors.

Pure magic; sadly missed

14. Celebrate in style!

Dugald and Elizabeth were able to join us at Hallerais while Judy and Alan were there. The picture shows Dugald with a bottle of a unique spirit the precise origins of which are best not mentioned. Judy can be seen looking on with a hint of suspicion.

Special Brew

16.Another picnic

We had a super day out with Alan and Judy to a forested area to the south of Dinan. Moments like this shared are what friendship is all about.

Three wise, eh, people

18. A piece of cake

Andrew and Gillian were kind enough to supply a wonderful cake for Matt’s party. It was constructed like a rose bud, with fine petals of confectionary. Kirstin is seen helping matt to make the all-important first cut.

Or a slice of the action?

20. Around the world.

Lizzie spent the last quarter of 2009 on a round-world trip. The list of countries visited is too long for this text. One was New Zealand where Grant joined her for 10 days. They had many adventures including canoeing, climbing a glacier and sky diving! Lizzie is now safely returned to the UK.

A friendly ram

22. Technologies meet across time

Matt has been busy digitising the 45 year-old movies. This involves a Eumig P8 projector and a Philips tape recorder each of the same age as the movies. The original sound was added to the films with a mechanical link between the tape machine and the projector. Once it was all working again, the digital copies were made with a camcorder, a DVD recorder (with DVI input) and a LCD screen for monitoring. How much of today’s kit will still be working in 45 years?

Quality lasts!