Our 1998 circular

Our 1998 circular

Peter: My father died in April. I conducted the funeral service, and many of those attending were kind enough to say that the occasion was a fitting tribute. For me it was a therapeutic experience to be able to do something practical at a sad time.

SUGCR (Southampton University bellringers) persuaded me to stand for President for the three years from 2000, which would probably exhaust all the faintly amusing things I could say at the annual dinners. Result to be announced at 1999 dinner on 13 February.

Work in Nottingham (Driving Standards Agency's computers) continues to be the most miserable of 25 years' career, with just a few recent glints of amusement in travelling around the country, at least putting some distance between me and the office lunatics.

This, my father's illness, and canalling have all contributed to 120 nights away from home. So an evening lounging in a chair at home listening to the Archers is a special treat.

Shoulder, knee and back protest at over-use occasionally but otherwise remain in working order.

Canalling: More boating time (about 10 weeks) is available than annual leave from work can accommodate.

Managed 52 nights on boats, including one week moored in Nottingham five minutes walk from the office; so we had a (successful) evening on the river with saner of work people. We were on the canals during the Easter floods; extraordinary volumes of water, including a towpath fountain three-foot high sinking open boat moored behind us.

Year's highlight was the August convoy of ninety boats on the Manchester Ship Canal on the way to Inland Waterways Association rally at Salford Quays. Took out handbells for a few minutes in one lock, in opposition to adjacent boater with banjo.

Caused a 'mystery photo' in the 'Ringing World' from a lock side gongoozler. My restrained reply subsumed in long biography of our canalling by people met at earlier equivalent rally; they are leading lights in the Illuminated Camping Unit trophy (so even dafter than DSA folk). Report of letter also appeared on canallers' internet bulletin board, requiring another reply.

Elaine: Highlights were emptying all the elsans at the rally single handed.

At sewerage conference in Blackpool in November, neighbour at dinner had been on our (shared) boat the week after us, as friend of another owner. Small world.

Still working at Rotherham and tatting, reading, yoga-ing, ringing for using spare moments.

Iain Height still under control, and not yet past parental six-four. Bedroom floor still covered in layers of clothes, discarded crisp packets, yoghurt pots, books and university prospectuses.

Occasionally allows revision to displace reading and computer games, and even missed some canalling to prepare for mock A-level exams.

Still fencing and ringing when nose prised from book.