Our 2000 circular

Our 2000 circular

Canalling etc: "Waterworld" TV programme broadcast in the Midlands at primetime on 6 Tuesdays in the spring. E's hat - and P's bum - now famous. Dozens of people - not all canallers: "haven't we seen you on the tele?" - including a photographer who stopped his car on seeing us on the boat and attendant in a museum. Extraordinary. Just the seven trips this year including IWA rally on River Lea near London. And a day on a Thames sailing barge for Jim's 50th birthday - caught up with 30yrs of news from some university friends. Christmas 2000 is on Copperkins, ice and canal stoppages permitting.

Peter: Survived the Great Millennium Anticlimax - what was all the hype for? - and my 50th birthday. Ufi - still not quite the 'University for Industry' - takes up excessive time - never launch a website and expect to sleep at night - http://www.learndirect.co.uk - still fun. When not looking at a screen at work - look at a screen at home keeping up with ringing and canalling Internet e-mail groups - keeps BT employed. As SUGCR (Southampton University bellringers) President, actually did some presiding at the annual dinner - also good fun.

Elaine: Now works for Severn Trent in Burton-on-Trent but only 3 days per week. Great improvement on Rotherham, but bad news is the 7am Virgin train that sometimes turns up on time, even before recent railway chaos. Elbow - broken and screwed together last year - still uncomfortable - but doesn't inhibit normal activities - yoga, tatting etc Highlight, as usual, emptying all the elsans at the Waltham Abbey IWA rally .

Iain: Expensive luxury, students. Even more so with accommodation for second year - a student flat in the middle of Bristol with insufficient cat-swinging room. Seems to have taken up handbell ringing, tower bells and drinking with a new seriousness

Ringing ... which contributed to 31 quarter-peals in July - in which one or more of us rang. Not one on every day, and the last couple were on the boat - hence handbells and Plain Bob Minor. Liked handbell carrying case seen at '99 Snowden dinner - had to have one, and why not another six bells to put in it - that makes 36.