So the year began with us still residing in Besneville.

We had no intention of spending money on the house so the priority was keeping the house and garden looking good for potential buyers.

March saw Paul’s 30^th birthday and a surprise party with a Hawaii theme. Many of his friends and relatives turned up and most in tropical outfits.

On the way back, we came via a Diamond resort in Normandy for a few days of peace and quiet, and to celebrate our wedding anniversary in a very nice restaurant.

Later in the month, Annette and Bill came over and stayed in the gite for as while. They spent time visiting old friends and old haunts, and we managed to get out with them a couple of times. Following their visit we sold the Citroen Xara to Sarah and Eric, Annette and Bill’s daughter and son-in-law. That left us with the Corsa.

In April Carey and Clarke came to stay for a week. We went all around resorts, museums and lots of the war sites. At the end of the month we went to Sheffield for Grace’s 4^th birthday. She had a Prince and Princess party in a church hall and both sides of the family attended. It was a great success and Carey and Clarke entered into the spirit by wearing full fancy dress. We spent time working on Tracey and Paul’s front garden. We cleared it, dug it over and made it ready for lawn and chippings. Paul hacked and cleared much of the overgrown hedging, front and back.

May saw us travel down to Margate where we attended a really good evening organised by “Emerald Lady Cunard” and was a time step back to May 1938. Thoroughly enjoyable

In June, we were visited by Graham and his friends on their way back from the Le Mans 24-hour race.

July we were visited by Catherine and William for a week. We spent time out and about and they seemed to have a relaxing but enjoyable time. Also, Ann and Dudley called in with their daughter Paula and her partner Billy. They stayed for a night on their way to Brittany to spend time on the boat, then again on their return journey.

August was quite busy, the gite being booked and we had a number of B&B guests through the month.

Early and September we were pleased to return the favour to Jeff and Rita for the times we have stayed with them on our way to and/or from family in England. They stayed for a few days and revisited a few haunts.

In the middle of September we took the train to Paris and flew down to Spain. We stayed a few days with Barry and Gill in their apartment, then went over to a Diamond resort near Fuengerola. The following weekend we were joined by Tony and Mavis who stayed for a week. Then we had a few days on our own before cutting the holiday a couple of days short to get back in time for a gite booking at the beginning of October. Towards the end of the holiday Sid managed to have an argument with a traffic sign and lost, sustaining a cut to the forehead. This necessitated spending over 5 hours in casualty to get 8 stitches.

Later in October we travelled to England once more, this time for Carey and Clarke’s engagement party in Northampton. It was well attended and very successful. Then over to Tracey and Paul’s to strip the dining room walls ready for them to be skimmed and redecorated.

For October half term, we rented a large, 5-bedroom house in York. Despite the inclement weather, we had a lovely time with all the family round us.

And so to Christmas. We set off on the 12^th of December. Going through the tunnel, we spent the weekend with Graham and Jane in Broadstairs. Calling in at Annette and Bill’s in Hodesdon for lunch we went on to Cambridge where we spent a couple of days in a hotel and doing our Christmas shopping. We then went to Robin and Angela’s near Bedford. They took us around to a couple of Vauxhall dealers to see cars that Robin had picked out for us to inspect. We ended up buying an 18-month old Vectra, leaving it for them to service. After a hearty meal, we set off to Carey and Clarke’s in Thrapstone. When we arrived, it snowed, and snowed, and the Eurostar broke down and closed the tunnel. So we were so glad that we had crossed early. While there we went over to Bedford to collect the Vectra. Things came together for Christmas which really started when we went to a local Christingle service. We had a really good time with Carey and Clarke, then went off to Catherine and William’s where the family gathered for a day of eating, drinking and talking. Then off to Tracey’s in Sheffield where we had more snow and spent a quiet New Year. The highlight was taking Grace to the Panto’ to see Snow White, which we loved. After more snow we hit the road. We stopped at Carey’s to have a quick cuppa and collect Jane’s car, then off to Jeff and Rita’s in Canterbury where it was not so bad. We spent the day with them, then head off to Folkestone, by which time more snow had arrived. We got through the tunnel OK then drove 2 cars all the way home.

In summary, it was not a good year, with no house sale. The drop in interest and the pound sinking without trace reduced our regular income dramatically and halved our gite and B&B income.