I write from the other side of the world - the land of Aotearoa!
I thought it would be good to have another try at my 'blog' (though the pedant in me would rather call it 'an internet diary' than 'a web log'!!).
Jane's funeral was on Christmas Eve. It was held in the school Chapel, and was attended by 24 family members. It was a Requiem Mass, conducted by Father Colin from St Thomas' (he and I did our PGCE together). Then on January 22nd we had a Thanksgiving Service for Jane at St Peter's Harold Wood: this was a wonderful occasion, and over 500 friends came to it.
I took the Lent term off from school. This gave Emily and me time to begin to sort things out, and to write 100s of letters. And the two of us had a wonderful week in Russia at the end of February: it was like returning to Narnia after the thaw and the defeat of the White Witch - Alleluia!
I was also able to spend some time with my parents; and I took the car to Europe to spend a week with my sister in Geneva, and a weekend with the Mary Sisters in Darmstadt.
The highlight of the year has of course been the arrival of my grandson Daniel (on February 8th). I nearly said 'the birth of Daniel', but that was a definite lowlight, as he came 3.5 months early, and his brother Joshua was only around for 67 minutes before going to join Jane. But more of Danny Boy later!
I went back to school for the Trinity term on April 19th - after a 5 month break.
The term came and went, and we broke up on July 2nd.
Before Christmas, Rob Hawley 'phoned up and invited me to come and stay with them in New Zealand (Aotearoa!). Rob and his family had been with us at Brentwood, where he was Head of Physics. I was originally thinking of going in March, combining it with a visit to San Francisco, but the brothers-in-law said that the summer holidays would be a yawning gap for me, and it might be better to go then.
And so it was!
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