Wednesday, December 29, 2004


Christmas Day 2004 - View from sister Wendy's apartment... looking north to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Sydney Harbour and the Opera House are down there somewhere!
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Sunday, December 26, 2004


Christmas Day 2004 - Liz showing off her Christmas present from me... a new diamond ring!
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Sunday, December 12, 2004

2004 in Review

At the end of 2004 we look back on the year that was.

New Year 2003 was busy with my mum's (Mim) 90th birthday. It was a surprise party held at my sister Jan and Alan's home at Cudgen south of Tweed Heads and about 80 close friends and relatives joined in the celebrations. It was a good opportunity for all the family to catch up and there was a growing number of grand-children and great grand-children present.


Mim's 90th Birthday. Back row... sister Wendy, her husband Nick, sister Jan, my wife Liz, Max's wife Lois, Jan's husband Alan... Front row... me, Mim, brother Max.

Liz, Andrew, Heidi (Andrew's girlfriend), Nicholas and I combined the 90th with 10 days at the Mt Warning Caravan Park near Murwillumbah. This is a very special place and I usually stay there a couple of days during my frequent business trips to Brisbane. It was like being in a tropical wonderland in amongst the rainforest and the only downside was the unseasonal lack of rain and the stifling heat. The pool got a real workout!


At Mim's 90th Birthday, 31 December 2003. son Nicholas, brother John, Me, son Andrew.

Andrew (Tip) and Heidi went further north and spent a pleasant few days at Malaney in the Glasshouse Mountains while we just lazed about the pool and visited other friends in the area.

Back home after the holidays and Tip started a new job as a contractor with Microsoft and Nicholas (Charlie) started year 11 at Nepean High School. Meanwhile I continued with my programming work for my clients in Brisbane and Liz is still at Royal North Shore Hospital working 4 nights on and 4 off as the Assistant Director of Nursing.

Nicholas is still working at Dick Smith Powerhouse at Penrith in his spare time and he is setting sales records. Pretty good for a kid of 16. He bought Tip's old Magna Station Wagon and even though he can't drive on his own... he is on L-plates ... he is coming along well as a safe driver.

The "garden ornament" (Nissan Skyline GT) which graced the front yard for 12 months was finally sold and Tip now has a company car... much more sensible!

In March we went to the Robertson Show with sister Wendy and her husband Nick and spend a wonderful couple of days in the beautiful Southern Highlands. Unfortunately the house on 100 acres at Kangaloon that Liz and I wanted to buy for $3.5 million has been sold. Well, mowing all that grass would have taken too long anyway!

In August, Liz and Wendy went on a 10 day shopping extravaganza to Bali. Contrary to popular belief, us guys didn't starve and the washing and ironing got done... thanks to the Busy Bubbles Laundry! On their arrival home they had so many Louis Vitton bags they could have opened a luggage shop! But I got what I asked for... well almost... a genuine, original, fair-dinkum fake Rolex watch, a Bali sarong for when I go to the showers at Mt Warning... they told me I could NOT have a Balinese maid to accompany me on my Brisbane trips!

2004 saw the loss of a few friends. Peter Delamont whom I worked with at Manly Highway Patrol died of a heart attack aged 57. Ross Horne, a good friend and world renowned author of health books died of prostate cancer aged 82. Stuart "The Frog Man" at Mt Warning is found dead in his van. He is a loner but created the most wonderful Green Tree Frogs. He will be missed by all the "family" at Mt Warning.

In my trusty van, the QEIII, I successfully complete 8 trips to Brisbane and back, invariably stopping a few days at Mt Warning with my old friend Chris and visiting Mim at Tweed Heads. I love being on the road and just camping wherever the fancy takes me. There are some beautiful places in this country and the cares of the war in Iraq and other problems seem a million miles away.

We've been thrilled to get regular emails from our newly found relatives Mary-Anne, Brian and Rosie Andrews who live in the beautifully-named village of Collyweston in England. I have also found some old family photos of my half-uncle Rupert who fought on the Somme in WWI.

As the year draws to a close, we are organising a Backyard Blitz at The Purfleet Annex. The concrete slab goes down in January, followed by the pergola and sandstone pavers. Then it's all hands on deck for the transformation of the backyard into a Balinese hideaway. Picture on this blog in the new year.

On the health front, everyone ok except Liz and I are showing signs of old age... her shoulder giving her curry and although my heart and diabetes are pretty much under control, my left hip is a major problem.

Best wishes to all for a Happy Christmas and a safe and successful New Year.


Dave

David and Liz at Rex Bank's 50th in 2001. Posted by Hello

And this is our home... The Purfleet Annex. Posted by Hello

This is our backyard. It has changed a little since this photo taken but essentially this is it. Posted by Hello

Welcome to the Purfleet Annex Blog

Welcome to our Blog on the internet.

We've called it Purfleet News because we call our little piece of heaven The Purfleet Annex. There's a story in the name of course but you'll have to visit again to read it.

In the meantime, stay tuned for happenings at the Annex.