Here is our Narnia lampost. Not that it's always winter and never Christmas. We are very snug and warm in our holiday chalet. The swimming pool is frozen and covered in snow. 

This is the road to school. No one has been down here for a while. The only prints in the snow are from foxes and pheasants. (click any photo to enlarge). 

You may remember the picture across here from before. The sun was shining and the grass was green. 

Yes, I know it looks like a picture postcard. Well it is. Almost as white as Canada. You just can't imagine that you are in Kent. 

Canterbury - 31st December, 2005

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We all hope you have had a great Christmas and are now having a Happy New Year.

I have posted some photos of the snow we have had recently in Canterbury. Sadly, it has all melted today.

Very soon in the New Year we will have a property or two available and we then sincerely hope to see some visitors to this beautiful part of the world.

Lots of love

Julie, Richard, Julian and Sammy

Now I know you have been waiting with baited breath to hear the next episode, so here it is:

The Kentish Gazette - 22nd December, 2005

Around the Villages: Barham

From our correspondent Amanda Willis about the local WI.

The Barham and Kingston Women's Institute Christmas lunch was enjoyed by everyone with entertainment from Mrs. Butterfield and Mrs. Greenstreet. Mrs. Helbling won the pomander competition.

Penny Marsh from the Brockman Family Centre chatted to members and collected the gifts donated for the centre's children.

A Father Christmas sack contained a small gift for every member of the institute.

The next WI meeting takes place in Barham Village Hall at 2:30pm on Thursday, January 12th, when Angela Barnes will talk about reflexology. The competition will be for a decorated footprint on A4 paper.

Just thought you ought to know the result of the competition. I will keep you posted as to who wins the decorated footprint.

The Kentish Gazette - 8th December, 2005

Around the Villages: Barham

From our correspondent Amanda Willis about the local WI.

During the annual meeting Dora R. was presented with a box of heathers to thank her for her work and support during her years as a committe member. Three new memebers joined the existing committee, Mrs. C., Mrs. S and Mrs. W. Mrs. B agreed to remain president for another year.

During the year the Wednesday Walkers achieved their 90 miles of extra walking and are now compiling a scrapbook which will be entered in the Federation competition. Another achievement was Barham with Kingston receiving third place in the 90th birthday cake competition.

Mrs. B. thanked her committee for their support, especially Mrs. R. who supervises the teapot. The finances are sound and reports were received on the Etchinghill birthday party, the group meeting and the Federation Day.

After the business, entertainment was provided by Mrs. S reading Pam Ayre's poem about the common cold and Mrs. F. reading one of her own stories, Ladies Only.

The next meeting is the Christmas lunch today. As is tradition, members are asked to decorate themselves with a piece of tinsel and take a gift up to the value of £1.50 for the bran tub and an unwrapped gift for the Brockman Family Centre. The competition today is for a pomander.

It's so beautiful it nearly made Julie cry. We have so much to look forward too.

P.S. Sorry about the layout changing about but I am making an effort to learn HTML (web programming language). Life is just not complete until you can create and post your own webistes. I have so many that I want to make including: www.myhometel.co.uk, www.canterburyhostfamilies.co.uk and www.canterburyservicedapartments.co.uk (bit long that one) and also www.canterburyhomemakeovers.co.uk. They are all in the pipeline somewhere except it is a very long pipe.

Canterbury - 9th December 2005

Poor Julie, she has just completed a marathon 13 day stint of back breaking work. 3 days at the hamper factory, 4 days at a show in Earls Court, immediately followed by 5 days at the hamper factory. Much back massage needed here. All this has been accompanied by car problems which on one occasion required me to rescue her from the side of the road at 8:30pm at night.

That's all behind us now. The sun is shining, the car is fixed (for the grand total price of £31.00 for a 2nd hand set of brushes for the alternator) and it's Saturday morning. The boys are performing this afternoon in the parent's festival. They will be singing in French and German, playing the recorder and doing Eurythmy demonstrations (if you are not sure what that is see: Eurythmy). They are very excited about this. Julian is also very excited because he has been asked to perform his juggling at the end of term show. I always knew it would come in useful. Teach your children to juggle. Nothing beats it.