With Christmas letter writing increasing, and tempus fugitting, we have decided to adopt the family newsletter approach, as pioneered by several more efficient friends- slightly less personal, admitted, but more embracing, in that it will reach more people than the old system.
So what news of the Barneybees Bunch in 1990? The big buzz at the beginning of the year was Neil getting the new shore-based studio/gallery ready to open, at Ludham Bridge, before Easter, and how would he fare? The answer turned out to be the best season’s trade, ever, topped out by a very good exhibition in Norwich, in November.
Miriam started school in Sept. (not 5 until this month) at Catfield, just as big brother, John, (8) moved on to Stalham Middle school. Miriam is the archetypal pretty little Angel/Earth Mother/ Eve. One day she’ll make some happy man very old. John is still arguably the world’s leading authority on dinosaurs, has a swimming certificate for 10 metres, a proficiency certificate for the recorder, and is equally happy reading Beano, Tolkien, R. L. Stephenson or Spike Milligan.
Valerie is deputy chairman of Catfield School Governors; Neil Catfield rep. for Stalham Middle fund raising group (wow! Heavy stuff,Neil).
Valerie has just finished a ‘Back to School-teaching’ course, tho’ she’s not going back- it was just by way of up-dating for the supply work, which there’s a steady trickle of- enough to nicely boost funds, but not enough to be demanding. Now she’s an ace on National Curriculum and Assessment. More buzz-words there.
eil has just finished three weeks hard labour- excavating and
rebuilding the inglenook fireplace. A journey through time
folks!- 250-odd years of historic muck, skelingtons- much
back-ache, but now that it’s finished, it looks great!
With Miriam’s birthday (18th Dec) marking the final furlong, it’s into the Jolifickating, with three visiting grandparents to spend Christmas with us, and two children to observe and it’s all holly and bells and goose and glad tidings and it’s no good I’ll have to open the kitchen window is that my glass what a lovely smell we’ll have to open the rest tomorrow but write down who it’s from she’s tired bless her shall we have some music this trifle’s Delia and just a small glass of do you remember and we love it and wish you all as merry a Christmas as we shall have
Love and best wishes to everybody!