Gallini Ski Team AGM

The redoubtable members of the Gallini Ski Team met at Lyndhurst for their final AGM with all members on English soil. Epic voyages were undertaken by the Chelmsford Crew (5.5 hrs!!) and Wroughton Wanderers (post wedding celebrations!)

Items on the agenda;

Day 1

a) Walking (Facilitator: Porn Star...at full marching pace)

b) Drinking: Session one - led by Porn Star and Lurve Machine due to Tweaks being slightly under the weather due to work leaving do the day before

c) Eating: top of the list Miss T's legendary fairy cakes! (see grinning vision in pink!)

Day 2;

a) Walking..again...still at marching pace!

b) Arrival of Boeuf and Adella at meeting

c) Eating: exemption granted to young Adella as her being slightly under the weather due to a wedding the day before.

Note for the minutes; A perked up considerably on arrival of remaining fairy cakes. PS much put out as had been keen to 'help out' by taking on A's cake ration at considerable personal risk to his whippet like physique...

d) Walking...yet again...marching pace ...again...good idea...as need to make room on the agenda for item e.

e) Dinner: All! Eating, drinking, more eating, more drinking, presentation of team gallini t-shirts, fronted with picture of previous quarterly meeting in an apres ski bar in Austria (that was a tough one!)

f) Discussion of acquisition of new members now that 2 members have most inconsiderately p***ed off to somewhere reasonably interesting in the selfish pursuit of 10,000 acres of skiing!

He sleeps, perchance to dream....ahh, bless!

Day 3 or 'Ouch...everything hurts....!'

10am. LM(see left with Beavertails CD - thanks Sara!) bravely departs for Zurich on national express - not sure which was braver travelling after the night before or using National Express!- waved off by Miss T, Tweaks and PS

11am...yep..more walking!

2pm..comfort food in pub...mmmmm....sleepy

Packing and selling is progressing with major inroads made over the last few days thanks to the fact that I don't have to go to work anymore (well for the next few weeks at least!)

So we have gone from this...

....to this!

And our nice tidy guest bedroom has been transformed into a box storage/bric a brac shop.

Anyone who visits and doesn't say 'no' fast enough is getting pieces of furniture, candlesticks, books, um.....the dog (!) foisted on them (sorry Gary, Adella, Simon, Tess, Mum & Dad!)

Thank you for the emails! luckily we are NOT flying with Zoom - we're on a Thomas Cook charter flight from Gatwick on the 18th, so fingers crossed for TC's continued health!

Proof that you can still have a good time in the strangest places

Most excellent find by Shaun's brother, Keith.

This is what happens when you have

a) Soldiers with some free time on their hands.

b) Soldiers with audio-video equipment and

c) Soldiers with a GREAT sense of humor......

These guys are Canadians....yippee! (sorry Shaun... C x)

Home Sweet Home (for a while)

We have found a lovely place to stay for our first few months in Canada. It is based in Carr's Landing which is on Okanagan Lake, halfway between Vernon and Kelowna, or more importantly Big White and Silver Star.

Its run by a lovely couple called Rik and Janneke who have already provided great advice and given us some recommendations for realtors (estate agents) and solictors to help us look for something more permanent.

Sue and Sara's Great Escape Presentation!

Proof that Ordnance Survey's Presenting Magically course does work ! Not sure if this would count for Pathways evidence though....

Party, Party Party....Part 1 Cara's Fab Team

My wonderful team took me out to lunch on Thursday at Kuti's new Thai restaurant (can highly recommend the pad thai noodles) - all carefully orchestraed by Sue (more of her highly devious planning later!).

Clockwise from left, Sue, me, Cliff, Sara, Richard, Eddie

I must add that the resultant photos were produced without the aid of large amounts of alcohol ...I don't know whether that makes it more or less scary...

Editor's note: OS jacket for photo shoot purposes only!

I follow in Richard's footsteps ... I see many a happy debate over the merit of a 6 figure alpha-numeric postcode system compared with a variable 6 to 8 figure option....(oh, its an exciting life we lead!)

Party, Party Party....

So the serious business of leaving our jobs has commenced....gulp!

Mine all happened last week, and Shaun's is on Friday 29th (stand by for some interesting photos from that one!