24 December 2014 A short update from Dave, Barbara, Jack and Lana…. We normally (or should we say, used to) send out Christmas Cards with a brief letter attached – giving family and friends (who are not on Facebook) an update as to what the family have been doing this year. However, like last year, this has been a ‘fail’ for Xmas 2014 (we have run out of time) again. Thought we should just put a few bits about the family together on a document, and we’ll post it out to those concerned after Xmas – but will post it on Facebook too… JACK Jack’s now 15. His prime interest in the last 12 months has continued to be Sea Cadets / Sailing/Kayaking. Jack’s week consists of attending his Sea Cadets unit on Tuesday and Friday evenings – whilst he spends Sunday afternoons or Wednesday evenings(in Summer) kayaking with the Huntingdon Canoe Club. He isn’t particularly academic but is good at Maths and Science, and has managed to attend numerous SC residential courses (which he loves), and build up a list of practical qualifications. Jack was keen to join the Royal Navy when he finishes his exams next summer. However, this has been scuppered as he is colour blind and has nut allergies– and won’t be allowed in… So Jack’s changed his tact – and is now looking to going in to engineering! Jack (and Lana) are in the first batch of students who now have to stay in education until they are 18. Jack is desperate to earn money – and he has decided the ideal compromise is to get an engineering apprenticeship, whereby he can continue studying (hopefully at Cambridge Regional College or a local comp) while getting paid to work for an engineering firm… Engineering is a subject that Jack excels with at school – so we are hopeful. He has already prepared his CV and is sending it round potential employers. LANA Like her twin, Lana finishes school in the Summer and needs to consider her options as what ‘extended education’ she needs to undertake. She is not as decided as Jack… She is not going to stay on for school 6th Form – she is considering doing a Theatrical Make-Up course at college…. But watch this space. Music and bands are the great love of Lana’s life. She has gone to loads of gigs over the last 12 months – travelling mainly to London or Birmingham (not many of ‘her’ bands play Cambridge). And she’s managed to meet her favourite pop-stars quite a few times too. Highlight: Working out The Vamps travel plans to get from one promotional appearance to another across London… This resulted in her and her two friends travelling with the band for half an hour on the Central line between Shepherd’s Bush and Stratford. OSCAR Our friendly mutt Oscar is now 10 years old (we’re not sure as he was a rescue dog). He is still as energetic as ever… He loves walks, and never refuses going out. The tennis ball that we throw for him is the love of his life… Oscar reads situations so well… He watches what clothes his ‘Dad’ wears in the morning, as by this he can work out whether he’s going for a long walk or not… As soon as Dad’s old trainers get slipped on, he knows he’s in for a treat! DAVE It’s now 2 ½ years since Dave was made redundant from HSBC. Luckily he picked up work straight away – getting a part time job at the local school and a job at the local hospital (about 400 steps from our front door). Dave has had three different jobs within the hospital – taking up his latest full-time 9-5 (shock-to-the-system) post at the start of December… However, as travel is no longer a 3 ½ round trip daily commute, and is now a 10 minute round trip daily walk, it is very much a ‘win’ situation. We had a few family holidays this year: Tenerife, Ibiza and stay in a lodge in Sherwood Forest… We never spend a lot of money on hols… Always resourcing the cheapest EasyJet flights (purchasing as soon as they come on sale), booking direct with the overseas hotels and using a NHS Discount code to get the lodge holiday so cheap! Dave’s spare time is spent doing website work for Don from Slade… It means Dave is in daily contact with Don (who lives in Denmark) which is great. He also has travelled with Don attending various charity/community functions around the country. BARBARA Barbara’s still enjoying working in the ante-natal department in the hospital. She has recently ‘upped’ her working days from three to four (covering for a colleague who is looking after a sick relative). Poor Oscar is suffering as both his ‘parents’ do not spend as long at home as earlier in the year… Barbara bears the brunt of being a taxi service for the kids. Living out in rural Cambridgeshire means that public transport is intermittent – so the only option is to ferry the kids around by car. (Oh to live in London sometimes where this wouldn’t be a problem). Our home has been a bit of a project for Barbara over the last 12 months… She organised the updating of the family bathroom and persuaded Dave to ‘give up’ 75% of his fitted wardrobe space, so the en-suite could be made larger. We now just have to work out how to pay for all the work… CHRISTMAS DAY It’s going to be a quiet affair this year… Presents, a walk with Oscar in the morning, Dave and Jack going to the pub with some friends, and then dinner. Simples! Have a good one folks! The Kemps XXXX
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 20:15:19 +0000
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