Another Year Over
Written by Nikki-ann on Friday, 28 December , 2007 at 5:14 pm
2007 is just about done, so I guess it’s time for my review of the year.
I think I’ve done well on the family history front this year. I discovered a couple of forgotten family bibles in the bookshelves, giving me a whole generation of birth, marriage and death dates. I found information on a great uncle who nobody seemed to have heard of - He was dead by the age of 20 and spent his last years in a lunatic asylum, poor soul. I also met up a long lost cousin and his wife (found through Genes Reunited) and discovered one or two more distant relations. I discovered I had a rare marriage certificate in my possession (the bride & groom, their fathers and the 3 witnesses all shared the same surname) and it was published in the Family Tree Magazine. I also discovered my Great Great Uncle served in the British Army by finding some military records on Ancestry, when previously I’d only got 1 reference to him in the 1871 census.
This year I ventured abroad for the first time since 2001. Dad & I went on a World War 1 battlefields trip to Northern France and Belgium.
We stayed in Tournai (Belgium), spending some time in the Ypres area visiting the city as well as Tyne Cot Cemetery, Hill 62 and Santuary Wood, Hooge Crater, The Yorkshire Trench near Boezinge, Poperinghe with its 2 death cells, execution pole and military cemetery, and Menin Gate for the Last Post.
We also spent some time in the Somme area (France) visting Historial de la Grande Guerre (The Museum of the Great War) in Péronne, Guillemont Road Cemetery, Delville Wood, Lochnagar Crater, Sunker Lane and the memorial to the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, Newfoundland Memorial Park and Thiepval Memorial to the Missing.
It was a very interesting and informative trip, and we were blessed with beautiful weather.
As usual, I attended a few gigs. I saw James Marsters at Rich Mix and Union Chapel in London, Anthony Head in Milton Keynes and Take That in Birmingham. I should have seen James Marsters in Cardiff too, but the floods prevented me from going anywhere that weekend in July!
I also went to 2 or 3 motorsport events this year. I saw the DTM and Superside at Brands Hatch in Kent (Mika Hakkinen nearly ran me over with his scooter that day!). I couldn’t afford to go to the British F1 Grand Prix at Silverstone, so I went to watch the Big F1 Test instead (not as good as watching racing, but it was still great to see the F1 cars blasting around the track). I also went to the Charity Open Day at the Honda Racing F1 Headquarters in Brackley. While there I met F1 driver Antony Davidson and commentating legend Murray Walker - another great weekend.
Work has been very busy this year, especially the 2nd half of it. A colleague was on sick-leave for a couple of months and I don’t think I’ve ever been so stressed before! So, I was ever so glad when the time came for my Christmas break!
Christmas was a quiet one this year. Nan didn’t feel up to coming over for Christmas Day, so Mum, Dad & I went over to my grandparents for Sunday lunch and spent Sunday with them instead.
Christmas morning was spent giving and opening presents. Dad & I surprised Mum with a fairy statue/bird bath from us both and I surprised them both with giftbags of goodies - a book about Passendaele and a bottle of whiskey for Dad and a silk scarf, purfume and kitchen bits for Mum. I received a subscription to the Family Tree Magazine, a few books (including Cheshire’s Execution Files by Derek Yarwood, Michael Palin’s New Europe and On The Edge by Richard Hammond), a calendar, money, a gift voucher and some other bits & bobs.
My brother joined us later on in the morning and stopped for Christmas dinner (the best meal of the year!), but my sister-in-law had to work as she’s a carer. The evening was spent relaxing in front of the TV. This year I watched a new-ish Christmas film - The Polar Express - a wonderful animated movie.
Boxing Day was quiet too. More TV and another roast dinner to finnish off the turkey!
I haven’t done as much as I wanted to do with my time off work so far. The weather has been so miserable! Before I go back to work I’m hoping to go over to Melton to visit my friend Lisa (and deliver presents) and make a trip up to Caernarfon. I also want to get out and take more photos, so I’m watching the weater forcast carefully.
Category: Music, Life, Christmas
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Comment by Gordon
Made Friday, 28 of December , 2007 at 8:12 pm
Sounds like you had a good Christmas Nikki-Ann, it’s funny you should mention family tree as a member of the Distributed Computing team I’m in is the record keeper of his family and has traced it literally all over the world and is trying to locate the root so to speak seems to think it’s in my lil part of the world, so giving him a few pointer as to where to look and I think he may just come over for a visit 
Thanks for the comment the other day it cheered me up.
I’ll go back now to beating my head of the proverbial wall with the “kids” aka “the parents”.
Happy New Year and here’s to a good one in 2008.
Comment by Apple
Made Friday, 28 of December , 2007 at 8:16 pm
It sounds like you had a good year. Wishing you a great 2008!
Comment by Square1
Made Friday, 28 of December , 2007 at 10:28 pm
Wow, that sounds like a whirlwind of a year! I love the information you turned up on genealogy. My grandmother is the genealogist of the family right now, but I imagine I will inherit her post some day. I hope you have a fantastic new year.
Michele sent me.
Comment by simplypink
Made Saturday, 29 of December , 2007 at 4:23 pm
It’s been a busy year! I know you are very proud of your genealogy accomlishments. Future generations thank you! 
I hope you have a great new year!!
Comment by Andrea
Made Sunday, 30 of December , 2007 at 11:46 pm
I need to see the Polar Express. I’ve only seen 3 movies in 2007 
Happy New Year.
Comment by Cyberevolution
Made Monday, 31 of December , 2007 at 2:52 am
…well, I’m back from Hong Kong! I hope you had a GREAT Christmas, and I wish you all the best for the coming new year - 2008 ….which I will see 12 hours before you do! Freaky or what?!
Comment by Skye
Made Monday, 31 of December , 2007 at 3:49 am
Merry (belated) Christmas and Happy New Year Wow, your recap of the year sounds like it was one to remember.
I haven’t done as much with my time off work as I would have liked either - for a similar yet very different reason. It’s been waaay too hot. Weather that you can only sit down in…
Comment by Pat
Made Monday, 31 of December , 2007 at 2:29 pm
You should feel well pleased with yourself after such a busy and productive year. And Christmas sounded great too. Here’s wishing you a very happy 2008.
Comment by Janice
Made Tuesday, 1 of January , 2008 at 3:28 pm
Nikki-Ann,
Happy New Year. I’m looking forward to a new year of interesting articles from you! I hope your keyboard is well oiled and ready to go!
Janice
Comment by L
Made Tuesday, 1 of January , 2008 at 8:33 pm
Sounds like you had a busy year 
That post yeilded to uselful titbits for me the Chester Execution book and the ancestry aid
Well done with the extent to which you have traced your family. I know it can be a whole lot of work.
Thanks for the comments and good luck and best wishes for 2008
=]
