Bateman Family
Our main holiday this year was two weeks in France. The first week was staying in part of a converted manor house in Civray , south of Poitiers in central France. During our stay we visited FutureScope a theme park dedicated to film and cinema. We spent a day in Cognac and did the Hennessy factory tour. We also visited monkey world where monkey’s roam free amongst the visitors. Abigail wasn’t very impressed when one of the monkeys decided to share her pushchair!
Our second week was spent in a more modern gite, in Brittany from where we visited towns and coast. Joy’s parents also joined us this week. (We told them it was so they could see more of the children but actually we just wanted babysitters so we could eat out in the evening!)
I have turned into a bit of a ‘cinema- goer’ this year. My favourite film is Star Wars Episode 1 although Bugs Life comes a close second.
I am now in Year 1 at Puttenham Church of England School and I have a really good teacher called Mrs Peto. I also stay to French club on Mondays after school where we sing songs and play games. I think I know more French than Daddy now—well it’s been such a long time since he did French at school!
On Thursdays I go swimming at Godalming and I’ve now got my 10 metre badge, although jumping in and splashing the teacher is the best bit. Mummy has promised me swimming goggles sometime (I might have to remind her again).
At School sports day I came first at the long distance running race round the school field, and that was despite starting at the back of the bunch.
I’ve got lots of hobbies now, computer games, Lego, computer games, k-nex, computer games, making things and computer games. Guess what I like doing most!
Hi folks, Abigail here, I’m now 1 3/4 and I think I’m the boss. I’ve learned lots of things this year, walking, running, riding my car, climbing onto tables and zooming up the stars when Mummy isn’t looking—that always makes her run!
I can get Joshua into trouble if I want to, I just cry and pretend he’s hurt me, always does the trick. I like him really though and I have to be nice to him so he will let me play in his bedroom—lots of goodies in there I’m not supposed to have!
Not doing much talking yet, but what’s the point when actions and noises do just as well. Mam (Mummy) and Da (Daddy) is all you need, either seems to get there attention.
Favourite activity is riding in the back-pack, only on Mummy’s back though, Daddy’s hair isn’t long enough to pull so it isn’t as much fun on his back. Easy to get attention from up here, just yell in Mummy’s ear!
We are both still with Barclays, commuting into the city of London, although that nearly changed this year as we both have had our jobs threatened. 6,000 redundancies were announced during the summer which caused Marcus’ department to restructure and everyone had to apply for a new job. Fortunately Marcus was one of the successful ones. Joy thought she had escaped all this but then in October she was given notice of redundancy. She is optimistic however that her last project for her current department will provide a gateway to a new role—you will have to wait for Newsletter 2000 to find out!
The Wanborough Sunday School which we help lead, now meets twice a month, and has a new name — Secret Agents. So named because secret agents were trained at Wanborough Manor during World War 2. Marcus is on the Parochial Church Council (PCC) and we are also involved in a plan to set-up regular housegroups.