Well, the advantage of writing the letter now is that all you people who will get one of the cards we got round to posting today, that is all of them, will not have to read it. On the other hand, if you send us a present, write us a letter or visit the web site, then ... Good Reading!

At the time of writing John is practicing his Jedi light sabre skills, Anna is getting Ann in check at their game of chess, and David is out with the church youth group.

Its great to get all the newsletters from so many folk, as long as you don't ring us up to test us on them. Don't take too much notice of what I am writing now, there won't be too much news in it anyway.

The big competition at the moment is between Pokemon, and Roller Coaster Tycoon. John is the leading Pokemon player, with plenty of encouragement from friends at school who lent him the game. David on the other hand, spent his birthday money on the theme park simulation game,which even John admits is better than Sim City 3000, and Anna has learnt to play as well. Poor old Lara Croft does not get a look in!

What of the old web site, at www.mpendray.co.uk ? Not much activity there since the pictures of John on Ian's motorbike at the Aintree motor cycle racing. I make use of David's link to the google search engine quite a bit, and he did do a multi coloured version of the home page, but I vetoed that.

Well how about some news? Trip to Paris and Disneyland at Easter, a few days in Caernarvon early summer, and a week in Portsmouth later on, rounded off with a day with relations in Brighton. Not only that but a visit for me only to friends in Tunisia before Easter. John is learning the violin and passed his grade 3 piano. Anna is studying for her grade 4 piano and waiting for her grade 3 flute results. Ann has been teaching french at the Christian Fellowship School, years 9 and the GCSE course to years 10 and 11, which she has enjoyed very much. The kitchen now boasts plastered walls, where previously they were faced brick, with new white units and tiles to boot.

And so back to the drivel. I am typing this on Ann's handheld PC. a windows CE device, LG Phenom, complete with half hight screen (640x240) and keyboard. Its a great favourite with David where most of his homework gets done, and has been very useful for Ann preparing lesson plans. I on the other hand have been using the Palm III Ann gave me for Christmas last year, as well as a diary, todo list, address book, much enhanced recently by the down loading of a database program from the internet.

John is wonderful, he still likes to have Winnie the Pooh read to him. David has been studying Moonfleet at school and I have read bits with him, which was really exciting. Last year I read Katherine by Anya Seton to Anna, that was a wonderful experience. Recently I have read a biography of Joan of Arc. John and I were much taken with the three generations of the Dukes of Burgundy, Philip the Bold, John the Fearless, and Philip the Good.

When you see me next year, don't forget to ask me if I have finished wallpapering the landing!

Mike Pendray

20 December 1999.