Diary 1999

Happy New Year To All Our Visitors!

January

2nd Dinner with Niall and Marie. 
3rd. Popped in to see John - we don't see John often enough!
5th. First day back at Aikido, which was also Misogi night.  Shortly before it began, it was announced that the Doshu had passed away.  Lots of energy in practice. Usual party afterwards for which Linda made Nutty Chocolate Tiffin.
7th. Linda went to the National Theatre and saw Cleo, Camping Emmanuelle and Dick.   Fantastic!
9th Went to The Aubrey Beardsley exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum - it was extremely good, although some of the pictures were placed so high on the wall that Linda (who is 4ft 11") couldn't see them easily, and anyone in a wheelchair would have had no chance.  At last, the new season of Xena has started on cable, with a very gritty episode.  Went to see Star Trek Insurrection which we enjoyed, but not as much as the previous film.
10th.  Shinmei-kan Dojo had its annual New Year lunch at Zen CX which was much enjoyed by all who attended.  Unusual dim sum including sharks fin dumplings and chickens feet.  Called in on John and Janice and swapped Xmas pressies.   Received His and Hers mugs which is just the sort of thing we like! 
16th  Gary in Wolverhampton for National Vocational Qualification in Aikido instruction.  Linda at home doing computery things.
18th. TGI Fridays for a birthday meal with John.  Ate mahi mahi, a delicious Hawaiian fish.
23rd. Linda cooked a vegetarian meal for 6.  Butternut squash and butterbean soup, mushroom and chestnut tagine, camargue red rice, harissa, peppers balsamico, salad and olives, chocolate tart with espresso crust. 
24th Model Engineers Exhibition where we discovered the fabulous drawings of John S. Gibb, and bought a print.
25th.  Steve Magson Sensei arrived to stay with us for the week and also to take class at Shinmei-kan.  His aikido always challenges us - we come away from each class with a lifetime of things to study.
30th Dinner at Zen CX.  Freshly made sushi was delicious!

February
5th  Linda went to Birmingham for a Batto Ho course.   Guest instructor was Okuyama Sensei.  On Friday Linda, arriving early, took part in the children's class at Ei Oh Kan dojo, which was a lot of fun, then Okuyama Sensei took the aikido class following.  Saturday and Sunday were each four hours of batto ho.  Arrived home exhausted on Sunday evening.  Gary, in the meantime, had been to Oxford and back to collect the computer upgrades we had ordered.  Hope for a rather more restful time next weekend!
12th While in Forbidden Planet on Oxford St, saw the kit of "Lon Chaney, Man of 1000 Faces"  one of Gary's ultra big-time wants, marked down to an almost affordable price.  Linda got it for him as an advance birthday pressie.
13th Did the Valentine day's meal a day early because of the threatened tube strike.   Went to Gili Gulu, where you can have a big bowl of noodles and all the sushi you can eat for £12.  Very good - not only sushi on the carousel, but crisp tempura, tiny spring rolls, dumplings, fried "seaweed", and pickled ginger.  Ate lots.  Also noticed that everything on a green plate was vegetarian.  Good idea.   At midnight, exchanged Valentine cards and presents. 
14th SF memorabilia fair, met up with the guys from FTV Modellers Club and spent much too much as usual! 
20-21st Busy weekend - do we ever have any other kind?
26th To the Ashford International Hotel where we spent a really good weekend, at Redemption, the Blakes 7/Babylon5 convention.  Gary was a candidate for the ruler of the Universe, as Cartagia the mad Emperor of Centauri Prime, (Thanks, Teddy, for a great costume), but lost out to Servalan, (Dave Walsh) a very popular choice.  Other candidates were Londo Mollari, the Sandman and Buck Rogers.  We appeared in the caberet as a master and pupil of Minbari stick fighting, actually doing aikido kata and partner practice, which seemed to go down well.   Great to see so many friends again, (lovely frock, Dave!) and also to meet Lesley (Londo), and her Centauri courtiers.  Thanks to Eddie and all the committee for making it a very enjoyable event. 

March

2nd Gary's birthday.
4th.  Took delivery of our new car - well, it's new to us!  It's a 110 wheelbase Land Rover County Estate which the previous owner fitted up to go on safari then changed his mind, and his car.   "Battered but serviceable" said Gary.  "Just like you!" said Linda.
6th Travelled to Middlesborough for a week of intensive aikido training with Steve Magson Sensei.  On Sunday we did one day of a course with Mike Flynn Sensei, and during the week, we also did batto-ho, zazen and body conditioning exercises.  We were on a purification diet which was effectively macrobiotic.  This may all sound somewhat austere, but in fact the food was delicious and the training very challenging.  It was a good opportunity to see some of the many friends we have made through aikido.   Great, also for Linda to meet Val, who is a fellow "true crime" enthusiast.   We felt very pure at the end of the week!  It was an experience we can recommend to anyone interested in a period of complete and intensive training.  We continued the diet for a few days on returning home, taking rice balls into work for lunch, and having miso soup, with rice, stir-fried vegetables, salad pickles and fish for supper.
13th Mothers Day meal at Mark's place.
14th.  Visit to Gary's mother.
19th.  Good Food Show at Olympia, our third visit.  Couldn't go last year as it coincided with our holiday in Paris.  Had a seriously good time.  We were in the audience for an edition of Ready Steady Cook, also saw demonstrations at the new Rice and Spice theatre. 
20th.  Ideal Home Exhibition in the morning - our first time here and thought it was great.  Masses of stuff to look at - spa baths and tinplate decorations seem to be very "in" at the moment.  Afternoon, a gathering with Steve and Louise to say a farewell ( more of an au revoir) to Shane - and Sioned and baby Max, who are moving on to Nottingham.  Thanks to Steve and Louise for organising it. 
26th. To the annual beer festival at Camden Town Hall.  Some good beers as well as some excellent ciders and perries. 
27th Day out in London with the Film and TV Modellers Club.  Dinner at Gili Gulu.  
28th Day out at the Birmingham Memorabilia Fair. 

April
1-5th The Easter Science Fiction Convention at the Liverpool Adelphi Hotel.    During this convention Gary and Linda celebrated their 6th wedding anniversary and Linda, her 51st birthday.   Highlights of the convention were the masquerade, with some stunning costumes - Beyond the Cyberdrome (robot wars) and an original play, Captain Tartan Saves the World Again, but there were other good events too numerous to mention, as well as the pleasure of seeing friends again.  Next Eastercon will be 2Kon at Glasgow, and Paragon won the bid for 2001 in Blackpool. 
11th Went to see Shakespeare In Love.  Excellent.
17-18th Saw John and Carol, and had a very pleasant weekend.  Visited Waddesdon Manor, a very ornately furnished country house in the style of 18th Century France.   Lovely gardens to enjoy, and a good restaurant.
24th Gary built a large bead loom for Linda.
25th To a memorabilia fair in Camden. 
26th and 29th This was the week of two misogis (special aikido practice) at two dojos.
30th. To Cumbernauld for the Spring aikido course.  Visiting instructor was Sensei Mark Murashige.  It is always a pleasure to receive his instruction. 

May
9th To Sandown Park Racecourse, but not to see the races!  There was a model exhibition there and we saw some demonstrations of radio controlled aircraft.
15-16th. A very pleasant weekend visiting family and friends.
24th. Gary went to Greece for an aikido course.  Linda unable to go - couldn't get the time off work - very glum. 

June
1st  Gary returns from Greece. 
5th Gary cooks Linda Greek meal involving griddled octopus.  This will probably not appear on our quick and easy recipes page.  Photos from Greece have come out superbly and will appear on our pages soon. 
12th. Dinner with Nigel and Sabine - played Space 1889 - very enjoyable scenario by Gary.
13th Lunch with John and Robbie.
19th Did a firework display with Armageddon Engineering - it all went very well.
20th Our first barbecue of the year.
25th. Linda went to the National Theatre to see Sleep With Me by Hanif Kureishi at the Cottesloe.
26th.  Dinner party - caesar salad in parmesan baskets, roast rack of lamb with apricot stuffing and red wine sauce, brazil nut chocolate torte with coconut sauce and summer fruit. 

July
1st. Linda has been in the Civil Service 25 years today.
3rd To Cuckfield in Sussex.  Pretty English village, lovely Summer weather, delightful gardens, cream tea.  Perfect.
4th. Went to the Newhaven Fort Full of Models Show, second year running.  Pictures of the event on the Kit Shows page.
18th Attended the Land Rover show at Billing Northampton for the first time.  Later that evening had dinner with friends and met Fr. Guy Consolmagno, astonomer to the Pope.   A lively discussion and a fascinating evening. 
25th Grundy Park memorabilia fair. 
26th Saw Star Wars the Phantom Menace.  Cool!
31st Great dinner party with Dan and Debbie. 

August
5th Sensei Nobuo Iseri (6th Dan Shidoin) visited the dojo and taught class.   Fascinating and very enjoyable - the time flew by.
6th. Great British Beer Festival at Olympia.  This is the first time we have ever been and it was really good.  Huge slection of beer cider and perry, and very good food.
7th Off to Cornwall for a week's holiday.
11th Total eclipse of the sun in Corwall.  Weather very cloudy but got a very spooky effect as the light vanished leaving us in a weird grainy twilight.
13th Visit to Bodmin Moor and the site of the murder of Charlotte Dymond, which Linda is writing an article about.
14th Drive home - visited a superb pub, the George Hotel in Hatherleigh North Devon, 14th Century thatched cottage with original beams antique furniture and cobbled yard - real ale and smashing food.
21-22nd Live roleplaying weekend in a Secret Nuclear Underground Bunker!
28th  The Final August Bank Holiday Party of the Millennium! Nice one, John and Janice.
31st Linda taking St John's Ambulance First Aid requalification course.

September

1st Linda finishes course and passes - qualified for another 3 years.
4th Barbcecue party with John and Paul.
5th Grundy Park memorabilia fair.
25th Great dinner with Mark and Ruth

October

3rd Gary takes part in filming video for the Nuclear Bunker (see August 21-22).  Linda at annual Bead Society Fair.
16th/17th Autumn Aikido Course at South Woodham Ferrars hosted by Kongo Kan.  8 ½ hours of vigorous practice!
23/24 Dronerama, Convention of the Film and TV Modellers Club, with special guest Martin Bower.  Excellent.
28th  The London Coliseum to see the English National Opera production of  Figaro's wedding.
30/31st. Aikido course at Shinmei-kan with guest instructor Sensei Steve Magson.  As always Steve gave us so much to think about and work on - we always feel a very great benefit from his instrcution.

November

6th. To Birmingham for a fireworks display at the Old Edwardians Sports Ground.  Very successful
7th To Memorabilia '99, a very large and excellent event at Birmingham NEC
11th Linda dislocated her toe at aikido practice.  Gary successfully restored it to a pointing-forward rather than a pointing-sideways position.  Bruised and sore, but could have been worse.
13/14th Great Yarmouth for one of John's amazing events.  It was emotional.
17th Learnt that Linda has been awarded her second grading in Batto-ho. 
28th In the lovely village of East Hagbourne where Gary and Linda were honoured to become Godparents to Karen Johanna Furlong.  East Hagbourne is the picturesque village where "The Android Invasion"episodes of Dr Who were filmed.  The local pub, The Fleur de Lys has photos on display of Tom Baker signing autographs and there is a commemorative print for sale.

December

4th Brian and Caroline's superb party - lots of amazing food to eat, and much fun as everyone decided to try on each others clothes. Ace.
5th. Memorabilia fair.
10th. Took a day off work, and went to the Model Engineer Exhibition at Alexandra Palace. Then to a glass-blower's workshop gift-hunting.
11th-12th Aikido and Batto-Ho in Tatenhill near Burton on Trent.  Excellent as usual.  
18th Lyn Stratmann's 70th birthday and Hitch's usual excellent Xmas bash.
19th Gary helping to edit the Dronerama Convention video.
23rd Last day of practise at the dojo this year.
25th-26th family Xmas - the best kind!
30th The annual firework display at the Lion on the Green Tetsworth.
31st Lovely end to the year. Dinner with John and Paul.  At midnight we drank champagne, then rushed out to see the fireworks.

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