2005

As the year draws to a close I thought I'd take this opportunity to have a recap. From friends to family, delights and developments. With the help of my photographic friend. I'll trail back through the highlights from the past 12 months.

Spring 2005

After a slow start Adele and I went to visit brother & sister-in-law Weaver for a week in chilly New York. It was a treat, we took a cool heli ride over the city, ate in the "best" pizza restaurant this side of Italy and generally took in the sights of NYC.




2005 being the year the Weaver clan expanded by one it was with sheer amazment how Heidi expanded due to lil'billy's enormous appetite.




April arrived and Pa Weaver & I headed for Villa Park for our first game for to many years. Unfortunately we witnessed a drumming by City (Manchester). Lets just say we didn't let the defeat spoil our day. C'mon tha Villa!



May saw my only attempt at exercise with the completion of the Great Manchester Run, no records were broken but it was worth it for the medal.



As Spring turned into summer the big event of the year was speedily approaching, the marriage of our close friends Sladylad & the soon to be Sladylass (Mark & Linz). Malta was to be the HHHHOT HOT HOT destination and many friends and family turned up for the free feed.

Nights of partying...












And days of culture...














Were followed by the BIG day itself...















July was also the month Nephew Billy was born, jeez with all the fuss anybody would think it was the 4th July.



The Bin Laden's Big Event continued into August with a do for all the folks who couldn't make it to Malta.


















As Autumn advanced Sarah & Jim invited us for a hike in Derbyshire. Beautiful...


























We wondered into Royston Vasey on our way home. Don't worry, we're local!!!




November saw the departure of Philo for pastures new. The lucky beggar's currently chilling in New Zealand.



And that brings us upto now, December saw the birth of The Limited Edition, my 25th Birthday and Christmas.

2005 has been pretty tough at times but a lot of fun. 2006 promises to hold much of the same!

All the best for 2006.

Christmas Day at Casa Weaver

Thanks Ma & Pa Weaver for a lovely day! Check out the snaps of Christmas a la Weaver! Meal time, yum yum!


Grandpa Weaver & Granny Johns join in the party games!
The winnners!

See how the Weavers on the other side of the pond enjoyed Christmas day!

Quarter Century

Party Pictures, unfortunately these represent the passing of my youth. I am now 25... Boooooo!!



Me & The Missus

The Kids

Granny & Aunty Tricia

Sis & Adele

Firenze

Adele & I went to Florence at the beginning of November. I'm not often taken aback by art, I think this is primarily because 99% of the contact I have is either through a book or the TV, well the TV then a book. I was however thrown by what Florence had to offer.

A pal once said there was no point making the effort to see great historical sights, they're just the same on the box. This is of course complete rubbish. Being a foot away from a 400 year old sculpture that still has visible chisel marks from the artists own tools is pretty breathtaking.

I've posted a few snaps of our weekend...










The Duomo










Michelangelo's pieta










Adele up the Duomo










Dusk on the Arno








Manchesters Favourite Cow Parade in Florence

The Travelling Amigo

Ray Mears

The Festival Hangover

Shaking A Hand To Liberty

The Master Of Style

The Historian

The Squad

B & Phew

I have a job!!

As you all know I left my well paid job* in October to pursue an ambition to get out of the nine to five drag of office life.

Myself and the missus, Adele decided this summer that life was to short and the time had come to make a few changes. Adele successfully, after a few stressful months got onto a PGCE at Bolton (hear me know) Uni and I wangled a place on a Carpentry course.

Sensibly we put a little money aside to survive on while I looked for an appropriate job that would compliment my course!

The weeks went on, I wrote letters to building firms, looked through papers, the internet, even made my way to the job centre but all to no avail. My problem was that I was looking for a job in a trade not keen on short cold wet days. I sadly realised that leaving the well paid job when I did may well have been an almighty mistake!

Again the weeks passed by and I swallowed my pride and began dropping my cv off at any and every high street retailer & demon bumming job agency. I picked up application forms for Sainsburys, Asda and even got part way to a job with Greater Manchester Police (prospects really were grim).

The money we'd wisely put to one side was eaten up by the bills and still no sign of employment.

It was at this stage that desperation creeped in and I decided (with a forceful arm twist from Adele) to approach the Job Centre about a little financial help. I was after all "an active Job Seeker".

One word about the b*stards at the job centre, they are all b*stards. Adele took a stab in the dark and suggested my job seeker interview would be conducted by a chocolate munching, pop drinking, pie eating sonofabitch. The 20 stone devil horned lady that interrogated me fitted Adele's description to a tee.

"Do you think it's realistic that you'll get a job that allows you to have Wednesday off?" "Hmm, yep!" "You'll have to leave your course if we get you a suitable job!!!"

Now I don't like to go on but I have been paying taxes and NI for longer than I attended secondary school and to receive this sort of short sighted "help" boiled my blood.

I did however stand firm and finally after a stand off with the Job Centre and the completion of a few bible sized forms got £31 pounds! Woo Hoo!

The job hunt continued...

One of the many applications I filled in was for B&Q. Related in a very broad sense to my future career I waded into the interview with high hopes. And it paid off! 20 hours a week at minimum wage is only a hairsbreadth from what the social had on offer but sodit I'm actually looking forward to it.

If there is any moral to the story it would be that myself and Adele decided to change our dreary lives and better ourselves, this has involved a hearty pay slash and uncertainty about our future but I can honestly say that neither of us have ever been happier. The stress is worth it. I never thought I'd say it but my day in college is the highlight of my week!

Bring on the future!!!!!!

Boom, Blast!

A pretty impressive snap...




The end of the world in Hemel Hempstead!

First Edition

Hello, this is me!



Your number one editor extraordinaire!

I'm new to the world of blog publishing. I have a fear that each time I approach the keyboard my mind will freeze & go blank....

It has now... However I promise this will be the only time I mention these fears. I will strike out with views and opinions that may upset, shock and maybe even encourage somebody to reply with their own most valued thoughts!

Firstly apologies for i)grammer ii)spelling iii)posts that will no doubt confuse and even waste your time.

I will however make posts regularly, (hastey words from a virgin).

I browsed many a picture before I settled on the one you see above, I was looking for one that wouldn't portrait my head to be bigger than Jeremy Clarksons. Whenever I have a picture taken it seems my teeth just wanna get on film. The beggars aren't shy that's for sure. This was also taken a year or two ago & lets just say the hairlines not as forthcoming as the teeth these days!

A quarter century is but a few days from now for me and the signs of age are creeping (rampaging) on!

Welcome to The Limited Edition, I hope you enjoy...