Friday, January 01, 2010
New Years Eve.
Well, here we are at the start of another new year.I hope there are lots of good things.
My first 31st December with Bill was at a dance held at one of the companies on The Manor Royal Estate. I presume that somebody Bill knew worked for that company. I won a bottle of gin in a raffle!At midnight I kissed my new boyfriend (we had been together for 3 or 4 months) and my resolution was that I would spend the next new year's eve with him.
That was in 1962.
Since then there have been occasions and events of all kinds - and sometimes nothing.Certainly Monk family parties have been important, either on Boxing day or New Years Eve ( or both).
It is hard to imagine now that we all had to get up for work on 1st January - well, students and teachers excepted of course.
We saw in the new year - the new decade - at a Monk party at Bill's sister Jane's.
For those that know us less well I will explain that Bill is from a large family - he is the eldest of 10 children.
Six of Bill's siblings were with us and a couple of nephews.
Each person features on the photographs below.
There was lots of food.
Early in the evening as we sat around and chatted and caught up with news.
Party poppers with Bev - wife of brother Michael.
Lots of photography going on.
What fun - at the witching hour of midnight it seems the innocence and fun of childhood take over!
Lesley.
We played with balloons.
Then Pam found another use for a balloon!
Brother Andrew - looking just like Bill's Dad!
Brother Michael.
Nephew Antony checks his text messages. Barrie's wife, Lindsey may well have been discussing oak dining tables at that point. She is after interesting older things for their home, things with character.
Two of our nephews - the cousins Antony and Barrie.
My first 31st December with Bill was at a dance held at one of the companies on The Manor Royal Estate. I presume that somebody Bill knew worked for that company. I won a bottle of gin in a raffle!At midnight I kissed my new boyfriend (we had been together for 3 or 4 months) and my resolution was that I would spend the next new year's eve with him.
That was in 1962.
Since then there have been occasions and events of all kinds - and sometimes nothing.Certainly Monk family parties have been important, either on Boxing day or New Years Eve ( or both).
It is hard to imagine now that we all had to get up for work on 1st January - well, students and teachers excepted of course.
We saw in the new year - the new decade - at a Monk party at Bill's sister Jane's.
For those that know us less well I will explain that Bill is from a large family - he is the eldest of 10 children.
Six of Bill's siblings were with us and a couple of nephews.
Each person features on the photographs below.
Just after midnight we pulled party poppers - lots of happy bangs and streamers flying.
There was lots of food.
Trifle was always a family party tradition, with lashings of sherry!
Early in the evening as we sat around and chatted and caught up with news.
Letting off party poppers with nephew Barrie (son of Jane) and Jane's husband Geoff looking on.
Party poppers with Bev - wife of brother Michael.
Lots of photography going on.
Jane looks pleased with one of hers.
What fun - at the witching hour of midnight it seems the innocence and fun of childhood take over!
Lesley.
We played with balloons.
I am sure you can caption this photo with the sort of quote being uttered by Pam!
Did I hear the word Jordan?
Then Pam found another use for a balloon!
I promised everyone that there might be silly pictures on the blog, but I would not publish any where somebody has been caught not looking at their best.
I think I have stuck to that rule.
Brother Andrew - looking just like Bill's Dad!
Brother Michael.
Nephew Antony checks his text messages. Barrie's wife, Lindsey may well have been discussing oak dining tables at that point. She is after interesting older things for their home, things with character.
Two of our nephews - the cousins Antony and Barrie.
Brother in law Peter - sister Lesley's husband.
It is a bit scary now to look back at the early parties. The older generation, as we thought of them, would have been much younger than we all are now. In 1962 Bill's mother would have been 40 - the same age as our son, Jamie.
We are all 20 to 30 years older than parents and aunts and uncles were in 1962.
But, just as then, it is good to be within the family to celebrate together.
We got home about half past one.
Today has been a different sort of day.
Bill and I went through Charlwood (the old Monk family village) to The Plough at Leigh.
The sun shone from a clear blue sky - though it was very cold (about 2 degrees C). We sat outside with hot spiced wine to enjoy a mummer's play about St George, and some morris dancing.
Pictures tomorrow.
