Hi All. Life continues to be busy and interesting. I had my final sing-out before Christmas last night in a beautiful big church at Benitaxell. The place was packed to the gunwhales. We had forty men singing, and made a really good sound, with a mixed repertoire of English, Spanish and Latin music. I’m not in the slightest bit religious, but some of the church music we have been singing is wonderful. We do a song called ‘Pannis Angelicus’ which makes the hairs on the back of my neck prickle every time we sing it. It’s really quite exciting to be in a good choir which insists that you know your part thoroughly so that the MD can focus on blending the four parts instead of teaching notes. After the concert seventy of us went out for a Chinese meal. Superb food and as much wine as you wanted for 13 euros each. I was glad it was Ann’s turn to drive! We had a really good sing-song which went on until after midnight, then crawled home to a very cold house. Tonight we’re off to our Spanish class Christmas party, and I expect we will sleep for three days after that!
We are starting to put plans together for next year, and are trying to decide whether to stay where we are for an extra couple of months. It’s a lovely place, but if we don’t leave here until the middle of June it doesn’t leave us a lot of time to travel before we have to get back to the UK to MOT and tax the car. We are thinking of leaving the caravan somewhere in the Limousin so that anyone who wants to can use it during the year and it gives us a ‘halfway house’ between England and Spain.
Hope to hear from lots of people over Christmas. All the best. Andy.
ann and andy lawrenson 
Well, you are livin’ the dream!!! It’s great to hear you are having such a fantastic time….after years of ups and downs.
You’ll be glad to hear that ‘Miseryboots’ up the road from us, who has made life so uncomfortable for Simon and Pam’s neighbours (don’t know their names) have sold up and moved on! Quite a surprise…no signs it was for sale until the sale agreed board went up!
Jay is off to Cologne with Stevie tomorrow for the weekend ‘Christmas shopping’, soooo hard-up! Rosa breaks up from school tomorrow. She’s been struggling on, poorly, for weeks now, so hope the break will get her back to normal. Jolyon home Christmas Eve night, and staying til New Year’s Eve! So looking forward to having him around again. I really hope to have a break from the parents, to visit him in Bristol soon after Christmas.
We had a lovely evening last weekend for K’s birthday dinner. Everyone home for roast venison, and just birthday cake for yesterday. Not quite 5 courses in Spain…but…
Really pleased to hear you’re feeling a bit more relaxed about Nicky and the children. Sounds as if she is much more settled now.
Do have a fab Christmas, if you wake up in time! Looking forward to seeing you in 2014.
Love from us all xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Pleased that you have discovered ‘Panis Angelicus , we did this in Minehead mvc , as you say its beautiful