Halloween - Trick or Treat with Henry and Amelia

Nat and Han dressed up in their best Mummy and Witches costumes respectively and we drove to Henry's house on Cleveleys Avenue. There they joined Henry and Amelia Trick or Treating around the avenue. It was very dark and I was armed only with a phone camera with an LED flash so the pictures aren't great but they're all we've got.

Nat's Ninth Birthday MegaZone Leicester

Nat's Ninth birthday party which was held at MegaZone (Laser Quest) in Leicester.

14 October - Nat's Ninth Birthday - Alton Towers

Nat was nine years old today, where the heck does the time do, and after he had opened his presents we set off for Alton Towers for the day. From the photos it would appear that we spent most of our time in the kiddie areas; NOTHING could be further from the truth. Nat and I rode everything it's just that Deb didn't photograph us doing so. Deb and Han came on a few of the rides but Nat and I did them ALL, well apart from one ride at the entrance that broke down while we were queuing. We rode on, Oblivion, Nemesis, Rita Queen of Speed, Air and many, many more!!! We had a whale of a time, I've been hooked on wild rides since we went to Orlando and so has Nat so it was like we'd died and gone to heaven. We must do it again when Han's bigger so that she can ride with us; wimp Deborah will stay on the ground in order to hold our coats no doubt!

Saturday 7 October - It's All Going Swimmingly

Here's a couple of photos I took of Han this morning when she had her swimming lesson at Winstanley College. She used to be very hesitant of the water; when Nat had a birthday party at Saffron Lane Baths a few years ago she adamantly refused to enter the water. Through out the whole time there she clung to granddad who was obliged to sit with her for the whole time at the edge of, but not in, the pool. Everything has changed since we went to Florida. when we stayed in Naples you couldn't keep her out of the pool whenever we were at the hotel. She was jumping in, swimming under water and in alls ways acting part dolphin.

From 2006-10-07-1634-40

From 2006-10-07-1634-40

Saturday 7 October - It's All Going Swimmingly

Here's a couple of photos I took of Han this morning when she had her swimming lesson at Winstanley College. She used to be very hesitant of the water; when Nat had a birthday party at Saffron Lane Baths a few years ago she adamantly refused to enter the water. Through out the whole time there she clung to granddad who was obliged to sit with her for the whole time at the edge of, but not in, the pool. Everything has changed since we went to Florida. when we stayed in Naples you couldn't keep her out of the pool whenever we were at the hotel. She was jumping in, swimming under water and in alls ways acting part dolphin.

From 2006-10-07-1634-40

From 2006-10-07-1634-40

Duncan Committed Suicide

Unbelieveable news when we came into work this evening. Our collegue, and someone who I've worked with elsewhere AND KNOWN SINCE 1997,  Duncan Hastie HANGED himnself today. No one could quiet believe it when JDM broke the news to us (he was virtually in tears doing so) and it was only months later, when I attended his inquest, that we finally got some insight into what caused him to take this drastic and final course of action. I had a wonderful collection of emails I'd exchanged with Dunc over the years especially during the time when he had joined the night shift and I was still working in day. Unfortunately these were somehow deleted when the company erased his email account so I've only a few left that I'd saved externally...such a shame

Here are the few I managed to save

Ooh, the plot thickens...

-----Original Message-----
From: Hastie, Duncan
Sent: 07 June 2006 00:57
To: xxxx
Subject: RE: Team meeting.

Gotta be honest John, NO!

Every opinion Carol has is forced onto everyone else and unfortunately, you (and I think Sara) back her. I'm sick of it.

Your comment at the beginning was actually quite positive, about us all being individuals, but after she'd started ranting, you back tracked and agreed with her. We have to be individuals who do exactly the same, i.e what she wants.

I don't listen to MP3's or watch DVD's because it puts me to sleep. That's why I always ask the Manuals Wallah for lots of writing up. The reason I do all the writing up on my own when I do Manuals is...her! I cant stand her complaining about every aspect of the writing up, so I do it. It's purely to avoid arguments.

If someone wants to sit with an earplug listening to a film, ready to put it on hold and take a call (we're here to work, remember?) I don't see a problem with it.

It's only because Carol has one or two people less to tell her sad stories to or inflict her opinions on, that she has a problem. Let's not forget that Amit brought his DVD player in on this shift and when he and Carol were bestest buddies that was fine. She even watched a few films and some episode of 24 with Amit and Meyrick. Since they've had a falling out (and since Meyrick had the nerve to ask her not to shout as he was doing something) she's made it her mission to stop it. Where's the sense in that? It's unbelievably one-sided and unfair.

We sit apart as a "team" because no-one wants to sit next to her. Even her 2 closest friends here (Ash and Amit) sat away from her last night because of the incessant noise coming out of her. I cant sit near her.

:-(

Dunk

-----Original Message-----
From: xxxxx
Sent: 07 June 2006 00:29
To: Hastie, Duncan
Subject: RE: Team meeting.

Hi Dunc,

Thank you for your comments so do think that there are any positives to come out of the meeting, I guess not?

Regards

John 

-----Original Message-----
From: Hastie, Duncan
Sent: 06 June 2006 23:58
To: xxxxx
Subject: Team meeting.

John,

        I have to say that meeting was a shambles. Carol has gone too far and I think what she said and did was disgusting. The reason there is any animosity in the "team" is down solely to her. That's not just my opinion, most of the others feel that way but are afraid to speak up.

The reason I sit on my own is that I am sick and tired of her rubbish. She's mouthy to the extreme, rude, belligerent to customers and her "team mates" and is the most opinionated person I've ever had the misfortune to meet. Most of the others feel the same, that's why we all sit so spread apart. All this nonsense from her that she wants us all to sit together and chat is ridiculous. She just wants a platform with a captive audience to listen to her regurgitate her boring old stories AND arguments she's had over and over again.

The way she spoke to Meyrick, Me, Prashant, Sue and anyone else who DARED to disagree with her was nothing short of disgusting.

 

Unless you confront the people one-to-one I don't think they'd have the bottle to speak up like this.

She is bringing the team down with her attitude, viciousness and "holier than thou" attitude. From now on, I will be sitting on my own and will not be attending anymore "team" meetings. Sorry to be so blunt, but if she thinks she's got problems, she should have a look at my life! My problems run rings round hers, but I don't sit there bleating about it in "team" meetings. It's unprofessional and unnecessary.

As for making Meyrick feel that he had to tell a group of 16 or so people about his dead daughter, I really felt for him. I was at Powergen in late 1999 on the same team as him and was there when he announced that his daughter had died that morning inside Deb at 8 months of her pregnancy.

Sorry to be the bringer of doom and gloom but I cant let this go. I've had enough.

Dunk

Duncan "The Instigator" Hastie

Extn 21639

Night Shift - Leicester ASC

Hi Meyrick,

                hope you don't mind, but I felt compelled to send this to John after that meeting.

Solidanosch!!!

-----Original Message-----
From: Hastie, Duncan
Sent: 06 June 2006 23:58
To:xxxxx

Subject: Team meeting.

John,

        I have to say that meeting was a shambles. Carol has gone too far and I think what she said and did was disgusting. The reason there is any animosity in the "team" is down solely to her. That's not just my opinion, most of the others feel that way but are afraid to speak up.

The reason I sit on my own is that I am sick and tired of her rubbish. She's mouthy to the extreme, rude, belligerent to customers and her "team mates" and is the most opinionated person I've ever had the misfortune to meet. Most of the others feel the same, that's why we all sit so spread apart. All this nonsense from her that she wants us all to sit together and chat is ridiculous. She just wants a platform with a captive audience to listen to her regurgitate her boring old stories AND arguments she's had over and over again.

The way she spoke to Meyrick, Me, Prashant, Sue and anyone else who DARED to disagree with her was nothing short of disgusting.

 

Unless you confront the people one-to-one I don't think they'd have the bottle to speak up like this.

She is bringing the team down with her attitude, viciousness and "holier than thou" attitude. From now on, I will be sitting on my own and will not be attending anymore "team" meetings. Sorry to be so blunt, but if she thinks she's got problems, she should have a look at my life! My problems run rings round hers, but I don't sit there bleating about it in "team" meetings. It's unprofessional and unnecessary.

As for making Meyrick feel that he had to tell a group of 16 or so people about his dead daughter, I really felt for him. I was at Powergen in late 1999 on the same team as him and was there when he announced that his daughter had died .

Sorry to be the bringer of doom and gloom but I cant let this go. I've had enough.

Dunk

Duncan "The Instigator" Hastie

Extn 21639

Night Shift - Leicester ASC