Helen sitting up and a 5 mile bike ride

Today Helen sat up 'steady' unaided for the first time and me and the boys went a 5 mile bike ride around Taw Green. This is the longest ride Matt has done so far on a hilly road, he did very well. Angus was a great 'director sportif' shouting encouragement from my bike trailer. All these photos were taken today.

Castle Drogo Walk

Today is a beautiful but cold day and we went a drive over the moor to Postbridge and Beliver (whilst eating pasties bought from Chagford) and finished with a walk from the old County road underneath the west side of Castle Drogo. Here are some snips.

Anne introduces Helen to Burn's night

This week was Helen's first Burn's night. Note the joy on both faces as they look forward to some haggis, neaps annd tatties plus a wee dram. Pure delight.

Superstardom?

On Thursday I saw John Paul-Jones whilst leaving a music shop, famous for his role as bass player in supergroup Led Zeppelin from the 1970s (as a Led Zep fan, I was quite excited, but being British of course I did not show it). This got me thinking, shucks he must be wealthy. Realising that my window for wealth is reducing, I turned my attention to the potential for my children. Here are some pictures of my efforts, taken this weekend. Some early signs superstardom, or just good fun? Definitely the latter.

Small world

Last night I was passing through Edinburgh Airport and (whilst thumbing through the special offers in Dixons) my cousin Adrian popped up and tapped me on the shoulder. It blew me away. Wonderful, we share much common kinship and what a tonic to see him again - it was mid 2005 when we last saw one another. The gathering lasted about 60 seconds before he had to dash to the gate for his Southampton plane, but was long enough for us to get my travel companion (Phil Murray) to snap the moment on Adrian's new camera (thanks Phil).

I flew a bit higher than the rest of the passengers on the way home to Exeter!

Small world.

Tea time anticipation

Over the weekend Dave Chadwick kindly gave us a memory stick which means that we can now post much more up to date photos taken through our video cam - thanks DC. This is the first one - Helen waiting for Sunday tea!

Milestones in mild weather

Yesterday Matthew went upto 'class 2' in swimming lessons and he was pretty nervous about the transition. Angus and I were there to support him (as seems to have been our pleasant Saturday morning routine for a while now - giving Mum and Helen a bit of time alone at home). Anyhow, he was so pumped up that when he was told to enter the pool, he swam the whole width with almost perfect crawl. A first! Matthew can swim! We also spent the rest of the day cutting down a hedge, playing football and going a walk. It was delightfully mild and sunny for January, at one point the boys were playing football wearing shorts (although to be fair this caused Anne concern!). The walk was along the side of Cosdon from Throwleigh, beautiful light, but the main event was that Helen graduated from front to back carrier. Milestones.

We got some more photos back today, here are a few more retro highlights from The Holiday in Masapalomas in November-December 2005.



Outside the apartment
Some boating
Sand dunes

Miss Cheeky-face

Revisiting some birthday(ish) moments from 2005

Morning all, lazy Saturday morning (it is snowing lightly actually, in case you are interested, probably not) and today we received some newly procesed films through the post that had been backlogged through the year (yes we still do not have a digital camera, although one is imminent I feel). Some pleasant retro-snips of a terrific 2005, loosely around a 'birthday' theme....

Angus celebrates his 3rd birthday in October (note egg head from over excited birthday party fall)

Grandma shares a grin with Helen, in October sometime I think
Anne with Sarah Bell and Tina Chadwick, late August (any ideas for a caption for this one welcomed in the comments below!)
Gran with Granddaughter
Waterslide antics for Matthew on his 5th Birthday party in the garden at Meadowside House

New Shoes

Angus got a pair of new shoes today and he is pretty chuffed. They are "really cool" and he can walk through puddles in them (or so the shop assitant promised) because they are made partly from Gore Tex. He wanted to show them to the web cam, so here they are.

Revisting some photo-moments from last summer....

Helen keeps one eye out of the pram as her brothers Matthew and Angus enjoy the trains

Meanwhile Grandma Haygarth and Grand Aunty Cindi survey the scene...

The Haygarth family taken by Grand Uncle Keith...Matthew, Anne (Mum), Helen (c. 6 weeks), Phil (Dad) and Angus

Over Christmas we received some family pictures that I would like to share with you. These were taken by Grand Uncle Keith (Dorrington) and supplied via Grand Auntie Cindi, thank-you. They were taken during August 2005 at the Cinderbarrow model railway centre, near Burton-in-Kendal and the content speaks for itself - some great family snaps....

Christmas walks in South Zeal - some 'firsts' for all....

Angus - on Dad

All - on the moor

Christmas walks in South Zeal - some 'firsts' for all
Christmas 2005 was spent at home with visits from Gran Mathieson and Grandma Haygarth. For Matthew it was the first year he could read and write, for Angus the first time he was able to appreciate Santa and Helen - well - it was simply her first Christmas and she started on solids during the Christmas week too (by the way, it was also the first time Dad has started this family weblog). We had a great walk on the 27th with the Chadwick and Bell families from South Zeal to the Tors Inn in Belstone, outward over the moor from Ford Cross and returning on the south side of the Skaigh valley. The photos show this and are also available at
http://homepage.mac.com/drtombell1/PhotoAlbum24.html
courtesy of Tom Bell - thanks for some great pictures Tom.

Anne with Sarah Bell



















Dileas the dog, Dad, Matthew and Robbie Bell

Matthew waits for his lunch to be delivered in the cosy back room of the Tors - wearing his Virgil Tracy Thunderbirds outfit!