8 Keeling brothers

Happy Birthday (Great) Granny / Mum

 
I made a printable version of Ruth's great Google map of Captain Gibbs' WWI movements. It's a present for Mum and if you want to share you can print it out here: Download Arthur gibbs map. Ruth's Google map is here. For some reason Captain Gibbs is behind enemy lines on 28 June 1917. Can anybody explain? Maybe he did a bit of spying or was captured and escaped very quickly.

Who'da thought I'd ever be interested in finance....

I have a plea to the uncles and aunts out there who understand finance.

I want to learn how to understand financial accounts. This is because Money = Good Stories.

So I wondered if any of you financial-wizard adults fancy spending an hour talking me through what it is all about. I even have the accounts of some government suppliers that we could use as examples. I'm staring at them now, and feeling very stupid as a result.

Obviously I don't want something for nothing: I will cook/buy you dinner or do any sewing/patching etc that needs doing in return.

Let me know if you can help.

xxxxx

Alice's Hen Do

Much fun was had at Alice's hen do on Saturday. We met on Tooting Bec common, under a very cold and grey sky, where we had the first half of the festivities - sports day.

This involved relay, egg and spoon, and three-legged races, a lot of drinking, some eating and a lot more cat-calling of joggers who looked very bemused by the 15 or so of us with our mismatch of dayglo and retro sports wear.

We were going to have a wheel-barrow race (my all-time favourite) but sadly it began to rain so we adjourned to a nearby pub, where we proceeded to confound a few more people.

In preperation for the evening section of the hen-do we went back to champion organisor Emily's flat where we ate more, drank even more and transformed ourselves into the most gorgeous bunch of 1950s prom queens ever.

And we looked absolutely fabulous. So fabulous that, when we got to the Clapham Grand, a pair of twins declared their love for Alice and tried to persuade her to run away with them. But she was having none of it!

Big sister trounces brother in mud wrestling row

After last year's stirling Keeling appearance at Secret Garden Party (Alice, Ryan, Jude, Lizzie, Ruth & Trevor) the George Keeling branch had to defend the family name alone this time.
But, as you may agree, we did our best in difficult circumstances and succeeded in making complete idiots of ourselves in true style.
For the record, Trev lost the mud wrestling (held in a purpose built pit) in a shamefully quick 15 second round. We were going to go for best of three but it was 5am, we were very tired and emotional, and Trevor realised he would be thrashed.
In other highlights, Trev lit a roaring fire under the piano players chair and tied a bemused couple to a pole (much to the amusement of the security guards - no really, they took pictures and laughed).
Ruth joined the suicide sports club (no bungee jumping or cliff skiing sadly) and took part in the world's first four-man wheelie bin downhill roll and the two-man piggy-back child's-tricycle hill dash which ended with synchronised diving into the stream. The tricycle was unhurt.

Saturday, September 1, a London park

This post is an invitation to all, but also a plea for ideas.

I am planning my birthday party and I am thinking about having a Tintin themed picnic in the park.

Trev and I had a bit of a brain storming session and we came up with a couple of good ideas.

- Fancy dress, obviously

- Tintin-quiz treasure hunt

- A mass game of kick the can, the can being an empty tin of the infamous Golden Claws crab meat (this is definitely our best idea)

And then we got stuck

I’d also like to use this opportunity to formally ask Uncle Tom if he would be master of ceremonies, if he can make it

Ruth in Berlin

I have just got back from spending the weekend in Berlin, visiting Dad in his lovely new flat. We spent about half the time putting together flatpack furniture and half the time having fun in cool bars with the cutting edge Berlin crew.
From Thursday until Sunday it was gloriously sunny and hot and we were fortunate enough to spend the last hours of the spring-summer in a very nice club/bar/circus (no, really!) which looked over the river and even had swings that you could be dangerously drunk and near the water on. Sadly it then poured down for the rest of our trip and I got drenched and caught a cold.
I managed to make my holiday last just a little bit longer, be a bit more exciting and cost about twice as much by losing my passport on the way to the airport late on Tuesday night.
But I got to see Dad again, twice, learnt the train journey to the airport off by heart and went to see the Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate while I waited for the British Embassy staff to get their lazy arses out of bed. So it was all good xx

Drunk in charge of a bus pass...

After an evening of eating, drinking, and talking I left the (brilliant) Indian restaurant and got on a bus I had not taken before, intending to change in the Highbury & Islington area. Sadly the champagne had gone to my head and I daydreamed all the way to Stoke Newington.

So I got off the bus, crossed the road and got another one back. But within a couple of stops I realised I had just used the last pound on my Oyster card (an electronic bus pass to you non-Londoners), had no cash and had another bus to pay for in order to get home.

Spying a bank, I hopped off the bus in order to get some money. But on arrival at the aforementioned, I found that I had in fact mislaid my card.

So I walked part of the way home, then got a taxi and woke up my kind landlady and made her pay for it.

Moral: don't try new bus routes while drunk xx

From country bumpkin to city slicker

My new job at Whitehall & Westminster World is going well. The picture shows the view from my desk (no joke), but there has been no day dreaming going on as there is plenty to do and I am really enjoying it all.

I do the writing for the online bit of the publication, and you should all be able to have a gander - if you so wish - at www.civilservicenetwork.com. I work in an editorial office with about 10 other people who work on things like www.epolitix.com amongst other things.

Even though I am always writing about the civil service (not the most fascinating subject, I know) I am fully immersed in the world of politics as everyone in the office is a brimming over with political knowledge and gossip. So, instead of listening to people at the Oxford Mail moan about there not being enough golden weddings to fill the paper, I listen to people discuss whether Lembit Opek's affairs of the heart will damage the Liberal Democrats.

Already in my 10 days with the company I have had the full tour of parliament, including the roof, the infamous 'lobby' press room, and the obligatory pint in the press bar; I was sent to watch the top civil servant from the Home Office being questioned at a select committee just after all this criminal records business blew up; and they have invited me to attend the paid for slap-up company Xmas lunch (we had to pay a £1 at the Oxford Mail, and it was held in the canteen.)

The only bummer is that my bike has broken down and we're still trying to find somewhere to live. But, every cloud has a silver lining and staying at my friend Tam's house is great. And I get to walk past this on my way home every night!

: )

Messy Christmas Everyone!

Merry Christmas Keelings! Trev, Mum and I went to see reggae band MakaTing at the Zodiac last night - a time honoured tradition in this neck of the woods.

Here we are at the start of the gig.

Mum very sensibly went to bed at around 3am, whereas me and Trev foolishly stayed up till 6.30am drinking the Christmas booze!

Merry Christmas : )

lots of love from Ruth, Trevor and Carrie xxx

xxx xxxx

Ruth takes on Alice's idea of a Keeling freecycle

Alice had the brilliant idea that, as us older cousins were getting to that age where we were starting to make homes, we should set up a Keeling freecycle for older family members to give away old bits of furniture to younger members.

Well, I have obviously graduated to elder status 'cos I have some surplus items which I want to get rid of and give away before I depart for London.

If anyone is interested -tho its doubtful - let me know!

Lot One: Metal-framed green house.

Lot Two: a rather ancient but still functioning IBM Thinkpad. Win98. 5GB w external floppy and CD drive. No use to an adult, but it might be fun for kids?