Best Photo - "funniest"

In Fall, 2000, Terry & Jacqueline visited us in the US. We took a side trip to the Seattle area. On of the funiest moments of the whole trip was Terry starting down a grassy hill, sliding, falling, and getting mud all over his tan trousers. I couldn't stop laughing, and thought this incident deserved a place in the "funniest pictures" blog. You really had to be there to see the humor, but Terry will certainly remember the incident.

September Events

Birthdays

Neil Anthony Singleton, September 16, 1972












Nathan Weavers, September 20, 1971












Becky Louise Newman Phillips, September 28, 1986

Anniversaries

Tara & Nathan, September 13, 2008 - 1st year Anniversary








Terry & Jacqueline, September 9, 1999 - 10th year Anniversary, Now and Then

Questions to Answer

Happy Father's Day to all the father's in the Singleton family and extended family.

Thanks to all of you that answered the recently posed questions. Not a 100 percent response, but I hope you will have fun reading the answers that were received.

These are the questions:

Relate your happiest memory as a kid

Where did you go swimming?

Tell a favorite memory of your father (In honor of Father's Day in June) :-)

Tell about a bike you had

Tell about your first very own car.

These are the answers in the order that they were received~~

Jonathan's answers:

Happiest memories: playing in the sun in the front rockery at debdale road with my plastic soldiers, drawing dragsters, thanks to a load of old custom car mags found at the skip, drawing lancaster bombers (from the front) going as fast as lightning down debdale road on the old blue bike with white tyres.

Swimming in grantham leisure centre, and nash out door pool where I famously had a fit and conked out. Also sutton on sea

Dad, making the bionic man video and hanging out of the sun roof of the brown cortina at the aerodrome. Dads big forearms! And his party time organ playing with everyone gathered round

Bike , already mentioned the blue one, then there was the tomahawk 9 small version of the chopper), then, mum thought dropped handlebars where dangerous so had to take her to talk to donray so he’d tell her otherwise for my first racer after passing 11 plus.

Fang the van, bought in telford or somewhere £350, rotten front wings, mum and dad thought I was crazy, but fixed it up and saw me through university for about 5 years, 1972 moggy minor van red. Sold without mot for £350 after 5 years use and god knows how many litres of engine oil.

Tony's answers:

My happiest memory as a kid - Very early memory and not a happy one was when Dad was having a shave in the kitchen during the war. He was looking into the mirror and a bomb dropped down the road and shattered the mirror and a couple of windows. Bath night was a bit of a hoot. We had a galvanized steel bath with handles that was brought in from outside, placed in front of the fire, and slowly filled with hot water (kettle by kettle) before the two of us were forced to get in and wash.

I did everything possible to get out of going swimming because I didn't like the water. We hid in places in school when it was time to walk a quarter mile to the pool (Tony still doesn't like the water at 68...note from Sharon)

Tell a favorite memory of your father (In honor of Father's Day in June) :-) - One of my favorite memories was the 52 mile all day trip with all four of us in the van to go to the seaside. That's where the phrase "last one to see the sea is a sissy" which was always a challenge from Dad when we were two or three miles away. Another occasion was when I was given a can of water and a paint brush to paint a wooden fence around the chalet at Butlin's Holiday Camp. (Could never understand why the fence needed so many coats ~ it kept me busy all day long.) Another time was when we would walk to Auntie Ada's down to the harbour in Ramsgate and accidently, on purpose, find coins in the grass verge on the way down. It transpired that these coins were thrown ahead of us by Dad, unknown to us.

Tell about a bike you had - don't remember where I got my first bike ~ it must have been for one of my birthdays ~ as I remember, I was about 8 - 10 years old. I needed the bike then for paper rounds and things to get some money.

My very first car was a 1951 Austin A40 Devon like the one in the photo. I sold the Motorbike and bought it in 1961 for 125 pounds from Mick and Heather Barratt. At last after all those years of paper rounds starting at 3:00 am every Sunday morning and all those bike rides to work and all the gear we had to wear on the Ariel Leader we could now go on a trip in the rain and stay dry. This car came with a heater which had been fitted by some previous owner, a radio the size of present-day PC and fitted in the boot with cable controls and electric windscreen wipers. It had a 1200cc engine which would let me go up Gonerby Hill in 3rd gear without even slowing down and had lots of sentimentality for me because it was the saloon version of dad's latest van which I used to drive for him. We took the car all over the place including Scotland and Wales with a hired 10ft caravan on the back, we had to change the head gasket many times due to an inherent design fault (one in Elgin on the beach in Scotland) and we had to have a gearbox replaced for towing the caravan too hard. Lots of stories about this car, some good, some bad, but I would love to have another drive in it today.

Dawn's answers:

1) Going to the beach on a winters day & just running around. I loved Steam Ralleys too.

2)Oasis leisure centre had flumes & slides & a wave machine, cool!

3) When Ma was in hospital, Pa took us to a minature village, dunno where. That was cool.

4) A British Racing Green bike, that would be cool now but i looked like a right square wally on it, thanks parents!

5) A Classic car. We can't remember exactly wot it was.. A Vauxhall Victor i think. Black exterior, white roof. Red leather bench seats. Hand break was a pull one under the wheel. Was wicked, but kept breaking down on me & costly on the fuel.

Terry's answers:

1) Going to Butlins Holiday Camp at Skegness and fancying a girl with a pony tail on the roller skating rink.

2) Used to go swimming at the open air pool at Witham park. I was hard in those days!

3) Dad used to take me to play billiards(only occasionally would he play snooker) every thursday night for two or three years. Just the two of us.

4) The only bike I can remember having was one where I fitted drop handle bars to make it into a racer and then coming off it on my way home from Dave Maltbys at night in the snow.

5) My first car was an Austin A70 (circa 1947) bought by two of us in Cyprus. After a while I bought the guys share and it was all mine. Seem to remember paying £25.00 each for it. I did some work on it and took the air filter off(quite big) and put it in the boot. It caused quite a stir when I was stopped and searched at a Greek road block. They found this in the boot and I think they thought it was part of a machine gun. Funny now, but not very at the time.

Jacqueline's answers:

My happiest memories as a kid was when we all lived at the Grange near Malmesbury. Building dens out of the straw bails, playing hide and seek in and around the farm buildings, fishing in the local stream with jam jars tied up with string, riding my Dad's BSA 250 and managing to bump it into the rabbit hutches. Also "tied up puddings" in other words steamed puddings - "tied up puddings" came from my Brother Alan as he would bring home bits of string from the cow cob nuts bags and ask Mum to make a "tied up pudding" of course in those days you used to have to tie a piece of muslin over the top of the basin whilst it steamed away - yum.

Swimming - hated it and still today I don't really enjoy it especially if I get splashed - yuk.

Tell a favorite memory of your father - Difficult call this one. One memory I have which I thoroughly treasure is one Sunday the family had a day out at the seaside in Weymouth. Well Mum and my sister June really liked to sit and enjoy the sunshine whereas me and my Dad and two brothers chased around the beach, played football, hired a pedalo, built sandcastles and just generally enjoyed each others company. That was a brilliant day. Another superb memory I have of my Dad was when we took Mum and Dad to Majorca for a holiday and we hired bikes. No not my Dad - he wanted to "ride tandem" so Dad and Mum hired a tandem it was so brilliant to see my Dad enjoy himself so much as he was in the driving seat and in control just larking around. I enjoyed all his "Irish Jokes" and Shaggy Dog Stories particularly the time when we went to Wales with Tez, Mike, Tony and Mum and Dad. We sat in a pub and all evening Dad and Tony were telling jokes. It had Mike, Mum and myself in stitches so much so that my sides ached from laughing - brilliant. I MISS MY DAD.

I had several bikes but my favourite by far was my brother's Moulton bike - very classy. It was the first I think I'm right in saying that had small wheels. After Steve had finished cycling back and forth to school on it I had the pleasure of taking it off his hands. I recall stripping it down into what seemed a million bits and laying them all out in the garage. The reason for the strip down was because I wanted to paint it and make it a little more "girlie". I did manage to get it back together and was very proud of myself.

My first very own car was a Triumph Spitfire in emerald green back in the mid 1970's. Still remember the Reg Plate now XPC 465 N. Fantastic loved it to bits. Owned it for many many years and was heart broken when I had to trade it in - mixed emotions really very very sad at having to get a "sensible car" but oh so excited and delighted as I was expecting Michael which more than compensated for my loss of my beautiful "Spitty".

Relate your happiest memory as a kid Where did you go swimming? Tell a favorite memory of your father (In honor of Father's Day in June) :-) Tell about a bike you had Tell about your first very own car.

Sharon's answers

My happiest memory as a kid - My family went to the Black Hills and stayed in a knotty pine cabin. My cousin, Donna, and her parents were with us. Whenever I go to the Black Hills and Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, I always look for that cabin. Another family vacation was with family friends to Elitch Gardens near Denver, Colorado....a huge amusement park that is still in business today.

Where did you go swimming? My home town had a very nice swimming pool (a diving tower, and two smaller boards for diving). My parents always bought us a season pass to go swimming if we took swimming lessons at the beginning of the summer. Consequently, I took courses for years and have taught most all my neices, nephews, and grandkids to swim.

A favorite memory of your father - Years ago my brother and I used to be very good at opening Christmas gifts early and wrapping them back up again so no one knew we had snooped. At least we thought no one knew. One year we were doing our "snooping" at Christmas gifts and when each of us got the wrapping off of our packages from Dad, the box was nailed shut. It was also impossible to get the paper back on the wooden box. We have laughed about this for years.

A bike I had - the first bike I had cost $5.00 (used, of course). I didn't really know how to ride a bike very well when my Dad took me to pick it up. He let me ride it home and I remember running into a parked car on the way.

My first very own car ~ My first very own car cost me $100.00 in 1960. I believe it was a 1950 green Chevrolet. When the car needed more oil than gasoline at fill-up time, I stopped driving it. This was about the time I moved to Washington D.C., so I bought another older car when I got there by train.

Rachael's answers:

As a child I went swimming at Cannock baths with the school (and loathed it). As a family we went to Great Wyrley High School Pool on a Saturday (?) morning. A friend of my parents worked there, and it was open to staff members & their friends. It was there I learned to swim.

My first “big”bike, ie not a trike,was a purple budgie with white wall tyres. I remember being very proud of it. Neil managed to get hold of a photo of me riding it in a nurses uniform aged 5ish, and included it in his wedding “speech”.

The car I own now –a blue peugot.Jonathan bought it as a 39th birthday present for me.I love it.

Tara's answers:

Used to go swimming with friends on a sat morning at ferndown sports centre.

My first bike I remember was yellow with purple mud guards and White wheels! Classy.

I remember the summer I had chicken pox- it was a very hot summer and my dad built me a slide in the garden to play on and cheer me up. It was fab! We ran a hose pipe on it with a paddling pool at the bottom and slid down at top speed. Loads of fun.

Oh and I remember dad pushing me on my first bike after he had taken the stabilizers off until I rode it alone. You still holding on dad? "Yes Tara" and I'd left him far behind!

Neil's answers:

Happy father day dad!!!!.Christ it’s all been going on on the singo blog. Watercolours, dragons on rocking horses, death by schnow-plough parties, and general daft pics of big brother, Jonathan. Lets hope I’m better at deadlines in my chosen career than what I’ve managed to turn this around with.

Happiest memory as a kid:Finding the ‘cool Nasa’ cap we’d just been given from friends that I thought was lost for ever when blown off whilst I similarly tried to stand out the sunroof with dad driving full pelt along Gorse Lane (fast). We got home and it turns out it blew straight into the trailer we were towing full of rocks for the rockery/fireplace – Result!!

SWIMMING: Once I was allowed to progress onto the big boys pool rather than only being able to swim laps of the varoocka foot wash pool with armbands it was Nash trash and the leisure centre, Grantham. I think I only went because of the chocolate vending machines on the way out.

DAD MEMORY: It always used to puzzle me why dad breathed through his potato filled belly rather than his lungs???!!!. I would be sat all over him while he was trying to sleep off a heavy Sunday lunch in the reclining chair and his ‘then’ big gut would go up and down with each breath almost throwing me off the side of the chair. I still try and replicate it to this day but end up getting a bit dizzy and feeling sick. But I think the best was the period of time we as a family were trying to get dad to stop smoking. This was like a free ticket to buy anything that exploded/stunk/fizzled or snapped shut from the joke shop in order to stuff down the end of his Embassy cigarettes – GOOD TIMES!

BIKE: Raleigh Ultra burner (oval tubing) painted up like a Gt Pro performer. And then a Hutch Trickstar and then.....anything else Andy Ruffle or Gaz top rode.

FIRST CAR:Black moggy saloon for £150. Drove back from Lincoln and stood as an ornament on the drive until it got sold for a bit less. There seems to be a common link here with me and cars

The Murder on the Piste

Welcome to the cast of the Murder on the Piste,

Starring Claus Von Langlauf (Ski instructor & local playboy) and Matt A. Horn (Mountain guide).

Jacques Frost (Helicopter pilot) and Tracy Crevasse (Holiday rep).

Onna Tobaggan (Ski shop owner), Walter Emmental (Wealthy businessman and tight assed git)and Sophina Salopette (Sculptress).

Claus and Ava Lanche (Skiing champion).

Claus & Sophina.

They all look so innocent don't they.

What is Ava studying and who is Jacques reflecting on?

The time is the present. We were all invited to Richard Pickle's swiss ski chalet in Kloisters. Unfortunately, Richard met his untimely death during his early morning ski run, and was found dead, lying in the virgin snow. Who dunnit?

The murderer or murderers are around this table. WHO?

Easter

HAPPY

EASTER

Sharon & Tony are hosting a brunch for all Sharon's relatives that are within an 80 mile radius - Twenty-two guests invited:

Harriet (Mom) & Bob

Bill (Brother) & Janet, Tom

Paul (Brother), Geoffrey & Hayley

Dennis (Son) & Jeanna and Cally, Casey, Caily, & Cody

Ken (Son) & Denise and Brandon, Larissa, Brittany, Austin, and Kierra, Sean

Menu will include:

Biscuits and Gravy

Egg Casserole and Potato Casserole

Bacon

Apple & Orange Juice, Coffee

Entertainment will include hiding and finding dozens of Easter Eggs. We wish all of you could be here also!!

From Terry & JJ

Friday with a bit of luck I will be playing golf with Steve.
Saturday, nothing as yet.
Sunday we are going to Mike & Becks for a family roast dinner with her dad and one of her sisters.
Monday we are hosting a murder mystery evening. "Murder on the Piste"
Kinda busy eh?
From Jonathan & Rachael

Hello there ! And happy Easter to you. Our Easter plans (as finalized this morning- Wednesday) are.........I’m taking the children to stay in a little cabin (with all mod cons) in a wood near Sitges. Our friends and their daughter have the cabin next door. As it’s only an hour from here, Jonathan should be able to come and visit – he has to stay here for most of the time to run the bar.
From Neil and Becky

Unfortunately I’ve got Tonsilitus and an ear infection so no fun stuff. Becky will be off seeing parents while I will be in Quaranteen doing work from home for a massive deadline of the ‘50 years of the Mini’ celebration magazines. But we are going off in a Camper round Portugal once that is all finished so this cloud does have a silver lining, Happy Easter for then anyway

From Dawn

Apologies for delay!!! Happy easter to you both, hope ur having a lovely one. I'm working lots of easter, but after work today (Saturday), I'm off to Swanage for some cocktails with pals then back on monday for a "Murder on the Piste" at Dad & J.J.'s. Enjoy, Dx



Thanks for your responses...it helps make this blog a little more interactive!! Watch for Abe's birthday blog on April 15th.

And....sorry Becky...I didn't know about your January 14th birthday...it won't happen again!!!!

And now.....for all of you....try this. Happy Easter.

HOW SMART IS YOUR RIGHT FOOT?

You have to try this. It takes two seconds. It is from an orthopaedic surgeon. This will boggle your mind and you will keep trying over and over again to see if you can outsmart your foot. But, you can't. It's pre-programmed in your brain!

1. Without anyone watching you (they will think you are GOOFY......) and while sitting at your desk in front of your computer, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles.
2. Now, while doing this, draw the number '6' in the air with your right hand.

Your foot will change direction. And there's nothing you can do about it! You and I both know how stupid it is, but before the day is done you are going to try it again, if you've not already done so.

1999 Sharon & Tony

I think maybe some of you may be interested in your Dad's (Brother's, Uncle's) life in the United States since Tony came over here. So....we'll begin with April 24, 1999...our wedding. Pictures show Tony carrying the sign to point people in the right direction.









We were married by a preacher in the Grange (a farmer/rancher building that is used for meetings and gatherings). The next picture shows a bit of the landscape around Pullman and the Grange as well as Tony & Sharon prior to the wedding. Our "wedding coordinator" a friend of Sharon's persuaded us to help strip and totally repaint the whole inside of the Grange just before the wedding. In return, she took care of all decorations and food for the wedding and the reception. There were about 75 people at our wedding. One end of the Grange was for the ceremony and the other end for the reception.


This picture is of Tony & Sharon cutting the wedding cake with granddaughter Cally looking on. Cake was made by Sharon's sister-in-law, Judi from Seattle.










And then a picture of Tony speaking to Sharon's Dad, Ken, after the wedding. Not sure you have heard the story about Tony going to Ken and asking for Sharon's hand in marriage. Sharon wasn't there, but the story goes that after Tony nervously asked, there was a pause, and then Ken said "She can't cook, you know". :-) Now if you were planning a trip to visit, and you are getting worried about where your meals will be coming from because I'm sure you know Tony is not a real whiz in the kitchen....what Ken really meant to say is that "she doesn't like to cook". However, Sharon thrives on organization when company comes - and cooking is part of that organization....so no need to worry...you'll be fed when you visit.

After getting married, we took a trip to UK for three months. During that three months, we spent a short time with Neil in London, Jonathan & Rachel in Barcelona, and Terry & Jacqueline. We took a honeymoon to France, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, and Spain. Pictures are of Sharon and Jonathan in Jonathan & Rachel's apartment in Barcelona, Sharon sitting on Jonathan's furniture - first the "sofa", and then the chair. Believe the chair was in a store where some of Jonathan's furniture was being displayed.









The next picture is of Sharon in Barcelona walking down the LaRambla - which was within walking distance of Jonathan & Rachael's apartment. As you can tell Tony was the picture taker on most of this trip. :-)

The next pictures are of Tony; and Terry, Jacqueline & Tony in the middle of a crop circle in UK. They indulged Sharon (probably because she was new to the family) by going to the crop circle because she had never seen such a thing. :-)

Next pictures are of Sharon & Tony looking at the interesting sofa and table & chairs - possibly in London when we were with Neil....which reminded me of our latest trip to London when Neil & Becky took us around the South Bank and we saw huge pieces of furniture being displayed!

After returning, we stopped off in Seattle for a niece's college graduation, and then rushed home to finish preparations for Sharon's Dad's 90th birthday party for over 30 people at the condo recreation room where we were living at the time in Pullman WA. Picture is of Tony playing Twister at the condo recreation room - Sharon put this one in for Jonathan & Neil - just so you know how Sharon has corrupted your proper British Dad.

Our next adventure was in September - a trip to Sedona AZ to see Terry & Jacqueline on their honeymoon. Not many brothers would invite.... or... accept this kind of invitation!! But...we all had a great time. Sharon & Tony riding horses on a trail ride - horses that only went straight to the BBQ - and no other way.

Other pictures are Terry, Tony & Sharon; Terry, Jacqueline & Sharon; and all four of us at various places in Arizona.

November brought a 50th anniversary party for friends in Spokane WA, and a trip to brother Dick & Cindy's home in Riverton WY for Thanksgiving. Tony is shown with Sharon's sister-in-law Kathie carving the turkey for the dinner.

Of course, in between all of this Sharon was still working at Washington State University in Pullman and Tony had landed a job as a hydraulics consultant in between driving farm trucks during harvest.

Now...in case all or any of you were wondering why I (Sharon) have time to do these blogs....like maybe I don't have a life....well, the answer is that all of you are participating in my therapy....therapy that keeps my fingers moving on the keyboard, therapy that keeps me scanning pictures...therapy that keeps the brain active....all therapy that keeps me from smoking. October 21st was the "Quit Smoking" day for me...and because you all have indulged me with this blog....which encourages me to write more blogs, the "quit smoking" is working. Thank you all.

And...I hope you look forward to more episodes in the USA lifestyle, as we look forward to seeing more from all of you!

The latest thing received this morning from Jonathan was this site http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y--bq_eJzT4

Tony had to explain to Sharon about "Adam and the Ants" and Jonathan's "former?" obsession with them. Very cute video. Thanks.