Welcome to 1996 and huge year of change for both of us as a couple and as a family. My father’s health continued to deteriorate but he was determined to make his 80^th birthday on January 12^th and we celebrated with a lunch at the Queen’s Hotel in Southsea. Sadly three months later, on Good Friday, my father died in hospital after a very brave fight; even the week before he was convinced that he was going to beat this thing!

                          Eric’s 80th birthday 1996.

On the job front, David was head hunted for a job in Brussels and we decided to put the house in South Woodford on the market rather than let it out. It was sad to leave the house as we had enjoyed nine years there and made a lot of friends both locally and through our respective jobs. But we…