stuartandnicola.com

Dave has created a new website - DM on beer. The site has a simple mission...

Trying to show that beer is as simple or complex as you want it to be...

No more excuses for ending up in a bad pub or drinking bad beer anymore!

I've seen this before, but not in a long time, so I thought I'd add it to the site!

Congratulations to all the kids who were born in the 1930s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

Rhi (as in Dave and Rhi!) was running their website on mambo, but she has decided to switch to drupal, the same engine as powers stuartandnicola.com. She's been brave and taken the plunge and jumped in with 4.7.

The site is in the process of being set up, but Dave is now suffering the same problem as Nicola - frequent abandonment! Problem is this web stuff is just too addictive, and you're always convinced it will only take five more minutes just to iron out that last little bug...

Good luck with the conversion Rhi!

Sean had a wild west themed birthday party at the Connor's Ranch (aka Maz and Sean's house!) You're never quite sure how many people will make the effort when it's fancy dress, but we should have known that with Maz and Sean it would be EVERYONE. Cowboys, cowgirls, mexicans, indians!

Chilli and fajitas to eat too!

Thanks Maz and Sean!!

We've put our pictures in to our on-line album.

We went to the Manchester Beer Festival last weekend (well, Stuart went to the beer festival, Nicola went for chocolate cake in Starbucks with Helen!) Then we went to a couple of pubs, and then a Chinese meal - Woo Sang - set banquet - very nice!

We've put the photos that we took in the web album...

We saw the New Year in at Mark and Helen's house, and it was a great way to end 2005 and start 2006. Helen said (and I think these were her words at the time) "I'll do a bit of food..." Three courses (soup, lamb shank, and chocolate sorbet) definitely counts as "some food" - it was superb! And we didn't even have to wash up for them!

Geoff and Heather were there (Geoff actually managing to escape from Russia for the Christmas break!), as were Zac and Rachel, with Gabriel and Caitlin.

It was slightly strange at midnight when me and Nikki suddenly realised that we were no longer having a baby next year but this year! The party poppers also seemed to shock junior a bit as he (or is it she?) started kicking! Sorry bump!

Helen and Mark had a wine and strudel evening at their house yesterday! Helen made the strudel, Mark had made the wine!

Unfortunately Nikki only got to try the strudel as she's being really good and not drinking (so she also got to play taxi!)

I really ought to get the wine tasting scores that were being kept...

We met up with Helen, Mark, Andrew and Al in Manchester on Saturday for a pub lunch. We went to Mr Thomas' Chop House (which was voted one of the top ten pubs in Britain earlier this year - I can't remember who by, but it was in The Daily Telegraph!) If you're ever in Manchester it's well worth a visit.

After the pub we went on the Wheel of Manchester. It's not quite the London Eye but it's not bad! Because our camera is broken I'm hoping someone will send me some picture of our trip!

We went to see Helen in her band on Friday night. It's the first time we ever saw her perform - it's amazing the things that your friends do that you either don't know about or don't see very often (and no, that's not meant to sound dodgy!)

Great night all round, and we caught up with Andrew, Alex and Al - all of who we haven't seen in ages! Our little digital camera has finally given up the ghost so unfortunately we didn't get any pictures, but hopefully one of the others did - must remember to ask them for some (or if you're reading this page please send me some!)