I’m off to start my new job in Rotherham – I’ve been appointed, finished the grad scheme with M&S, and now I’ve got a proper accountability rather than being extra support as I have been through my training. It’s been pretty tough to get to this point, with some difficulties that started almost a year ago, and there have been several times where I’ve just wanted to pack it in – personally, getting here is a big achievement, and so is doing it with the jobs market the way it has been. Jennie, Mum and Dad, my Grandparents and friends have all helped me do it, one way or another at different times in the year, and I can’t tell you all how grateful I am… thanks!

This time last year (specifically, about 22 hours ago last year) I was in Birmingham’s jewellers quarter, having just bought a diamond ring for Jennie, with Kieran’s expert advice. It took me almost a month to get the courage up and figure out how to ask her the question of our lifetime, which I finally did on the 1st of February, up Arthur’s Seat, in Edinburgh (and yeah, I got good marks for the location ).

This year we’ll be getting married (after much deliberation over the date) in mid-August up here in the North East. I really can’t wait, and I’m hoping that our time apart, while I’m in Rotherham and Jennie finishes her NQT year up here in Darlington, will fly by and not drag on too much. She’s very worth waiting for, though, even if it does!

Winding back slightly to January, I went over to Dubai with Dad, Mum and Felix, just as they were starting out on the strange experience of living out there with Dad’s work. The setting that time wasn’t too glamourous, in some of the oldest accommodation in Dubai, some serviced apartments near the World Trade Centre, but there was a nice pool and it was good and central. I think all the rain of the year, more or less, fell while I was there, but my next visit had better weather.

In July, Jennie finished her PGCE, having done very well in it, and she promptly (though after a bit of head and heartache) got herself a job with a 1 year contract in a Darlington primary school, to start in September. She did really well – it’s no mean feat given the small number of primary vacancies up here and low turnover, and she’s setting herself up well for 2010 with the experience.

The graduation of the year was Dominie’s, another gorgeous sunny affair on Palace Green, with copious amounts of Pimm’s and the usual dose of academic pageantry. This January will see Jennie’s second of (a probable) 3 Durham graduations, but I think it might be a bit colder than the other two I’ve been to!

August brought another (for me, Jennie’s first) great week in France with the gang – Brittany this time. There were quite a few more trips out in the local area this year, which was good, and the weather held pretty well, which was a worry with not being as far south as in other years… though Ben might not agree, who got the very worst of what was our worst journey there yet… and it wasn’t entirely his own fault, either . We’ll not be going on another France trip this year, for obvious reasons, but I’m looking forward to the holidays resuming maybe next year (Italy 2011, anyone?)

September was the inevitable end of summer and start of term for Jennie – she got a little flat, nice and close to her school, to try and make the notoriously difficult first year of teaching that little bit easier without the commuting. After a false start in Darlington before the France holiday, I started working over in the Middlesbrough store, with what was to be my last placement before getting appointed at the end of the year. Things were pretty quiet with us for a few months, with Jennie outrageously busy at work and me gearing up for the big Chrimbo push, but I managed to slide in starting to sail at a sailing club in Northumberland – I’ll have to find a new one in Rotherham, which is a shame, but it was a lot of fun and something I’ll be keeping up with this year.

In late September, Beckie died, obviously completely without warning. I didn’t know what to write about it then, and I still don’t now. I’ll miss her badly, as will each of us. I don’t often have a day when I don’t think of her now, which I feel quite sad about, because I didn’t always make the effort to stay in touch before it happened.

In November I took a second trip to Dubai, and saw Mum, Dad, Felix and Dom all settled in to their lovely (and enormous) house out there. I basically had 10 days of escaping the British winter, swimming and sunbathing, catching up with family, and big time being on relax. When I came back, Jennie had planned a mini-break to York for the following weekend, where we did the usual mini-break activities like painting china and stuff like that… why, what do you do on mini breaks?

December’s always a busy month, and I just about found time to fit in Christmas shopping around work, and preparing for the (very welcome) familial invasion at Christmas, which has just finished, and was full of food, presents and fun. And then, it was Now.

The end of a busy year, and this one’s starting just as busily, with moving to Rotherham, househunting, wedding planning, and all sorts of other things to do, I don’t think we’ll be at a loose end much…

We had a great weekend, all things considered – Jennie found herself a new flat and signed the lease on Saturday morning (no need to panic – we’ve decided to live apart before the wedding, which is still very much on, etc etc.) I had a nice lie in while she was off in Darlington getting that done. When she got back (and I got a healthy dose of eggs and bacon down the hatch) we tootled off to the local sailing club‘s open day; we went up to the club about a month ago to have a look around, and found out about the open day and a potential special offer on membership. It looked absolutely fantastic then, and did again on Saturday, and I was convinced to join, and sign up for an RYA level 1 dinghy sailing course, as a birthday present from mum and dad, and in the diary for the 10th and 17th of October. It seemed a really friendly and active club, so I’m going to be going up there quite a bit – the aim is to crew for someone who knows what they’re doing for a while before I buy a boat of my own… maybe a Topper or a Laser, but who knows?

Sunday was Jennie’s mum’s birthday, so we spent the day over there – all good fun. Before we left Langley Park, though, we were racking our brains for ideas of what to do on the Bank Holiday Monday; we wanted to go away, but we’re feeling a bit poor right now. We were just writing off the youth hostel idea when Jennie(!) suggested camping… after her previous suspicion and unenthusiastic feelings for it (especially after I bought a new tent in July), I jumped right on that, so we chucked everything we needed (and far more besides that) in the back of her car. A brief successful shopping trip later, we had a new roll mat, some pillows, a folding chair and a nice stove (all end of season bargains) and were ready to rough it on Sunday night. We booked in to a little campsite between York and Harrowgate “just off the A59″ – and it meant it, we had about 6 metres and a hedge between us and the road, which wasn’t great – no sleep for me, but Jennie was out like a light. That combined with putting up a tent in the rain, and there wasn’t a single moan from her (though possibly one or two from me!)

All in all, a successful first camping trip, getting rid of the dread that Girlguiding camps instilled – we were planning the next trip over breakfast!

We rounded it all off with a couple of hours at Fountains Abbey, probably our favourite National Trust site up here – taking photos, flying mini kites, and napping on the lawn: very pheasant! We’re rounding the whole thing off tonight with some celebratory end-of-holidays steak for tea, red wine, and possibly a silly film.

I spent the morning playing with my new TomTom 520, a handy eBuyer misprice (which has now been corrected), so pretty cheap. I’m pleased with it – by fully updating it and using the latest maps guarantee to get the v8.10 map, it now has the IQ routes and advanced lane guidance, features that are the main selling point of the newer 530, which cost a lot more. I got a special business version, which includes a year’s speed camera updates for free, and another free map update over and above the latest maps guarantee. Doesn’t sound like much, but they usually charge £50 for a map update, so definitely a good thing to have! </geek>

The TomTom took us a great route down to West Wittering – we couldn’t be bothered with the A3, so recalculated the route and went via Petworth. There were all these pretty little villages and things to see – you could have spent a day on it, getting out to look at everything interesting, and I think my dad fully intends to do that!

I showed a few more people around this house in my hunt for a replacement tenant – and there have been lots of people interested. I think the landlord is now settled on one, so with any luck I’ll get my deposit and last 9 days rent back – should help with furniture buying! I’m also quite pleased because a tax rebate from last year that I applied for finally came through – I’d totally forgotten about it, and had the same pleasant sensation of finding £10 in a pocket that I didn’t know I had, but it was £850. Winner!

I’m now just counting down the days until the move… bought a fridge and booked the van this morning, it’s all really happening! This time next week I’ll be waking up in my own house! How very, very exciting. I’ll book in the housewarming with you all as soon as I know which weekends I’m working at Metro.

Right then, I think that’s all for now – I’m going to get back to my sorting and packing, you all have a great Sunday!