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…

I’m ridiculously proud to say that I can sort-of, accurately-ish, play the bass line to Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes. Go me! I know it’s ridiculously easy (clearly a song made for n00bs), but even though I’ve owned the guitar for about 6 years, I’m very proud of that *sets himself up for a mocking*

Anywho, enough of that. Last weekend was my housewarming party… only small (7 of us) but it was fantastic – it was nice to be able to be able to have a proper sit down meal with every one (mm, yummy lamb), even if a couple of us were sitting on speakers due to lack of chairs… thank you to everyone who came, it was fabulous to see you all, and my house is feeling metaphorically, if not actually, warm.

Yesterday, we made good use of our matching National Trust memberships (only £21 if you’re under 26, join up, live the dream!) to visit Housesteads Fort on Hadrian’s Wall… it was very cold, though there wasn’t any snow left, which was probably a good thing. I’d never been to the wall before, it was surprising how much was still there really. I still found it  a little difficult to imagine how big it would have been, because it doesn’t look that much more imposing than the surrounding dry stone walls, but the museum bit gave lots of information that made it pretty clear that it was a formidable structure after all – as much because of the defensive ditches and peaks on either side of the wall as of the stone structure itself. Go and see it if you get the chance – Rome’s solution to the ungovernable people!

We had a 20% off day at work recently – while these are common in some retailers, M&S doesn’t usually go in for store-wide discounting as much as the competition. The last time we had a “Spectacular Day” was four years ago, so the store was absolutely rammed with people – mostly on GM, but the deal extended to wine too which meant foods was very busy as well – to the point where ten people filling the section all day couldn’t keep it full (the maximum we could get away with without crowding out customers!) It meant a very long shift for me and the other managers, but I did enjoy it. That was my first real taste of retail at Peak, so it’s a good sign.

A number of others from my intake of grads have recently left the business, where I’m really just beginning to enjoy it properly. I think a lot of that is because I’m happier being up here, and because my competitive nature is kicking in a bit more… I’m not sure how much I need to reign it in, but I’m getting good reviews at the moment, which is nice

I watched the government’s PBR this afternoon. All very interesting, and delivered masterfully by Mr. Darling. I think Osborne came on much too strongly, especially as the Tories don’t have any suggestions for what to do, but we’ll see how the media portrays their debate in the morning.

In terms of the policy, it’s a shame that VAT is effectively being kept on fuel, although with prices dropping anyway I suppose it’s not a big problem. I like the 15% VAT policy generally, especially the speed of implementation, but I’m disappointed that the changes won’t go further in reforming the tax system overall.

That said, without winning a general election with reforms as a manifesto, we probably shouldn’t go for a wholesale overhaul of taxation, however badly it is needed. I do think, though, that the reform of taxation after 2010 is the way to pay for the immediate tax cuts: a 50-60% rate for those earning over £100k, implementing a local income tax to replace the ridiculous council tax, and a freeze or cut of the 20% standard rate. I’m not sure whether the current 40% higher rate should change, but I’m inclined to think that any movement either way should be very modest.

That’s enough for now, I think.

I bought a car (her name’s Delilah) and drove her to the Dordoigne for an amazing weeks holiday with lots and lots of my friends. I got back, and found a house in Guildford (mid July.) I’m sharing with 4 randoms, who are all perfectly harmless and the house is nice enough, it’s got a big garden which has been a good venue for a couple of BBQs, including my birthday party last week! I’ve started going out with Jennie (again, mid July) which is ace and we’ve had several fantastic weekends, but the 300 miles between us has been a bit of a pain in the arse. So, I asked Zoë (my Store Manager) whether there was any chance of a transfer up north, which has just recently been confirmed – I’m starting at the Metrocentre store in Gateshead (near Newcastle) on the 13th of October!

OK! On to the present… I’ve been on holiday for the past week, which was fabulous – started well with a party in Guildford, and a day in London with Jennie, and then we drove up North on Tuesday. Since then, she’s been working in preparation for the start of her PGCE on Monday, and I’ve been looking for houses in the sunny North East.

I saw 9 places in total, all over the area between Durham and Gateshead. Some were nice shiny new developments, both houses and apartments; they were all a bit fake and small and expensive, though nice enough. Some of the houses I saw were just a bit old and sorry for themselves, though there were 2 or 3 good ones, but when I saw this one in Langley Park (a nice big village about 10 mins drive west of Durham) I was pretty certain about it. Jen came with me for a second look on Friday, and we both thought that it was just right – modern inside, but not too big and not too small, a nice terrace in a a pretty lively looking village. I went and signed the papers that afternoon, and I’m moving in on the 11th of October!

The house is unfurnished, so I’m on the hunt for an entire house worth of furniture now… if you know anyone with sofas, chairs, shelves, fridges/freezers, etc going spare, please let me know! Apart from that I’m just working freecycle and ebay as hard as I can…

I’m on my way back to Guildford now, to round things off at the store there and get ready for the transfer oop North. I stopped at K&L’s in Uttoxeter last night, which was good fun, and I’ll do the rest of the journey today. Was also proud of myself for doing the 180 miles from the metrocentre to here with 12.5l of fuel, a good solid 65mpg, which is ace! That’s the best I’ve managed so far, 12.5l is a quarter of my tank: I normally get ~110-130 miles for that (40-47mpg), so it’s a huge saving driving at 60 rather than 70. I wasn’t really slipstreaming lorries much, so that’s the next test! (Such a geek…)

I’ll try to do better next time, and actually update, ooh, more than once a month, even!

I had a fantastic weekend, came up to Leicester, originally to help K&L look for a house in Loughborough, but after K’s good news they’re not looking there anymore, so we just had a fun weekend with Ellie and Patrick.

We went and played rent-a-crowd at a ceilidh that Ellie’s dad was playing for… It was in aid of the CND‘s 50th birthday party! (yes, apparently they’re still going even locally!) Going back to the roots, man. It was loads of fun, but it was odd that we were the only people there below 45 or so. Anyway, it was fun being the life and soul.

We went on to Retribution, or rather, its replacement, “Redeemer”. It was empty, which was probably just because of exams, but was very strange. £1.50 drinks though, and we stayed until 2.30am, so obviously enjoyed ourselves… I sucked at pool though!

Our wonderful designated driver took us home, and we talked about how the world would be much better if we decided everything. Or something like that, anyway. Bedtime followed swiftly, and today was filled with ultimate roast dinner! Hooray for the Mottrams!

The last week has been pretty hectic. Because of management holiday, sickness, bereavement, and courses, we’ve only had 2 managers to cover womenswear for the week (normally it’s 6.) I was one of them, so i’ve had loads more responsibility than i perhaps should have, but it’s been great. The week’s results are very strong, so that’ll look good to people, and i hand it all back to my boss tomorrow… I’m quite pleased with myself, actually.

I’ve generally been enjoying work a lot more in the last few weeks, as i start to get a better handle on things. Exercise outside work is helping too- i joined the Guildford outdoor pool and have been going about twice a week, which is good. I’m trying to lose weight, but cant find two sets of scales that agree on my weight now- i’ve had a range of about 10kg (so, a lot) over 4 sets, so i’m not sure where i’m starting from. I think my bmi is somewhere around 30 though, so need to do something about it! (yes, i know bmi isn’t perfect and has flaws, but it’s a good guide… and please don’t send “but you look fine” messages- they’re very kind, but don’t exactly help the motivation!)

Vickie and I broke up a couple of weeks ago. After 2 years, there are lots of reasons that i don’t want to go into here, so if you want to know, get in touch…

That’s a pretty good rundown of my life for the last few weeks, so i’ll leave you there!

The main big news today – I passed my driving test! Eight minors, which isn’t my best performance, but no majors, which is. It was my fourth attempt; the whole thing was getting increasingly ridiculous, with the examiners coming up with new problems each time with things they’d been perfectly happy with the last time. Anyway, several hundred pounds later, and I’ll never have to do that again – hooray!

V and I have had a few trips to Leicester and other assorted places to visit people, all of which have been wonderful. The diary’s filling up for March too, which is exciting. Christmas was nice, if a little family-oriented, and new year was a lot of fun. It all seems a long time ago now though…

The most exciting thing of all though, is that we’ve booked our quickly-becoming-traditional summer break in the Dordoigne. Sixteen of us are going to drive there, and stay in a really nice converted barn for a week at the start of July. Good weather, good food, and great friends, what could be better?

I’m quite ridiculously excited about France, and have to keep reminding myself that it’s still five months away, but still, it’ll be fabulous and I can’t wait!

I’ve been learning to drive more – had my theory test (passed, 49/50 on questions, 49/74 on hazard perception) and I booked a practical test for the 3rd of January. I also found a driving instructor, who thinks I should move it to early December, so I’m going to do that. All very exciting, and through birthday money and selling some camera gear I don’t use much (still have my main gear, of course) I’ve almost saved enough money to buy a car already , though not insure it yet. In time. I’m looking at 1996-99 Polos and Puntos, which seem pretty affordable, and small but not too tiny to take 4 people to France and back (much as I love the Lupo, it wouldn’t really work with more than 3 + luggage….)

Went to Leicester last weekend for a bit of a last hurrah, going for a night out at Retribution (Totally. Amazing.), seeing friends, and having a little trip to Bradgate Park to see the deer and upside-down-tankard folly. Fun times! I would be going up to Durham this weekend to see people, but no cheap fares. Alas!

Also, a couple of hints for you all, cunningly stolen from the MoneySavingExpert weekly email: £5 train fares on the GNER east coast line (you have to use the link), and a free £10 for Natwest, RBS, HSBC, First Direct and Ulster Bank customers, grab and go.

The main highlight of the month has been, of course, our amazing holiday to France in the first week of September. Went with Vickie, Kieran, Lucy, Ben, Louise, Sam, Jez, Patrick, Simon, Mark, Matt, and Magz; we stayed in a converted water mill in the Vendée. It was a fantastic week, and everyone had a great time eating lots of cheese, drinking lots of wine, swimming (brr) and sunning, with a few trips to explore the area (Luçon, Rue de Vin, La Rochelle) thrown in for good measure. Verdict: success, and must do again some time.

The drive (as a navigator, of course) wasn’t too bad, but was probably the limit in terms of distance (500 miles door to door from Guildford) with only one driver per car, but next time I think we’ll try and get more than one per car anyway, it would be far better if people could get some sleep on the road. The eurotunnel was great, but we might look at ferries that take us a little closer booking them way ahead of time so they aren’t to expensive. Might not work, but it’s worth a go.

France was a good lot of fun and games really. A great bunch of people (I love you guys!) with some I see a lot, some I see less, and a few I’d not really met at all before, which is always good. I’m keen on the idea of upping the numbers to twenty or so, and getting a chateau – that would be awesome, but so would doing the same thing again next year.

In other news, it looks like I’m going to party conference! Very exciting, though I don’t have the pass yet so anything could happen. We are all working on the assumption that I’m coming, which is encouraging… I’ll be doing lots of video work, of interviews of ministers, Q&A sessions, and the responses to video questions posed by people on the website. The internship has picked up a lot recently, and I’m doing interesting work now that we’re coming to the end of recess – a shame I only have about two weeks left, but there we are.

My driving’s coming along well now too – I tend to do all the driving for the family right now, as long as it doesn’t involve motorways (because it’s illegal to, not because I can’t. Managed the A3 in rush hour on Thursday, which is a motorway in all but classification. Some muppet in a white van wouldn’t let me on, which was a bit hairy for a second, but managed to get on behind him, without crashing at all. Go me!) I don’t think I’m doing too badly, given that before the holiday I was on the industrial estate – something about being driven around France made me better by proxy! I’ve just got to take my theory and find an instructor, and I can start looking towards a test – it shouldn’t be long now, which is a nice prospect.

Anyway, getting towards my station now, so Ciao people!