The Skerratt's Christmas wrap

For those of you spared the hard copy version enclosed with the card, yet who have a lingering curiosity about what we might have been up to during 2009, please enjoy...

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Hello again

It’s that time of year. The usual health warnings apply here – if you have an aversion to these Xmas outpourings of last year’s trivia then please stop reading now and recycle this immediately. If you have a morbid curiosity then please continue…and if you’re really interested…well, then we can soon put a stop to that.

On balance, a good year overall, I think. Mind you, it didn’t start off too well when I found myself jogging along for a train at 7:30 am one cold morning in January and, within sight of the platform, felt a familiar twang in my leg remarkably reminiscent to the one I’d felt ten years earlier when I’d knackered my Achilles tendon. This time it was the other leg. A full set! Joy. Nevertheless, I staggered on to the course validation meeting – you’ll be pleased to know that I easily caught the train (it was late, of course) even if I found it a bit of a challenge getting from platform to carriage. Turns out it was a partial rupture this time so 6 weeks in coloured plasters of varying hue and no driving meant that I missed having to spend too much time out in the snow that we had during February – apart from getting new plasters fitted that is.

Less travel this year than last, mercifully sparing me the increasingly frustrating ‘airport experience’, although in fairness I should publicly state my appreciation to Manc. Airport for getting loads of new scanners installed and to Birmingham Airport for being manageably sized and practically impossible to get lost in. There were visits to N. Italy, Finland and Germany, along with multiple trips to London to work on Institution and Science Council stuff that enabled me to experience the full glory of 150 mph travel at Mr. Branson’s eye-watering West Coast Mainline prices. Good job that side of things was taken care of for me otherwise I think I’d be bankrupt.

Work has been fun – and, yes, I know, I am a very lucky boy to be able to say that. I found interesting and exciting things to do on most days and, as last year, spent a while over in Brussels doing some work for the EU. I managed to put on around 3Kg through sampling the legendary Brussels cuisine and then ran out of trousers that still fitted and money. New Year’s resolution #1; I must spend more time reviewing these proposals this year and less time eating. During the latter part of 2009 much time has been spent developing online training units that have just been launched. At my age we tend to find this kind of thing really exciting so I sense that much of my energy will go into trying to make a success of these during 2010.

Finally, I should add that I experienced the indignity of steering an MSc programme in Environmental Forensics successfully through to full award status only to see it withdrawn less than a year later. Such things have to be put into context (I am told) – I am neither bitter nor twisted, despite the evidence of pin-pricked voodoo dolls of the Faculty Management Team littering my office floor suggesting otherwise.

A great year for music: a really wonderful concert by Jackson Browne and also a memorable, magical evening in the company of Crosby, Stills and Nash. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band were on top of their game and did me the honour of letting me get up-close-and-personal twice this year - in Tampere in Finland and in Munich. I fear it may be the last I shall see of them for some time; I hope it wasn’t to be the last ever but there was a sniff of that ‘feeling’ about things and they can’t keep pushing out that kind of energy to tens of thousands of people at each gig indefinitely, much though that would be my dying wish…not for me you understand, more as a legacy…oh never mind!

The U2 gig in Sheffield was a truly remarkable experience, given the spot in the Golden Circle I was corralled into, and the Coldplay spectacular in Manchester left me hoarse and with a wonderful warm glow in the heart. It also inspired me to buy 3 ringtones from the Apple store [so it must have been a very good concert – Ed.]. Tim Minchin in Buxton was just brilliant, although I couldn’t have taken my mum to see him. Buxton was also the venue for a really sparkling evening from Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. The Hollies sounded great (again) and Ralph McTell was really on top form too. His voice just gets better. I even checked out the Hallé Orchestra earlier this month, complete with lights and fireworks. As last year, Jools Holland will be the last gig of this year, just before Christmas and, again, as last year, I know it’ll be loads of fun.

People seen, listened to and occasionally touched during 2009 included Clive James, Paddy Ashdown and Gavin Esler. All well worth the time and money if you get chance. Bill Bailey (who really is a very funny man) and Eddie Izzard (who was just fantastic) made me laugh a lot.

Lastly, I can’t go without a mention for my New Toy – I got an iPhone. Just brilliant. As a fully signed up geek I can confidently suggest that if you’re tempted, or even only half-tempted, then invest in one. Your days will be filled with checking out 1,000s of helpful/beautiful/useful/pointless applications [delete as necessary] that will enable your smartphone to run your life for you. Almost, anyway.

And Robyn says…
As I mentioned in last year’s instalment, I set off on my 5 month long adventure in January leaving behind a rather cold and wet British winter. The journey in began South East Asia where I spent 2 months travelling around Thailand, Laos, Malaysia and Singapore. From there, I flew to Australia and spent just over a month on a road trip from Cairns to Melbourne. The next stop on the journey was New Zealand taking in all of the sites of the North and South Island. In early May I flew to Santiago, Chile and spent 2 months exploring part of the west coast of South America (mainly Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador).

There were so many highlights on the trip including hiking the Inca Trail, glacier walking in New Zealand, scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef and riding elephants in North Thailand! I could talk about my travels all day...but I kept a blog while I was away, so if you would like to find out more... http://robynsroundtheworldadventure.blogspot.com/.

In September, I moved to Manchester and started a yearlong postgraduate course in town planning and urban regeneration at Manchester University. I am really enjoying it so far.

I hope that you have had an enjoyable 2009. Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

And Mark says…
Happy Christmas everyone! It was my 21st Birthday this year, I was lucky to spend it in Italy with the family before i moved to Portsmouth. This year i joined the Network Rail Apprenticeship program which is based at HMS Collingwood near to Fareham which is close to Portsmouth. I’m training to become a Signal Engineer working on maintance for the rail network. I live and work on Naval Bases at the moment. I train at HMS Sultan and live at HMS Collingwood. Very strange walk to work going through check points, always needing my pass to get anywhere in base. My depot is the Stoke-on-Trent one which is just down the road only being few minutes’ drive away from the house. I was lucky enough to defer my degree so I can do my apprenticeship with Network Rail. Hoping to start it up again next year while I am doing my second year of the apprenticeship so a fair bit of work to do over the next year.

That is the big news really in my life. I spend most of my life down in Portsmouth and come back most weekends. Shame I do not get free rail travel though. Hope you have a very merry Christmas and a great new year. Look forward to speaking to you soon.

And, finally, Taz says…
Meow…and all the very best for 2010.

Wherever you are, we all wish you a wonderful Christmas and a very happy New Year.