My Life part Two

This is purely a list of (some of) the significant events in my life. After August 1992 they become more detailed, because that's when I bought my first Psion (a 256k Series 3) and began writing a daily journal. That period of my life is detailed here, the earlier years are in My Life Part 1.

Each year (or section) contains a brief summary of events, and starts with a graphic that links to *much* more detail - reflections, memories, and extracts from my journal. These aren't really going to be of any interest to anyone who doesn't know me - but they're kinda funny in parts I guess.

Main headings:
In Part One: early life - secondary school years - post-school arsing about - gigging - not gigging but chef'ing - unemployed, psychotherapy & Haringey Community Workshops - No. 1 Bedford Hill
In Part Two: With a Psion - working for Psion Software - Symbian - with a son - life after Symbian -

1992 (part two - part one is here)

Part 9) With a Psion - including extracts from my journal *1
28/9/92: The Big Breakfast starts on Channel 4 - I saw Danny Baker this week in Mortimer Street and told him "Morning Edition 3, Big Breakfast Nil".
5/10/92: The Amsterdam air crash. I don't like this world!
28/10/92: Bought my first computer - an Ambra.
20/11/92: Windsor Castle fire.
12/12/92: Chanter Xmas party
18/12/92: Bedford Hill Xmas party, last therapy of 1992
24/12/92: Working Xmas eve (Danny Baker's Xmas kegger in Paul's car), then Xmas shopping and I FELL OVER and grazed my knee... ANGRY! Evening gig in Vic.

1993

Records I bought included: Transient Random Noise Bursts With Announcements, Four-Calendar Cafe, Pendulum (Eberhard Weber),
Number One hits in the UK: 2 Unlimited - No Limit, Shaggy - Oh Carolina, The Bluebells - Young At Heart, George Michael/Queen/Lisa Stansfield - Five Live EP, Ace of Base - All That She Wants, UB40 - I Can't Help Falling In Love With You, Gabrielle - Dreams, Take That - Pray, Freddie Mercury - Living On My Own, Culture Beat - Mr.Vain, DJ Jazzy Jeff/Fresh Prince - Boom Shake The Room, Take That feat. Lulu - Relight My Fire, Meat Loaf - I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That), Mr Blobby - Mr Blobby, Take That - Babe

NB: for a definitive list of chart entries, number ones, etc., check out http://www.yearsofgold.org.uk. I referred to them a lot while doing these pages!

And: Waco, Jamie Bulger, Beverley Allitt, Bill Clinton, Joy Gardner, Warrington, the M40 motorway crash, Wacko Jacko's downfall, Jurassic Park & Mr. Blobby.

19/2/93: My "Note and Query" in the Guardian!
27/2/93: Saw "Be Glad For The Song Has No Ending" at the Rio & Richard.
3/3/93: Bought 2 x 1MB Ram for £60
20/3/93: Bought "Elvira" and "Ultima Underworld".
27/3/93: First day of annual leave. It rained solidly for the two weeks! Max to stay.
30/3/93: Went to Glastonbury with Max.
1/4/93: We (Chanter) did a session for GLR.
3/4/93: Chris Evans' last GLR show.
11/5/93: Drinks at Baker Street with Simon - this was when he first mentioned the screenplay
16/5/93: Ben & Christine wedding
12/6/93: Dylan at fleadh, us at Robey
24/6/93: Bought Carrera PC and loads of games
30/6/93: Last ever therapy
2/7/93: Regrading hearing - me scale 6!!! Evening chez Louise *2
13/9/93: Israel and Palestine at peace!
18/9/93: Danny Baker After All on TV - disappointing.
21/9/93: Went to see Hair with Paul
8/10/93: Bought Psion Series3a
29/10/93: Danny Baker's last Morning Edition on Radio 5. Starting Radio one shows tomorrow morning. Shower finished, but it leaks!
4/11/93: Feeling low and unwell. I kind of quit the band tonight - a month off, at least.
6/11/93: Bought CD-ROM drive and 7th Guest.
17/11/93: England out of the world cup after an appalling game where we (they) beat San Marino 7-1. God alone knows how.
6/12/93: Frank Zappa is dead! Dinner after work at "Eco's" pizza place - I made the mistake of eating an "oyster mussel" and was sick all night long.
10/12/93: Last Chanter gig in the Weavers. Very windy, fence blown down.
25/12/93: Working with Alam & Sarah. Evening at Zetter's with video. I bought mum a coffee maker which she was too scared to use.

1994

Records I bought included: Portishead Dummy, Kristen Hersh Hips and Makers, Beethoven late quartets, Let Love In, Panic On (Madder Rose), Carnival of Light (Ride), Walk The Dog And Light The Light, Mars Audiac Quintet, Jan Garbarek/Hilliard,
Number One hits in the UK: Chaka Demus And Pliers with Jack Radics and Taxi Gang - Twist And Shout, D:Ream - Things Can Only Get Better, Mariah Carey - Without You, Doop - Doop, Take That - Everything Changes, A.F.K.A.P. - The Most Beautiful Girl, Toni Di Bart - The Real Thing, Stiltskin - Inside, Manchester United Football Squad - Come On You Reds, Wet Wet Wet - Love Is All Around, Whigfield - Saturday Night, Take That - Sure, Pato Banton - Baby Come Back, Baby D - Let Me Be Your Fantasy, East 17 - Stay Another Day

And: Abbie Humphries, Frederick West, Kurt Cobain's death, Andrew's illness and death, Doom, Beethoven late quartets, screenplay, Malcolm's heart attack, Sarah Griffin & Alam Ishaq weddings, Richard Knipe's christening, Peter Knipe's death, verucca, skin rash, terrible England world cup performance, Louise, the end of the discussion group, Sarah leaving work & Marilyn being useless, the Russian problem with Chechnya, Bosnia, the marriage and separation of Michael Jackson and Lisa-Marie Presley, Bruce Grobelaar, South African elections with Nelson Mandela winning, and the IRA ceasefire. Oh, and Louise.

7/2/94: Went to hospital 5.30am with stomach pains. Playing DOOM!
3/94: Begin work on the screenplay with, and without, Simon.
8/4/94: Bought AWE32 sound card - took it back a week later.
4/94: South African elections and Kurt Cobain's death.
19/5 - 23/5/94: In Paris with Simon, Carol and family.
23/5/94: Andrew back at work.
25/5/94: Andrew off again.
21/6/94: Sarah Griffin's wedding.
26/6/94: Richard Knipe's christening.
14/7/94: "Arcadia" at Haymarket with Mame.
16/7/94: Comet Shoemaker/Levy smashes into Jupiter - the end of the world???
18/7/94: World cup final, Brazil won 3-2 on penalties.
15/9/94: Peter Knipe died
26/9/94: Peter's funeral.
12/10/94: Start four weeks on Prepulsid for reflux.
17/10/94: Day trip to Eastbourne. Andrew died 10.30pm.
26/10/94: Andrew's funeral. Louise!
11/11/94: Laura Nyro at the Union chapel.
5/12/94: Andrew's memorial service in the library hall. Pub, then to Sarah's afterwards. Next morning very late for work, explosive group & Marilyn walked out.

1995

Records I bought included: Toward The Within, University, The Cardigans,
Number One hits in the UK: Rednex - Cotton Eye Joe, Celine Dion - : Think Twice, Cher/Chrissie Hynde/Neneh Cherry/Eric Clapton - Love Can Build A Bridge, Outhere Brothers - Don't Stop (Wiggle Wiggle), Take That - Back For Good, Oasis - Some Might Say, Livin' Joy - Dreamer, Robson and Jerome - Unchained Melody, Outhere Brothers - Boom Boom Boom, Take That - Never Forget, Blur - Country House, Michael Jackson - You Are Not Alone, Shagga - Boombastic, Simply Red - Fairground, Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise, Robson and Jerome - I Believe/Up On The Roof, Michael Jackson - Earth Song

And: Louise moving in :-), Maggie too, Guernsey, Jan Garbarek at St Pauls, Jon arriving & Paul leaving, Windows 95, Kos, Simon's 40th in Gloucestershire, Internet, Narcissus reuinion,

7/1/95: Peter Cook & Larry Grayson died this week.
17/2/95: Louise moved in.
27/2 - 12/3/95: Annual leave. Recording Chanter live album.
5/3/95: Hildegard von Bingen at St. Augustin's.
6/3/95: Viv Stanshall found dead.
16/3/95: Scott Hamilton at Pizza Express.
30/3/95: I bought "High Fidelity".
13/4/95: Bought 2MB Psion Series 3a - when will this stop?
17/4/95 - 22/4/95: Guernsey holiday - very nice apart from shit crossing on the way out.
2/5/95: Under Milk Wood at the National
21/5/95: Madness of King George in Piccadilly.
21/6/95: Jan Garbarek at St Paul's.
6/7/95: The hottest July on record.
9/8/95: Jerry Garcia died.
24/8/95: Day trip to Hastings but my S3 screen got smashed somehow. Bought Windows 95.
2/9/95 - 9/9/95: Holiday in Kos. I got a rash on my bum!
30/9/95: Took delivery of new Carrera Pentium PC, spent the day trying to get CD-ROM working.
8/10/95: Went to see Blue Juice and bought a wok.
22/10/95: Another jam, L saw Tony Benn at Union Chapel.
27/10/95 - 29/10/95: Simon's 40th birthday weekend in Gloucestershire with Si & Carol, me & Louise, Ruth & Mark, Mark & Carolyn, Simon & Laura, Paolo & Sian, and various younger things.
11 & 12/95: Beatles anthology on ITV

1996

Records I bought included: Emperor Tomato Ketchup, All Over You (Caravan re-recordings),
Number One hits in the UK: George Michael - Jesus To A Child, Babylon Zoo - Spaceman, Oasis - Don't Look Back In Anger, Take That - How Deep Is Your Love, Prodigy - Firestarter, Mark Morrisson - Return Of The Mack, George Michael - Fast Love, Gina G - Ooh, Aah, Just A Little Bit, Baddiel And Skinner with The Lightning Seeds - Three Lions, Fugees - Killing Me Softly, Gary Barlow - Forever Love, Spice Girls - Wannabe, Peter Andre - Flava, Fugees - Ready or not, Deep Blue Something - Breakfast at Tiffany's, Chemical Brothers - Setting Sun, Boyzone - Words, Spice Girls - Say You'll Be There, Robson and Jerome - What becomes of the broken hearted, The Prodigy - Breathe, Peter Andre - I Feel You, Boyzone - A Different Bear, Dunblane charity record - Knockin' On Heaven's Door, Spice Girls - 2 Become 1

And: I bought a scanner, Dunblane, Rory Bremner & HIGN4U, Tilly, my 40th, Chessington world of adventure, France holiday inc Avignon/Sete/Ile de Re, Mandy Allwood, Me leaving 1BH!!!

12/1/96: Wind In The Willows at Festival Hall
14/3/96: Dunblane massacre.
16/3/96: Carpets cleaned, Nina Coltart pm
22/3/96: Cezanne at the Tate - BSE & CJD scares
25/3/96: Scroedinger's Kittens, Lanwall systems & photocopier. I finished the first proper draft of the script.
18/4/96: Went to see Rory Bremner recording his TV show
1/5/96: Bought Office 95 and MS Plus. Boiler dripping so serviced.
10/5/96: Stanley Spencer play at National.
26/5/96: Went to see "Smoke" - v good. Last Dennis Potters on telly - crap. L applying for Haringey Mind job.
29/6/96: Our al fresco jam session garden party
24/7/96: Epson colour printer & Omnipage Pro
30/7/96: Placed ad for Canon printer in Loot
12/8/96: Armed siege in Balham, Focus 2001 keyboard fucked
13/8/96: No holiday in Rome (no cheap flights), PC graphics card fucked
28/8/96: Sold printer to Bosnians
1/9/96: Eurostar to Paris and 2 weeks in France. Villeneuve-Les-Avignon, Sete, St. Jean-de-Luz, Ile de Re again.
23/9/96: Back to work. Also gigging in O'Neills with Mal, Gubble, and begin to apply for jobs. DB back on GLR, Jon off 2 weeks paternity leave.
3/10/96: Mandy Allwood loses her octuplets, Van Gogh Dave died of a heroin overdose.
24/10/96: HIGN4U with Emil
23/11/96: Jan Garbarek @ Festival Hall
9/12/96: I got the Psion job from over 200 CVs!
12/12/96: Jeremy Browning left No. 1 Bedford Hill

Part 9) Working for Psion Software
13/12/96: Stan Tracey's 70th bd @ Festival Hall
21/12/96: Gig with Narcissus/Pete & blues band
25/12/96: Xmas - Fairport tickets, brandy & glass

1997

Records I bought included: Kristen Hersh "Strings", OK Computer, Broadcast, Dots and Loops,
Number One hits in the UK: Tori Amos - Professional Widow (dance remix), White Town - Your Woman, Blur - Beetlebum, LL Cool J - Ain't Nobody, U2 - Discotheque, No Doubt - Don't Speak, Spice Girls - Mama/Who Do You Think You Are, Chemical Brothers - Block Rockin' Beats, R Kelly - I Believe I Can Fly, Michael Jackson - Blood on the Dancefloor, Gary Barlow - Love won't wait, Olive - You're Not Alone, Eternal - I Wanna Be The Only One, Hanson - MMMBop, Puff Daddy - I'll Be Missing You, Oasis - D'You Know What I Mean?, Will Smith - Men in Black, The Verve - The Drugs Don't Work, Elton John - Candle In The Wind (Diana version), Spice Girls - Spice Up Your Life, Aqua - Barbie Girl, Various Artists - Perfect Day, Teletubbies - Say eh-oh, Spice Girls - Too Much

And:

13/1/97: Start work for Psion. PsiMail Internet, Protea Word & Record Help files & manual.
1/2/97: Fairport 30th anniversary @ Festival Hall. A bit panicky at work, though!
21/2/97: Art @ Wyndhams theatre
11/3/97: L started at Mind job
30/3/97: Went to Cornwall, cycling & sauna, Hale-Bopp comet, more Losec so tum OK!
12/4/97: Laura Nyro died.
1/5/97: Election - Tony Blair & Labour got in.
9/5/97: Martin Carthy in Crouch End.
10/5/97: Saw remastered Star Wars
26/5/97: Saw "Shine"
1/6/97: Claudia & William's christening
10/6/97: Mum's 70th birthday do chez nous. Nautilus (and synchronizer) drags on...
16/6/97: Protea (Series 5) launch party. Kidney stone agony in mornings.
2/7/97: Hong Kong back to China, Tim Henman in Wimbledon, me food poisoning from grim chicken sandwich. Off work 2½ days.
3/7/97: Robert Mitchum and James Stewart dead :-(
10/8/97: Off to bonnie Scotland for a fortnight - Eigg, Ullapool, Edinburgh - had a really fantastic time and Caroline Read was a wonderful host. Probably the best holiday I've ever had (OK Caroline???)
31/8/97: Lady Diana dead!!!
6/9/97: Diana's funeral
20/9/97: Unofficial Guild building opening
3/10/97: ISB at Bloomsbury - didn't go :-(
18/10/97: Bought CD cabinet. Earls Court gigs finished.
30/10/97: Went to see the new (as-yet unopened) British Library
23/12/97: To Cardiff for Xmas - Star Wars vids, Crumb book, Talisker
31/12/97: To the zoo, then new year at Banners

1998

Records I bought included: Mimi "Soak", High Llamas,
Number One hits in the UK: Various - Perfect Day, All Saints - Never Ever, Oasis - All Around the World, Usher - You Make Me Wanna, Aqua - Dr. Jones, Celine Dion - My Heart Will Go On, Cornershop - Brimful of Asha (remix), Madonna - Frozen, Run DMC vs Jason Nevins - It's Like That, Boyzone - All That I Need, All Saints - Under The Bridge/Lady Marmalade, Aqua - Turn Back Time, Tamperer feat Maya - Feel IT, B*witched - C'est La Vie, The New Lads feat. David Baddiel - Football's coming home, Billie - Because We Want To, Another Level - Freak Me, Jamiroquai - Deeper Underground, Spice Girls - Viva Forever, Boyzone - No Matter What, Manic Street Preachers - If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next, All Saints - Bootie Call, Robbie Williams - Millennium, Melanie B featuring Missy Elliott - I Want You Back, B*Witched - Rollercoaster, Billie - Girlfriend, Spacedust - Gym And Tonic, Cher - Believe, B*Witched - To You I Belong, Spice Girls - Goodbye, Chef - Chocolate salty balls

And:

23/2/98: Iraqi crisis over?
13/3/98: Renbourn & McShee at Kings Head
4/98: Driving lessons, Good Will Hunting, Ayckbourne play, day trip to Ely
22/4/98: Bought Cubase & sound card *1, then upgraded PC... BIG hassles re protection errors etc
16/5/98: Frank Sinatra dead
17/5/98: Beethoven 2 & 9 at RFH
10/6/98: Driving theory test.
13/6/98: Staying with Mame in Cardiff

Part 10) Symbian
25/6/98: Psion Software become Symbian. World cup - Scotland out 1st round, England 2nd to Argies de to Beckham's foul & a shite penalty
30/6/98: England out of world cup.
1/7/98: L finishes Guild training. Windows 98! Keston Road house too expensive for us - we'll have to wait a while.
30/7/98: Appraisal OK, now in "product design team" with Nick and Jezar. Meanwhile, I've been genericising EPOC Connect 2.2 Help. I also turned my life over to my Series 5 (was that a mistake?)...
5/8/98: Failed my driving test but succeeded in fixing the PC soundcard problem - it was Road Rash after all!!!
8&9/8/98: Emil & Felix to stay, got my Website up and running! L meanwhile had a rotten day with her mum... Skate finally shipped yesterday. Omagh bomb.
21/8/98: L to visit Jean in Fife, me Cubase and Website. Bill Clinton attacked "terrorist bases" in the Middle East to distract from Monica Lewinsky, and Yeltsin sacked the entire Russian government because of colossal monetary problems.
22/8/98: PC monitor exploded. Converted to FAT32.
30/8/98: Off to Spain. Seville, trip to Carmona, then to Cadiz, Granada, Seville again. Sore throat and general illness throughout Cadiz section :-( Giralda, Alhambra, Albaicin, Alcazar, long delay before flight home.
20/9/98: Passed my driving test despite feeling depressed, anxious and unhappy.
12/10/98: Nigel and Mat started, Blue Peter 40th anniversary but marred by scandal (drugged presenter). A bit of panic at work, L broke her radio.
26/10/98: A bit extra in my pay? Don Norman lecture "the invisible computer".
31/10/98: Put the flat on the market. Bloody pouring, floods in the Severn valley.
5/11/98: Dating scan - saw & heard baby! Questions & worries re amniocentesis
24/11/98: Jenny Morrison stabbed to death at Thurleigh Road
2/12/98: Jan Garbarek @ RFH with Andy & Sylvie. Didn't go to Germany re Kara.
15/12/98: Symbian party in Science museum, I have a new PII 400 at work which starts to go wrong...

1999

Records I bought included: Dots and Loops,
Number One hits in the UK: Steps - Tragedy/Heartbeat, Fatboy Slim - Praise You, 911 - A Little Bit More, Offspring - Pretty Fly (For A White Guy), Armand Van Helden feat Duane Harden - You Don't Know Me, Blondie - Maria, Lenny Kravitz - Fly Away, Britney Spears - Baby One More Time, Boyzone - When The Going Gets Tough, B*witched - Blame It On The Weatherman, Mr. Oizo - Flat Beat, Tiffany - Perfect Moment, Westlife - Swear it again, Backstreet Boys - I want it that way, Boyzone - You Needed Me, Shanks and Bigfoot - Sweet Like Chocolate, Baz Luhrmann - Everybody's Free, S Club 7 - Bring It All Back, Vengaboys - Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom, ATB - 9pm (Till I Come), Ricky Martin - Livin' La Vida Loca, Ronan Keating - When You Say Nothing At All, Westlife - If I Let You Go, Geri Halliwell - Mi Chico Latino, Lou Bega - Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of...), Vengaboys - We're Going To Ibiza!, Eiffel 65 - Blue (Da Ba Dee), Christina Aguilera - Genie In A Bottle, Westlife - Flying Without Wings, Five - Keep On Movin', Geri Halliwell - Lift Me Up, Robbie Williams - She's The One / It's Only Us, Wamdue Project - King Of My Castle, Cliff Richard - The Millennium Prayer, Westlife - I have a dream/Seasons in the sun

And:

1/99: Mary Tamplin buying the flat, us buying Ripon Road. EPOC colour closing stages. Buying a car, "Little Voice", Scott Jenson starts at Symbian
2/99: Citrine/Crystal project, move Harcourt -> 191 Marylebone Rd, Mag stroke 16/2 and had her put down 6.30pm 17/2/99. Big network problems in the new building and crap phones. 19-20/2/99 fucking burgled!!! Shakespeare in Love, new monitor, This Year's Love.
26/3/99: L's last day at Mind, meanwhile NATO bomb Kosova and I do a Chanter gig in Southgate.
9/4/99: Nick Healey leaves Symbian
26/4/99: Jill Dando shot dead
2/5/99: Baby boy born!!! Not Adam, though - ?

Part 11) With a son
6/5/99: Joseph Samuel Woodhead Browning and mother home from hospital. Bad guts for a fortnight or so, advent of the laa-beast.
7/99: Hassles all month re exchanging contracts - delays, bloody shit... Finally did it on the 29th.
9/8/99: Moved Kirkstall Ave -> Ripon Road
11/8/99: Total eclipse of the sun (nearly)
23-26/8/99: EPOC Connect spec reviews in Tampere, Finland
29/8-1/9/99: Interact '99 in Edinburgh
5/10/99: Paddington rail disaster
29/10/99: Appraisal with Mat. Joe sitting up on his own! Boeing airliner fell out of the air - deliberate?
1/11/99: Joe starts 3 days a week with Anna, L back to work
6/12/99: Symbian Xmas do at Commonwealth institute, a bit disappointing. L didn't come.
31/12/99: Ally pally, fireworks, champagne and roast beef, minnellium celebrations on telly.

2000

Records I bought included: Basque "Radiate", Chameleons "Strip",
Number One hits in the UK: Manic Street Preachers - The Masses against the Classes, Britney Spears - Born To Make You Happy, Gabrielle - Rise, Oasis - Go Let It Out, All Saints - Pure Shores, Madonna - American Pie, Chicane feat. Bryan Adams - Don't Give Up, Geri Halliwell - Bag It Up, Mel C feat. Lisa Lopez - Never Be The Same Again, Westlife - Fool Again, Craig David - Fill Me In, Fragma feat Coco - Toca's Miracle, Oxide and Neutrino - Bound 4 Da Reload (Casualty), Britney Spears - Oops I Did It Again, Madison Avenue - Don't Call Me Baby, Billie Piper - Day and Night, Sonique - It Feels So Good, Black Legend - You See The Trouble With Me, Kylie Minogue - Spinning Around, Eminem - The Real Slim Shady, The Corrs - Breathless, Ronan Keating - Life is a Rollercoaster, Five and Queen - We Will Rock You, Craig David - 7 Days, Robbie Williams - Rock DJ, Mel C - I Turn To You, Spiller feat Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Groovejet (If This Ain't Love), Madonna - Music, A1 - Take On Me, Modjo - Lady (Hear Me Tonight), Mariah Carey and Westlife - Against All Odds, All Saints - Black Coffee, U2 - Beautiful Day, Steps - Stomp, Spice Girls - Holler/Let Love Lead The Way, Westlife - My Love, A1 - Same Old Brand New You, LeAnn Rimes - Can't Fight the Moonlight, Destiny's Child - Independent Women part 1, S Club 7 - Never Had A Dream Come Tru, Eminem - Stan, Bob the Builder - Can We Fix It?

And:

1/1/00: No y2k problems, the millennium bug failed to bite.
10/4/00: Offer of £1800 or 40 shares - I took the money. Meanwhile Alex is into est... The beginning of his end and several arguments with him about Quartz docs.
2/5/00: Joe's 1st BD: a noisy stroller, loads of bricks and balls, a mobile phone, a crab clacker and some skittles
24/6/00: Didn't go to David Potter's party cos Joe had chickenpox, instead had FM aerial put on the roof.
12/7/00: MOT £530... Weather absolutely dreadful, bugs (ant larvae) behind the cupboard.
21/7/00: Bought acoustic bass
25/7/00: Jason is our new manager! Concorde crash outside Paris
4/8/00: Learning Dreamweaver.
7/8/00: Drove to St Just (M3/M5) to stay with Ben & Chris, returned 13/7 via A30/A303 - a mistake!
16/8/00: Tate modern
19/8/00: Gig with Wickens in Rosie O'Grady's (Camden) - 6 people, all friends of BW.
20/8/00: Toys-R-Us for sandpit. All the crew on the sunken Russian submarine confirmed dead.
29/8/00: Kevin started work on the windows.
6/9/00: Patent application for Active Help going through!
16/10/00: BT Openworld connected - the beginning of (at least) a fortnight of hassles
19/10/00: Serious Audiogalaxy and (later) Napster, S5 3-beeped on me
27/10/00: Joe poked me in the eye- very painful!
11/00: Kitchen slowly taking shape, relentless rain, US presidential election fiasco with Bush & Gore both claiming victory & Florida recounts. WAP push, iDesk, huge Napster and Audiogalaxy DLs,
16/12/00: O Brother Where Art Thou, Anna babysat
17/12/00: Bought digital camera
24/12/00: Up London Eye with Mame

2001

Records I bought included: Maighreadh Ni Dhomhnaill, Stereolab (still!), Chameleons "Why Call It Anything",
Stuff I got from the Web (Napster, AudioGalaxy, WinMX etc): Miranda Sex Garden, Mediaeval Baebes
Number One hits in the UK: who gives a shit? A load of old crap - nothing that I remember or liked AFAICR

Other records released: ditto:

And:

1/1/01: I cut down the apple and elderberry trees. Alison Devere died. Appalling weather - rain at least every third day until... (past Easter at least)
12/1/01: Using Napster (& Audiogalaxy) for loads of Grateful Dead downloads.
13/1/01: London Aquarium
20/1/01: The Caretaker with Michael Gambon
2/2/01: Work visit to Vinopolis
12/2/01: US courts rule against Napster
16/3/01: Police all over the back garden, their dog killed Ruth's cat (Princess)
7/4/01: Two weeks holiday in Norfolk. Rain, foot & mouth, kippers, trains, Thomas the Tank Engine. Joe locked in the car, boating on the Broads.
23/4/01: Serious work on new CSHelp GUI, feeling a bit rotten and C-A. Napster filtered, no Music City servers on WinMX.
2/5/01: Joe's 2nd BD - Brio train set, keyboard etc
6/5/01: Jessie arrived. Miranda Sex Garden, Nick Drake & Sandy Denny biogs.
13/5/01: Lunch chez Moseley, sledge hammering the garden walls.
18/5/01: UD on a barge trip while being made redundant (I found out Monday evening 21st)
19/5/01: Taylor Brothers (butcher) closed down
1/6/01: Last day at Symbian. So began five weeks of sitting at the PC looking for a job... Joe can sing Wee Willie Winkie on his own!

Part 12 - Life after Symbian
3/6/01: Biking in Broxbourne, car flat battery
6/6/01: Wallet stolen by 5 guys with a knife!
7/6/01: Election - Blair in again, Hague resigned
8/6/01: Christie's wedding in Brighton
3/7/01: Bought Seiko watch (bday pressie from L) and got Dell laptop from Symbian
11/7/01: Interview with Categoric in Leatherhead
15/7/01: Cookham, Marlow & Henley for L's 45th BD
17/7/01: Bought Rio Volt player. Worrying about RSI
18/7/01: London Aquarium again, full of kids :-(
24/7/01: Start with Categoric. Joe waking 2 or 3 times every night...
2/8/01: Louise left MIND in Haringey, we got a new garden fence
6/8/01: Went for a drive to Henley, Marlow & Sunbury. Nice!
24/8/01: Final visit to Norman before he died (he's had a stroke). Joe in grip of a Thunderbirds obsession.
27/8/01: Went to stay overnight with Mary & Maurice in Goring. Nice little break though weather grim.
29/8/01: Experimenting with driving to work - slightly better going in but worse coming back.
9/9/01: Garden party & barbecue at Safi's. Nice.
11/9/01: Hijacked jets slam into World Trade Centre & Pentagon. Awful, terrible, appalling, words failed me. News very confused & Web terribly congested. Is this the end of the world?
27/9/01: Car failed MOT, began proceedings to buy a Vauxhall Vectra.
12/10/01: Went to see Wizz Jones in Crouch End
16/10/01: Redundancies at work (again) - not me this time...
21/10/01: Began rehearsals with Categoric Philharmonic (work band). Stayed overnight in Leatherhead.
3/11/01: Took Joe to Ally Pally fireworks
5/11/01: Joe started play school
22/11/01: Took Joe to North Middlesex hospital with breathing difficulties, he and Louise stayed in 2 nights with an "asthmatic reaction to a viral infection".
30/11/01: George Harrison died
22/12/01: Drove to Cardiff for Xmas with Mame. Saw panto with Linda Lusardi and Sooty, Santa by train in the Brecon Beacons, long cold walks by the coast.

2002

Records I bought included: Nelly Furtado, Steamhammer (reissue), Buffy Saint Marie reissue, Maighread & Triona Ni Dhomhnaill, Chameleons, Caravan reissues, Touchstone, Relativity, Soft Machine reissues, Mike Nesmith reissues, Sally Oldfield,
Stuff that I got from the Web: Sally Oldfield (later stuff I didn't know existed),

And:

25/1/02: Weekend in CenterParcs Elvedon Forest - very nice (it burned down a few weeks later)
6/3/02: Left Categoric, unemployed
16/3/02: PhyllisWoodhead died
17/3/02: Gig in the Queens with Barry Wickens
30/3/02: Queen mother died
27/4/02: Jack & the Beanstalk at Little Angel Marionette Theatre
29/4/02: Louise pregnant again!
2/5/02: Joe's 3rd BD: off to Devon for a long weekend in the Soar Mill Cove hotel - lubly! Then back to job hunting...
27/5/02: Framemaker course in Greenwich.
1/6/02: Day at Knebworth House, gig with Wickens in Palmers Green. Queen's 50th Jubilee, World Cup, Joe Spiderman-mad.
3/6/02: Back 3 days/week with Categoric until Nov 29th
15/6/02: Visiting Geraldine In Rugby
21/6/02: England out of World Cup (lost to Brazil)
26/6/02: Bought Boss BR-8
28/6/02: First dating scan - all looks OK
2/8/02: Builder started work on loft, front room rug arrived
3/8/02: I bought myself a bike - Cinder Kone (v nice!)
9-24/8/02: Scotland (Ullapool, Inveraray, Edinburgh).
30/8/02: Biking continues daily, legs knackered but losing weight!
23/9/02: Joe started nursery school today
24/9/02: Trying to complete my Sally Oldfield collection via ebay, amazon etc.
28/9/02: Geraldine is coming to stay today, we're going on the Millennium Wheel and then to the Tate Modern.
3/10/02: Will & Louise Murray to dinner
17/11/02: Joe in casualty with breathing problems again - finishing "Blind mk2" song
29/11/02: Left Categoric again
18/12/02: 3 months with Mobile Innovation to start Jan
Xmas 2002: Mum and Mame staying, waiting for baby
28/12/02: Eleanor Rosemary born 10.55am
31/12/02: L and ER home from hospital

2003

Records I bought included: Janis Ian, Andy Gibb & Donna Summer reissues (don't ask...), Fleetwood Mac, Throwing Kristens, Bonzos reissues, Eyeless in Gaza & Martyn Bates reissues, Stackridge reissues, Grateful Dead reissues, Madness reissues, Help Yourself reissues,
Stuff that I got from the Web: ,

And:

13/1/03: Started work for Mobile Innovation. Good job - I'm skint!!!
16/2/03: Drove round town prior to congestion charging, J and E both slept, then walk on Parliament Hill
19/2/03: I took Joe to aquarium (just the 2 of us)
24/2/03: Builders started downstairs loo & Eleanor's room
20/3/03: At war with Iraq - fuck. Lots of Janis Ian.
4/4/03: Bought Fujitsu laptop
12/4/03: Off to Devon, Soar Mill Cove hotel (*2) for 10 days
19/4/03: Saw Tony Yeldham for the first time in 10 years
25/5/03: Lovely day out in Whipsnade
15/6/03: Lunch in Banners - lovely jerk chicken salad. Series 5 fucked though
17/06/03: Louise mugged in the park by some bastard on a bike.
19/06/03: Went to the Queens, Crouch End with Simon and John Beckett (Bivouac)
22/06/03: My birthday - a bit flat 'cos Joe ill. Bought a 30GB iPod though!!!
25/6//03: In Oulu meeting Nokia people
30/6/03: Visited Willows Farm - very nice
20/07/03: To Sara & Alistair's for a BBQ. Joe & Isabelle running around & paddling wi' nowt on…
2/8/03: Dishwasher fucked but we're off to Cornwall (St Just of course) for a fortnight. Joe poorly (still) - tonsillitis?
2/9/03: Joe still ill - Is it leukaemia? Panic panic blood test blood test…
28/8/03: Geraldine & Stuart stayed the night - I got a bit pissed playing him some of my old fave albums ;-). I bought a DVD player
3/9/03: Joe starts proper school (reception, half a day for the first 2 weeks and then full time). Eleanor has five-and-a-half teeth and is wanting to stand all the time…
10/9/03: MOT. Last day on Tannoy. Joe blood tests all clear!!! Hooray!!!