Newsletter from Alan and Beryl - July 2002

	As usual, I have been a bit behind on keeping up with the newsletters, but
there has always been something to do! For one thing it has been hot for the
past two months, which discourages working on the computer as it is in one of
the warmest rooms in the house, and for another we have had a number of visitors
staying with us, not least Caroline and the two grandchildren! It has been great
seeing everyone and getting to know Anna and Julia better and we have had a
great old time, but it does get in the way or chores (what a disaster!). Our
visitors have included an old school friend, Peter Jones, who I first got to
know in London in 1943. We also welcomed Jim and Jill Williams, our neighbours
at the back from our time in Kanata, Canada, who keep us up to date on what is
going on in the neighbourhood, including pictures at times! And of course
Caroline and family, although Francesco had to be away in the UK most of the
time they were here as he had commitments to Warwick University. 
	You will notice that I have made some sweeping changes to the web site to
include more pictures of the grandchildren and more up-to-date ones too. I
thought this would be of interest to a number of our friends who use this site
to keep in touch. Children grow up so quickly that it is hard to imagine Julia,
now 2 coming up to 3, as a small baby unable to walk, which was the case not
very long ago. If you have any suggestions for changes to the web site, please
let me have them.
	Our weather, like so many other places, has been rather mixed up this past
year. We had a great shortage of rain last winter, which has left the reservoirs
dangerously low, and water has had to be imported via the Provence Canal (at, of
course, great cost!). There was little rain in the spring so everything is very
dry and the risk of fire is higher than usual and we have already had several
forest fires, although not round here.
	We are both well, although the doctor is keeping us on various pills for
blood pressure (me) and sugar (Beryl), and the odd visit to the dentist is
required to repair another old filling which has given up. I was rather
disconcerted when he had to pull the tooth instead of repairing the filling, but
after looking at the X-ray and then the pulled tooth I had to agree that it was
necessary.
	We wish you all a great summer.

Love from Alan and Beryl