So, Kelly has brought us up to the engagement (thank you darling x), and explained the reasons for why this is the year we are getting married. My goodness - hasn't January flown past? (Kelly: It sure has only 15 weeks to go now!) That's a good thing, mind, as I think January is the worst month of the year. My Dad was 60 the other day, he had a great day, and I just wanted to say thanks Dad, for everything, I'm so proud of you and all of your achievements, and love you to bits. xx We're looking forward to the weekend, when there MAY be something or other planned for you!

So we got engaged back in March 2004, and had a lovely night, thanks to everyone who came along and helped make it so special, and a big thank you to Angela and co for decorating the room and producing such a beautiful daughter and bestowing such a lovely personality on her - you must be very proud of Kelly, I know I am. I'm also incredibly lucky to have her, so thanks again Angela, Martin, Steve, Julie, Tony and Shirley for shaping her into the lady (!!) she is today. You're a great family, and it's a pleasure to have been welcomed into it.

So from March 2004 to May 2007 - what happened in between? 2004 proved to be a quiet year for us, we bought our little caravan (that we never use nowadays) and spent many happy weekends at Bakewell (lovely part of the world and no wonder my brother Mark moved there, I'm so pleased for him), sending the world famous 'Bakewell Pudding' by post to Angela if I recall correctly (you'll have to help me here sweetheart!) (Kelly: That's correct darling, we sent a pudding to my Mom) and generally letting our love grow.

Then that Summer we had a lovely holiday touring the South of France, going from Aix-En-Provence (one of our favourite places in the world) on to St.Tropez, Cannes, Nice, Monaco, Antibes and Juan-les-Pins amongst other places. We then bombed across the south coast to Perpignan (hi Darren / Bad English) and then onto the lovely resort of Tossa De Mar.

It was another unforgettable experience, with more memories I shall treasure forever - like the time when we stayed in that awful hotel and the waiter turned out to be a dead ringer for old Gordon our then next door neighbour, and when Kelly decided to book us into the Tossa De Mar hotel's spa, meaning I ended up going through a series of beauty treatments any lady of leisure would've been proud of - full of bright idea's aren't you gorgeous? Only playing x (Kelly: You loved it my darling, I can't keep you away from them now!) xx

I ought to mention here that as a rule we don't like to fly, since I had a frightening experience a number of years ago on a flight. My Dad has said I've just "lost my nerve" and need a long haul flight to get over it, but, well...I'm in no rush and would hate to ruin a holiday through my nervousness. So, we generally take the TGV through France, which is a lovely experience and one hell of a train,

I'd recommend it to anyone. Anyone needing any help planning such a trip are welcome to get in touch, we'd love to help.

During 2004 we also went to see another one of my passions - the great group Simple Minds

along with Cousin Donald, at Charlecote Park in Stratford. The concert was one of those 'Concert in the Park' type things where there are a few food and drink stalls but generally people take picnics - people that is, except us! We were starving, and the queue's were huge, so Cousin Donald hatched a plot. He disappeared for a while and came back with a big daft smile on his face, and I instantly knew he'd done something daft and totally unique. Half an hour later he disappeard again, then came back loaded with an armful of pizza's, garlic bread, etc that the barmy get had just had delieverd by the pizza guy to Charlecote Hall! People were looking stunned as he came back over to us! We've had some great, really happy times together and I am delighted he has now met the lovely Della and settled down. The bizarre thing is he's an airline pilot and yet I still won't fly - or is that WHY I won't fly ;-)

Later in the year, my brother Mark, his partner Elaine and Daughter Channy went on holiday so we looked after their dog Skipadoo for them, boy what a handful he was. He was a Border Collie and as nutty as a fruit cake. We went out one night, and left him in the kitchen. When we got back he'd jumped all over the work surfaces and knocked the big knife block over, somehow avoiding bloodshed! He was a nutter but a lovely dog!

In the October, Donald invited us up to his house in The East Riding, and very kindly hired a light aircraft in a bid to help us conquer this damned fear of flying - it all ended in tears, predictably, after a paltry 6 or 7 minutes, but thanks for trying anyway! My babe was frightened to death, sat in the back on her own, and I wasn't much better in the front, despite Donald being such an experienced and professional pilot, it wasn't his fault, it just wasn't meant to be...

Towards the end of the year, we again went away with Cousin Donald to Normandy, staying at Caen, stopping for a night in Fort Mahon la Plage on the way. The night there was hopeless, hardly a soul around and everything was closed, not a bar, restaurant anything open in the town. And to cap it all Kell was really ill during the night and went on to be violently sick in Caen, somewhat putting a dampener on the trip, but Donald and I still had a laugh along the way. Like when I was convinced I'd pre-paid the hotel before we arrived, and ended up having a blazing row with the Manager, then calling Mark for confirmation only to be told that no, I hadn't paid for it! I quietly and very quickly paid and left! We'd been gone about ten minutes, when Donald, travelling behind in his car, rang to say he'd left his wallet at the hotel - there was no way I was going back with him!!

The year ended with me cooking us a lovely (I had hoped) (Kelly: It was a lovely dinner darling, it was just so nice to spend the day together, with a nice bottle of wine then snuggle up together in the afternoon in each others arms, a precious memory I'll never forget, thank you babe xx) Christmas Dinner - except the turkey I bought was too big to fit in the oven properly, and hence wasn't cooked through properly - something I discovered just as I was carving it - sorry for that darling! I promise to let you cook it every Christmas from now on!

So, there ends 2004, a lovely year spent with the most gorgeous girl

a man could wish to meet, another year of our love growing, that bond getting ever stronger. (Kelly: Aah thank you darling, that's so sweet of you, I love you very very much, 2004 was a fantastic year which we shared together, it was spent with the most gorgeous man I could ever wish to be with, thank you my babe xx) I'll write about 2005 next, but I've a funny feelling that Kelly might just have another story or two up her sleeve before then!

Thanks for all the very kind comments, emails and PM's by the way - they're all lovely, and very much appreciated - THANK YOU! (Kelly: Thanks to everyone for all your kind comments, we appreciate them so much, they will be treasured forever as part of memories of our big special day - Thank You)