My (slightly) older Brother Ted has written a nice piece in his blog (click on to it on the panel on the left) about the highlights of his year. I am especially delighted that he has put in his few days he spent here during the summer as up there with the starred moments. As the youngest of seven siblings I sometimes wonder if my whole life hasn’t been spent trying to win their approval!

“And then there was a trip to France to visit my brother Martin and his wife Sile who run probably the best Chambre D’hote in the whole of France in a village called Thezan Les Beziers.

One day we cycled along the banks of The Canal De Midi from Beziers to the sea and back. That was a gentle introduction to the outdoor life! The following day they had me in a canoe 15 kilometres up river from the beautiful village of Roquebrun shooting the rapids and being tossed unceremoniously 3 times into the River Orb before finally arriving back exhausted but immensely satisfied at Roquebrun where I enjoyed perhaps the nicest glass of beer I ever had.”