2016 Highs & Lows

[bumblebee]

Many in the media have been talking about 2016 being a bad year, what with so many top musicians passing away and Brexit/Trump.  But how has it been for you guys on a personal level?  Has it been a good, bad, same samey year and what if any have been the highs and lows? 

[Foggy]

Been a good year as I am still living in Thailand happier than I ever was in the Uk.

Its important after working life to have interests, personal goals and a zest for doing stuff.

Friends in the Uk still ask me what I do all day now I'm here retired, which is more a reflection of their lack of interest and ambitions in life.

Experiences, hell yes, knowledge lots more, new friends a few, traveling lots of Kms, seeing things I could never have dreamed of, because I'm not sat in the same pub watching some main stream sport zzzzzzzzzz,

Ruff muff and stuffed loads of chicks and lads in skirts.... 

yep been a good one

happy new year all 

 

 

 

[redrock]

A few bad blows for me I must admit.  But I'm a better man for it.  No complaints.

2017 is gonna rock!!

Good luck and good fortune for us all. 

[duke007]

I have had a very good year,

Two fabulous holidays,

Working the Rugby Union u20 World Cup (and getting paid for it),

Getting paid to watch Premier League, Champions League, u23, u19, u18 and Womens Football matches

I have a very good social life because I actually "enjoy" going out to the Pub, drinking beer and meeting up with friends, I also get to socialise on the two or three nights per week I work there too

Man United winning the FA Cup

Going to Camden Town for a day, getting pictured with Amy Winehouse's statue and drinking a toast to her in her favourite boozer was a big buzz for me

Going to see titleist, BigTel, Jimslim & ciobha in Leeds, Cardiff and Belfast respectively for a few beers

I am also very fortunate that I get to see my Mum & Dad every day (when I am not holidaying)

Christmas Dinner with my Family

There are some things I would not swap living in Thailand for 

I enjoy living in the UK 

 

Roll on 2017 for much of the same 

 

[stoolpusher]

For me , yes another good year has passed , we all have hick ups in our life so no one needs to know those bits so all in all, 

not to bad at all.

Work : well I have been very lucky to have worked on a fixed some very lame horses in Australia and am working with a Vet in Khao Yai ( Thailand ) regarding an elephants nails .

Best wishes to all you guys and hope all is even better for 2017.

[bumblebee]

Easily the highlight for me was representing my gt grandfather at the Easter Rising 100 year anniversary commemorations in Dublin.  While I am not particularly nationalist or patriotic for that matter, I do appreciate history and I have a passion for family history and genealogy in particular.  Because it is 100 years since the Rising there have been many ceremonies round the country.  

For those unfamiliar with Irish history, this particular event lasted a week at Easter 1916, and while unsuccessful in itself as a way of achieving independence, it subsequently led to a war of independence a few years later which eventually resulted in large part of the country gaining independence from Britain.  Anyway my gt grandfather was one of those who went out to fight that Easter morning 100 years ago and is on the Rising Roll of Honour.

Descendants of the rebels were invited to a cordoned off section of O' Connell St (the main st in Dublin and the site of the General Post Office where the leaders fought) for a vip viewing of the parade through the city.  As I traveled into Dublin on the train along the coast that morning I couldn't help but wonder how this man, whom I had never met, (he died exactly a year minus 1 day before I was born) must have felt 100 years previously as he left his young family to assemble with his fellow volunteers and take on the British army for something he believed in, not knowing if he would still be alive that evening or ever see them again. My mind was sorta working in parallel, me leaving the house about the same time he did, me with my camera, him with his rifle, me filled with excitement, him with I presume a mix of many emotions.

We were fortunate it was a fine day in Dublin and the buzz when I got off the train and made my way to O' Connell street was akin to arriving in Los at the start of a trip multiplied by 2.  I really felt touched by history that day.

 There is an interesting twist to all this.  My father always believed my gt grandfather's parents were from Tipperary (of the long way to) fame. More genealogical research in the weeks following the commemorations in Dublin confirmed that yes indeed his mother was from Tipp, but that in fact his father was........ an Englishman from Bedfordshire, a soldier in the  Coldstream Guards no less, who married a maid from Tipperary while he was stationed in Dublin in 1873.  The rebel fighting the army of his father, it's a funny old world.

 

 

[garrydirty]

was not too bad a year for me, with business doing well (although I have slowed down a lot myself ) but have a good bunch of girls in the staff which helps....keeps me feeling young anyway 55555 also had two trips to LOS as well FEB-MARCH + SEP-OCT although part of the trip in Bangers was shite.....anyway onwards and upwards, my health has been my main concern with more trips to hospitals and doctors, than in previous years.......that's why I been slowing down work wise .....winters are the worse with the cold....however work wise very busy.... however have an upcoming trip in FEB_MARCH hope I bump into Duke am sure I will somewhere LITAS maybe? .....hope whatever is your dreams, for the year come true for you all.....HAPPY NEW YEAR GUYS Regards Garry 

[duke007]

Gaz, I will be staying at the Chow Soy again from the 19th Feb for 11 nights, I still owe you a brew mate 

[sustra2]

 a bloody horrible year for me...but with no highs & lows...means you are dead ( nice to see Ireland again after 30 years in the pics....used to spend 4 months there at University )

[TEXASMAC]

In 2001 I weighed in at 500 pounds. Everyday after my surgery is a blessing.

[sustra2]

5 hours ago, TEXASMAC said:

In 2001 I weighed in at 500 pounds. Everyday after my surgery is a blessing.

was watching a movie yesterday night on the net and couldn't recognize him since Hangover...i lost 25 pounds myself...when walking down soi 4 last june no girl or lb told me..."handsome man"

[Pdoggg]

As long as I'm reasonably healthy then things are good.

Not really a year of lows and highs for me but a little different as I moved out of Pattaya to a quiet place without bargirls that suits me at least for now.

New Year's Eve or Countdown as its referred to over here will be low key for me, just a few drinks at a tropical beach bar just a few minutes walk. Not riding my motorbike tonight.

Happy New Year!  

Hope 2017 is a good one for you. Times sure flys; seems like only yesterday we were talking about "the year 2000".

[wastopcat]

2016 was a year of extreme lows and highs. Lost a few family members but the highlight was adding a new family member. My wife. 

[williethepimp]

Thanx BB,thats a great story,and funny how your ancestor was a Brit......You must have been very proud indeed....AFAIK, none of my lot were anywhere near Dublin that day....a decent enough year for me,made a few quid,United won the cup,only one bad accident 5555...and spent a few months in LoS......

[bumblebee]

16 minutes ago, williethepimp said:

Thanx BB,thats a great story,and funny how your ancestor was a Brit......You must have been very proud indeed....AFAIK,

Cheers Willie, it was a turn up for the books for sure.  On my mother's side of the family my gt grandmother was from London also,    I did a DNA test a month back to find out how British I might be among other things.  The results were an eye opener to say the least.  Turns out I am only about 67% Irish (the normal average for a native Irish person is about 95%) and wait for it.....18% Scandinavian lol.  The British side only showed up as 3% which was a surprise as I expected it to be about 10 to 15% from my family research.  It also showed up 6 % Italian.  Some interesting stuff going on back over the centuries indeed.  There was even a tiny percentage of south Asian thrown into the mix.  Who do we think we are for sure....

[redrock]

22 hours ago, bumblebee said:

Cheers Willie, it was a turn up for the books for sure.  On my mother's side of the family my gt grandmother was from London also,    I did a DNA test a month back to find out how British I might be among other things.  The results were an eye opener to say the least.  Turns out I am only about 67% Irish (the normal average for a native Irish person is about 95%) and wait for it.....18% Scandinavian lol.  The British side only showed up as 3% which was a surprise as I expected it to be about 10 to 15% from my family research.  It also showed up 6 % Italian.  Some interesting stuff going on back over the centuries indeed.  There was even a tiny percentage of south Asian thrown into the mix.  Who do we think we are for sure....

Interesting.  I'd like to get a DNA test done.  I'm almost certainly predominantly Celtic, but  maybe a bit Scandinavian too.  

I didn't know you could trace DNA to particular countries.

[bumblebee]

26 minutes ago, redrock said:

Interesting.  I'd like to get a DNA test done.  I'm almost certainly predominantly Celtic, but  maybe a bit Scandinavian too.  

I didn't know you could trace DNA to particular countries.

I certainly didn't expect the results I got.  The first photo is from the results on Ancestry.  I was then able to download the raw DNA date and upload it to another site that gave the results in more detail.  It feels weird knowing some part of me is from parts of the world I didn't expect and at the same time it just shows we are all the results of nomads of history, tiny pieces in a bigger jigsaw.   So much for all this nationalist stuff...