Happy New Year 20-10

Mary and I would like to thank all our friends and family for their great support throughout the year! 2009 has been a funny old year for us. We have had some great times and some pretty awful ones as well.

As ever we look forward with optimism for 2010.

During 2009 we visited the family on both the West and East Coast of Canada. We took in Bryan and Heathers marriage at Hamilton, and what a great time we had with old family members and new family members.

Bryan and Heather had the mostly beautiful wedding and we both hope that they have a great new year!

We then flew to Calgary and met with Jim and Sue and the kids. Had a great game of golf, and a tour to the Rocky Mountains. Once again a great time, and we saw Big Horn Sheep, bear, and elk!

We also had a family holiday in the Canary Islands with Mary's Family and had a game of Golf! It was great....Beat Craig again! So no wearing a silly hat for me for the second year in a row! Poor Craig he tries so hard......

Against that a Cancer scare later in the year for me led to some edgy weeks. But it was not confirmed, turns out that I had an ecoli infection bad enough but not the 'Big C'

So we are now at the twighlight of the year, overall it could have been better. It wasn't. But as I started we do look forward with optimism, that Labour does win the General Election! Why because their is only one party that looks after working people, the poor and those on the edge of society through no fault of their own. No this is not a signal that I am re-entering the World of politics. I am not I had my chance in 2009 to pitch for Ken Purchase MP seat in Wolverhampton North East. Labour Party members did not vote for me in large enough numbers. Instead they chose a thoroughly energetic and very professional Emma Reynolds.

Emma will have my full support as she enters what will be a General Election Year. I wish for Ken a thoroughly well deserved retirement. He has carried Labour's Flag with distinction. He is not everybody's favourite politician. But I know from first hand what great work he has undertaken in all his years of representation. Wolverhampton would have been a poorer place without Ken. He deserves his retirement.

I have also determined to be a 'backroom boy' in the coming City Council elections. There was a temptation to throw my hat into the ring but I do not feel I have had a rest from 'front line City Council politics'. So no election for me this year!