Xmas round-up 2013

Well, it's that time of the year again to get the old chestnuts out a-roasting on the hearth.
It's so difficult to do these days ,now that we have central heating.
Takes forever, and then they are only warm!
The youngsters today don't know what they have missed, what with all of the modern games and things that take every minute of their days up.
Tablet? That's what I used to take for a headache, now it's some form of hand-held computer, so I believe.
I used to carry my girlfriend's books of off the bus for her, now they drag each other off joined at the ear, sharing an earpiece plugged into a mobile 'phone!
While we all succumb to the wiles of modern technology, we still defy 'progress' by driving our green machines to rallys, each weekend from May to November.
Some of us do drive them at other times as well, getting frostbitten into the process!
However, this year has been good, on the whole, with many a weekend taken up with events all around our county of Kent and beyond.
The two most popular and 'famous' within IMPs, must be the War and Peace Revival Show and Combined Ops -which goes from strength to strength each year.
It was the first time at Folkestone Race Course for the W&PR Show this year and, apart from the obvious moans and whinges, was amazing, as the whole show was put together in barely 6 months.
Next year will see improvements that already in hand, least of all the growing of grass in Kitchener's Field!
Combined Ops was excellent and yet -once again - I didn't see a tremendous amount as I was on gate marshal duty for the show, along with other willing helpers.
None the less, a great time was had, and I am looking forward to next year's show.
Next year is the Big One!
Numerous celebrations will be going on with regard to the 100 years since the start of WW1 and the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings to which end, thanks to sterling work by Tim Hewitt,IMPs are taken over a campsite near Bayeaux for a week, which is fully booked and everyone is looking forward to joining in with the celebrations.
Souchez will be special next year as well, so I am led to believe, and this year's trip was possibly one of the best to date for me.
Well, that's about it for another year, apart from wishing everyone a Very Happy Christmas and a Trouble-Free, Healthy New Year and lots of good weather to enjoy it in!
Safe Driving!