2006 - Jesus Mound - Oj, Sonja, Kelvin Sharky, Akr

Christmas: I was still in Newcastle. Three weeks since Dad died. Two weeks since his funeral. I feel like I'm dealing with things okay; Mum and AKR have taken it harder, but they were there with him when he chose to pass over. So I've had time. Time to indulge in being creative.

21st December, Jo arrives by car at 10.30PM. Inside are Kelvin and Sonja. Kelvin's been coming here almost every year for Christmas since 2001; Sonja's never been to Newcastle before and I'm thrilled she finally took me up on my offer to come spend some time in the magical world of Jesmond. I say magical world, and I mean it in the sense of wood-elves and positive spirits and an enchanting energy that imbues everything here in this wonderful part of Newcastle that most outsiders don't know about.

Sonja loved it. I took her for a walk down into the Dene, the heavily forested valley behind my parents house and was immediately entranced by the magic...and could sense how ancient this place really is, and savoured all my recounting of myth and legend.

Sonja also brought with light with her. Whilst the rest of the country was gripped by icy fog that lasted for several days and threw travel plans into disarray, thousands stranded in airports due to cancelled flights...Newcastle revelled in fantastic sunlight that was the most exquisite colour and texture.

In the news: a man has been charged with the murder of 5 women in Suffolk. We take a walk into the city and down to the quayside, the light is spectacular; next day we take a trip to Tynemouth, walk the pier, devour fabulous fish & chips from Marshalls...yet more divine light

2006 - Newcastle

Christmas

2006 - Newcastle - Sonja, Kelvin Sharky

Christmas

2006 - Newcastle

Christmas

2006 - Newcastle - Djr

Christmas

2006 - Newcastle

Christmas

2006 - Newcastle

Christmas: down by the law courts.

2006 - Newcastle - Sonja

Christmas

2006 - Newcastle

Christmas

2006 - Newcastle - Yazmox

Christmas: had a strange night out with Yazz and a whole bunch of people that seemed familiar... the atmosphere was all wrong, and I felt very uncomfortable... then I realised this bunch of people were the same lot who had been there, years ago, when Yazz and I were buzzing on way to much coffee... and I'd had a really odd night out with them then too... in fact, it had turned into a shit night back then, and this night was not good either.

2006 - Tynemouth

Christmas

2006 - Tynemouth

Christmas

2006 - Tynemouth - Kelvin Sharky

Christmas

2006 - Tynemouth

Christmas

2006 - Tynemouth

Christmas

2006 - Tynemouth - Oj

Christmas

2006 - Tynemouth - Kelvin Sharky, Oj, Sonja

Christmas

2006 - Tynemouth - Sonja, Kelvin Sharky, Oj

Christmas: fish and chips from Marshalls, just the BEST in the whole North of England.

2006 - Newcastle - Djr

Christmas: heaton. Another trip to the house I grew up in, but once again nobody answered the door.

2006 - Jesus Mound - Oj, Akr

Christmas

2006 - Jesus Mound - Kelvin Sharky, Oj

Christmas

2006 - Jesus Mound

Christmas: looking outwards from the old lounge, through into the new extension.

2006 - Jesus Mound

Christmas: looking out from the new extension into the garden.

2006 - Jesus Mound - Ciaran o'C

Christmas: Captain Vast made his traditional midnight visit on Christmas Eve.

2006 - Jesus Mound - Oj

Christmas

2006 - Jesus Mound - Sidney

December: Vampire Cat

2006 - Tynemouth - Akr

New Years Eve: there's tension in the air between my sister and I (again). It's a classic case of lack of communication. I interpret her behaviour in a certain way and she interprets mine, and neither of us are actually talking to clarify what we're actually thinking. So sparks grind as our egos clash. However, I did come to some interesting conclusions about the relationship we have.

[] We had completely different father-figure experiences. I had a dad who was well and able. She had one who was ill and deteriorating within a year of me leaving Newcastle for Bristol (when AKR was 10).

[] I vanished to Bristol, returning once or twice a year for a few days at a time. Meanwhile AKR had both mum and dad to herself for her entire growing up period. It's only recently that I've been coming up much more frequently, and for longer periods, so now suddenly AKR has to share... the house, mum (and dad). Does she resent this in some way?

[] My mum was ill most of my childhood and teenage years. We didn't become friends until I was 27, and she didn't really bond with me until this year... whereas AKR and mum bonded properly during childhood. Do I resent this in some way?

It's a shame because the last few weeks since Dad died, AKR and I have spent a lot of time together in this house and been getting along so well. I'm hoping this current mood-storm is just a blip...because I remember the years I was 11 through to 30 when she and I shared so much love for each other.

2006 - Tynemouth - Oj, Kelvin Sharky

New Years Eve: Sonja headed back after Christmas and seemed to have taken the good weather with her; what a difference a couple days makes.

2006 - Tynemouth - NK, Akr, Oj, Kelvin Sharky

New Years Eve: Jo and Kelvin actually turned back at this point, the wind was so strong and so icy cold. I loved it.

2006 - Tynemouth

New Years Eve

2006 - Jesus Mound - Kelvin Sharky

New Years Eve: This is the quintisential image of Kelvin during the few days he came back up for New Year.

His head buried in a laptop in his own world - working on the final projects for his Masters. I got a kind of existentialist view of what I look like day-in, day-out with my head buried in my own laptop.

It was around now that I started reading "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" which literally helped me change my life... and was the same time I decided to stop taking my laptop out with me, to cafes or wherever, from this point, the laptop would stay on my desk at home, and if i wanted to write when I was out... I would use pen and paper. It was one of the best decisions I made in 2007.

2006 - Heaton / Newcastle - Ciaran o'C

New Years Eve: New Year's Eve, 2 hours to go. We popped over to Ciaran's for a drink before heading back home to see midnight in with mum and family.

We got to listen to Ciaran's podcast, Starship Sofa, which is unsuprisingly very good, informative and funny. I've always believed Ciaran's talents lay in expressing his inner ideals with his silvery tongue and flaming cynical wit.

2006 - Jesus Mound - Nk, Rachael W

New Years Eve: Midnight comes with us standing in dad's room, TV showing pictures of the London Eye exploding in fireworks, and a fairly sullen round of hugs and Happy New Years from family members. We poured four extra glasses of champagne, Dad, Avis, and Nk's grandparents.

Next door the parents were away, and three teenage daughters left in the care of grandma...who gave them a bottle of champagne to enjoy. And enjoy it they did. Rolling around on the trampolene with glassy eyed grins. Quite funny. Nk and I sat outside with them, sharing in thier good humour.

2006 - Jesus Mound - x, Monster, x

New Years Eve: Monster is the nickname of daughter #2, who behave just like the stroppy moody teenagers in "Luke & Perry Go Large"... soooo funny.

2006 - Jesus Mound - Carys

New Years Eve: Daughter #3, and my reliable trampolene partner for the spring / summer 2006.

2006 - Jesus Mound - Sidney

New Years Eve: Sid saw out 2006 the same way he'd see in 2007.