-The pictures and musings of James Purves
Archive for year 2005
2005-01-25 10:36:00
Jan 25th
Busy week this last 7 days:
- Ellen came down and visited with her friend Yanara, managed to drag her out for a few drinks with Sian in Clapham.
- Renewed the lease on the flat for another 6 months, first time I’ve lived anywhere in London for longer than 12 months – no house warming for a while… phew!
- Auntie Jacqueline who I stayed with in Melbourne arrived back in the UK on Friday night so went to meet her at the airport before driving her across London.
- Booked a fortnight’s holiday to the Dominican Republic in Feb, having had no time off over Christmas and New Year, I’m dying just to chill out in the sun somewhere.
- Met up with Asa (one of my old flatmates from Glasgow) and Phil in Camden for lunch and a pint – was really good to catch up with him cos I haven’t really spoken to the Glasgow gang for nearly 6 months – sorry!!
- Broke my racquet last night at badminton – again (twice in 6 months)!
- Joined a gym for a week’s trial (and to get in shape for that holiday), really nice Holmes Place but really expensive…
- Spoke to Dad on Sunday – he’s finally had some time (a couple of hours) off after the disaster in Sri Lanka, Mum is away working up in the north of the country and to her delight found a 2 foot long poisonous snake in her bedroom the other night -nice.
- Linus is over for his final round interview with another London bank, hope he gets it.
2005-01-18 21:56:00
Jan 18th
Added photos from the weekend…
Tiger Tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal < photo > or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
2005-01-17 09:53:00
Jan 17th
I know this article is about Mum and Dad, but I don’t speak Dutch, can anyone translate? Reformatorisch Dagblad.
2005-01-13 11:09:00
Jan 13th
Don’t know who this guy is but he’s certainly “got the eye of the tiger“. Best to watch it at work cos its huge but funny, think he’s like a european Dom Jolly?
2005-01-11 15:28:00
Jan 11th
Looks like that hotel I stayed at last year and posted up pictures of it being flooded last week will reopen at then end of Jan. Amazingly no tourists or staff were killed at the hotel either!
2005-01-10 18:15:00
Jan 10th
Happy birthday to… me!!
Yes I have finally turned 24, remember thinking 24 was properly old… but I’m still positively fresh-faced – just ask the Reading lot!
Had a good weekend celebrating: ice skating in Greenwich on Saturday with Sian (I didn’t fall once, Sian on the other hand…) followed by a few beers in the Admiral Hardy and then a lovely curry – had a bit too much to drink and spent Sunday morning regretting it! Dragged Sian, Matt, Jill, Charlie(the most hungover man in the world), Sara, Sinead and Grainne out for a spot of ten-pin-bowling and drinks on Sunday afternoon all topped up with a trip to Wagamama’s for a katsu curry before collapsing in a heap in front of Match of the Day – pretty perfect way to spend the day really.
Quite knackered today but I guess that shows I did enjoy it!
Gonna get whipped at badminton tonight… wonder if they’ll take pity on me for my birthday… Nah didn’t think so!
2005-01-07 14:49:00
Jan 7th
The most detailed pictures of the effects of the tsunami I’ve seen before, use the before and after links to compare and the next and previous links to change image.
2005-01-05 13:26:00
Jan 5th
Here’s the article about Mum and Dad from Dollar’s local paper – The Wee County News. Its a pretty poor piece of journalism, not only is it poorly written but they got some key fact wrong, like my Dad’s name… its John not Jim!
Ex-Dollar minister cheats Asian ‘quake
Missionary couple miss freak wave by a few hours by Susan Carden
Former Dollar Parish Church minister the Rev Jim Purbes has spoken exclusively to the New about how he and his wife Patricia missed the destructive waters of the tsunami, the huge underwater earthquake which savaged south Asia on Boxing Day killing tens of thousands of people.
Because Jim decided to take the Christmas service at his charge in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo, the couple missed by hours the wave which devastated the holiday resort, where they had booked a break.
When the couple arrived by car at the Nilaeli Beach Hotel in the north east of the country they were shocked:
“It was totally devastated. Cars were piled on top of each other, luggage and furniture were scattered all over the place.”
“Our first reaction was one of disbelief, a guide had told us that the resort had been swamped.”
“He also told us that they had taken out a number of bodies of tourists from the hotel just before we got there.”
The couple decided to turn back, conscious that they were lucky to be alive: “It’s a what if situation,” said Jim, “because Sunday was the day after Christmas I decided to stay and take the service before we went on holiday.”
They have lost one friend who drowned in the torrential water and many members of their congregation are also mourning friends.
“By the time we got back the relief operation had already started, in fact our house was being used as a collection point for relief.”
It’s not the first time the couple have faced extreme weather, there were working as missionaries in Jamaica when it was hit by violent hurricanes.
Him combines his charge with the job of warden to the British High Commission since the couple arrived there in October 2003.
Entire villages and communities were swept away in what the UN have called the worst natural disaster in recent years which has also devastated Indonesia, Thailand and India.
The couple are in the country on a five year mission, and as warden it is Jim who British citizens go to if they get into difficulties.
They lived in Dollar for 13 years, arriving from Jamaica where they were missionaries.
2005-01-02 21:10:00
Jan 2nd
Happy New Year, hope you had a good Hogmany! I did, check out the photos in the pics gallery!
