"Kyogle is on the rainforest's doorstep, Kyogle has numerous tourist attractions and lots of  entertainment and accommodation options."

A CHRISTMAS GREETING FROM THE TATES

December 12, 2000

TATES
HUMPHREY & YVONNE
5 MACALMA COURT
9 HARDY CRESCENT
MUTARE

TELEPHONE: - 68183                                                                                    E-MAIL: - hvtate@syscom.co.zw             

Dear Kyogle,

Well it is that time of the year; we have just completed the 99^th term of teaching and hope to take half a term's  leave May & June (The plan is to get out of coaching Rugby! the knees are.)

We had Christmas in Mutare so Bryan & Alison could be near the Y2K start of the millennium and they headed for the Falls to join up with friends from Rhodes, Yvonne & I set off in our Mazda pick-up for Vilankoulos. The campsite was full so we found a Palm tree in back-packers Lodge on the sea front, attached a mozzie net to fit over the mattresses and spent time under the stars. We joined a beach party of backpackers, popped bubbly on the beach and watched the Islands light up at Midnight with firework displays and danced the millennium in with the whole Town.

We are off to Mozambique again to have Christmas & New Year on the beach. Gran, Beryl & Johnny,as well as Harold & Charlene,will join us over the two weeks, while Alison & Bryan meet up in U.K. for a month. Their plans are flexible and Bryan has acquired a Van but they may fly out to Poland then to Dublin for New Year. The Joy of being able to make a plan.

Bryan flew over to UK in May and is doing consultancy IT works. He toured Europe with Uni. Friends, taking in Greece, Turkey, Poland, Germany & Holland, but are now living in Leeds.

Alison has continued working for Chipps Computing in Harare and seems busier than ever slaving,for Rob the M.D. She deserves a month's break seeing friends in U.K. and having an adventurous time with brother.

Yvonne & I set off on Golf tour to RSA in Jul-- 12 Boy's for 2 weeks-- We started at Sun City with coaching sessions from Teddy Webber, then matches in Amanzamtoti, Kloof, Port Shepstone, Umdonni and Durban Country Club. In all we won 3 out of 5 against the top in Natal & Hillcrest managed to beat Mike Griffith's Kearsney side! A great experience, I have now handed over the Golf Club to Hugh Knaggs officially, but will be taking the 1^st X1 Cricket team instead next year, and am sure to become more involved in seeing the red ball perform. Had good under 14 & U16 trials with 2 Hillcrest boys getting into the Zim sides. Hodge I am sure you and others will laugh at me in a white coat counting with stones!

Yvonne applied for the Deputy Head post at Hillcrest Prep, where a New Head,Phil Nash,was appointed early in the year. Yvonne & Di Paterson came up with the idea to share the post; so we now have a Deputy Head in the family and not a Headmaster. At last Yvonne can try out her ideas without me looking over her Head A great challenge and good for Yvonne to go for it when some of us are trying to slow down. In October we had a Birthday weekend for Yvonne, Family Friday, Saturday  Fonfue and a surprise English High Tea for Sunday. This was followed by Granny Grant's 90^th Birthday weekend in November. Tea & cutting of the cake at Strickland Lodge, Sundowners, White Horse Inn  Lunch, a Sheep on the Spit on Sunday and a quiet Monday on the Patio for Gran & her 4 children, giving her a rip for bringing them up so well. It is truly wonderful that Gran at 90 had all her children around her for the weekend. So December we will all be with Gran at the Sea.

I decided to not to renew my contract as the Project/Resource Manager and Board Secretary, after completing 4 years at Hillcrest College, but will teach more Science & Agriculture as well as run the Farmcrest Hostel as a non resident Superintendent. The balancing of the Budget and predicting the economic future for us all means more work to make sure we continue to be employable. The Family core business of Fuel/ Forecourts & Tyres has had tremendous pressure to survive, but we remain cheerful and hold on for a future in 2001.

All the best wishes for your families and friends in the New Year.

We intend to see some of you April/ May/June as off to Grahamstown for Bryan’s Graduation and naturally back via Natal, Maputo to Mutare along the coastal road. 

Love

Yvonne & Humphrey