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The Ingwell Family Archive
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Site Owner
Stuart Ingwell
Copyright 2017

The job at EASAMS involves lots of accounts and admin. Bridget starts at Birch Hill school.
See Home Page Collection 201? Events Recent events - up to 5 years from current year, are recorded on the home page.
2013 Collection 2013 Events We have a special holiday in California after arranging a three week house swap in Napa, and then we return via Vancouver and Victoria (Canada). Stuart is involved in a side-impact collision whilst in Labenne but walks away unharmed - the air bags did their job but it then takes three months to get the car repaired (back in UK)
2012 Collection 2012 Events A year of big celebrations: Royal Jubilee, Olympics, Para Olympics, and Bridget's 65th. There is a hosepipe ban from February to July but the year ends as the wettest since records began
2011 Collection 2011 Events Stuart suffers a big heart attack on April Fools Day and has to have a couple of in-line stents fitted to his main coronary artery (truly lifesaving). Normality soon resumes and by Autumn life is back to normal (including skiing in Winter)
2010 Collection 2010 Events Mum Kitson celebrates her 90th birthday and Stuart his 65th. We have to return super-fast from Labenne in June because Jo is hospitalised (migraine with complications).
2009 Collection 2009 Events Following engine flame-out after a bird strike, US Flight 1549 successfully lands in the Hudson river. It is a 'Ruby' year - our 40th wedding anniversary, which gives rise to a summer break involving ballooning in Egypt's Valley of the Kings and a river trip down the Nile
2008 Collection 2008 Events The Olympics are staged in Beijing, and the collapse of Lehman Brothers precipitates a global financial crisis. We have snow in May, and in August our eldest grandson Sam reaches double figures (10yrs) and starts secondary school. We share part of our holiday time (June) with Charlotte, Shaun, Rosie & Maria and later swap a few days with Eddie & Christine.
2007 Collection 2007 Events Charlotte gives birth to our 4th grandchild - Maria born in October, at about the same time as Steve Jupp launches the first iPhone. Wembley stadium is opened (capacity of 90K) and Northern Rock collapses and is baled-out by the government (too big to fail!)
2006 Collection 2006 Events N Korea declares it has become the 9th known nuclear power. Six months of disruption comes to an end with the completion of the second storey extension. We escape to the Pyrennees for 10 days whilst the builder (Paul Sharp) breaks through into the upper section and brings his building materials through the hallway. Then in June Charlie and Rosie join us in Labenne for a short stay.
2005 Collection 2005 Events Cardinal Ratzinger becomes Pope Benedict XVI and Charlotte and Shaun have their first baby together (Roisin) - seen here with half-sister Josie. We pay our second visit to Australia this time with a stopover in Bangkok. We spend time on the Dolphin coast south of Sydney and in the Blue Mountain region.
2004 Collection 2004 Events Two simultaneous explosions on Madrid's rush hour trains kill 190 and the five terrorist suspects blow themselves up. A tsunami on Boxing Day kills 1/4 million people. For us it is a year dominated by weddings - starting with Charlotte and Shaun, followed soon after by Mary & James and ending with Paul & Alison. Actually we start the year with a 'city break' to Rome - enjoying the usual tourist sights (Parthenon, St Peter's basilica, Cystene Chapel etc)
2003 Collection 2003 Events Iraq is invaded and Sadam Hussein is captured alive. We visit Dan & Jo travelling to Turramura (Sydney, Australia) via Singapore. We hire a car and have a week North of Sydney including a stay in the outback with wallabies and possum for company at night and horse-riding by day. The holiday is rounded-off with a trip to Sydney zoo with the grandchildren.
2002 Collection 2002 Events Queen Mother dies in the year of the Golden Jubilee anniversary of EIizabeth II's coronation. Dan accepts the offer of a post overseas which means his family re-locating to Australia for three years. In November we say a sad goodbye to them as they set-off for sunny Sydney. Meanwhile retirement beckons with Stuart going down to a 3-day week and Bridget leaving teaching altogether.
2001 Collection 2001 Events Charlotte and Shaun are now a serious 'Item' and we all ski together (with Alan and Christine) at the start of the year. However, the year ends with the scary news of the attack on the 'Twin Towers' (9/11) killing nearly 3,000 people. We holiday in Turkey along with Ted and Celia and are nearly gazumped on the purchase of our new house at 47a Froghall Drive Wokingham but complete the legalities in October.
2000 Collection 2000 Events We visit the dome for a 'millenium experience.' Meanwhile building starts on what we think of as 'our' fields at the back of Holly Spring Cottages - they are destined to hold a 600+ house development in the near future. We go to Majorca in Summer and enjoy three Labenne trips: June with Mum Kitson (missing the return ferry!), October with Gill and Tim, and December skiing with Christine/Alan and Charlotte/Shaun.
1999 Collection 1999 Events Great sadness in April with the passing of my dad (Sam) - the last of his generation, but joy for Charlotte who has met what may very well be her love match (Shaun). Stuart gave up the job of Church Treasurer which was taking up more time than paid, professional work. Late Summer holiday was in Sorrento taking-in Rome, Pompeii and the Amalfi coast.
1998 Collection 1998 Events President Bill Clinton declares: " I did not have sex with that woman (Monica Lewinsky)" and the Good Friday agreement brings peace to NI. Sam celebrates his 90th birthday as well as the birth of his first great-grandaughter Lorna (sister for young Sam). Charlotte holidays in the USA as a councillor on a holiday camp and then does the 'Grand Tour', whilst we take-in the Turkish coast from a fully -crewed Gullet (16 berth sailing boat).
1997 Collection 1997 Events Princess Diana dies alongside Dodi Al Fayed (31 Aug) in Paris. Dan and Jo give us our first grandchild (Sam), and we celebrate Bridgets 50th with a trip by Eurostar to Paris and a night at the Moulin Rouge. Coming home from skiing in Gourrette we meet a black-ice storm and sleep overnight in the car, becoming 'persona non grata' in Angouleme when the car slides backwards through a residential car park taking out: 3 x Peugeots, 1 x Renault, 1 x Mercedes and 1 x Ford Fiesta.
1996 Collection 1996 Events In Dunblane, 16 children and one teacher are shot dead. Dan marries Jo in a beautiful service in Hurst parish church. Charlotte graduates from Northampton with a 2/1 honours. Bridget reduces her working week to four days and Stuart swaps jobs altogether moving from EASAMS to BAE SYSTEMS
1995 Collection 1995 Events We take-up golf, hoping to be like Tiger Woods (US Amateur Champion) and Daniel graduates and gets engaged to Joanna, whose family live locally, although the couple met 200 mls away in Leeds. Bridget arranges a secret 50th birthday party for Stuart - people arriving from near and far (including Eddie and Christine from Harrogate).
1994 Collection 1994 Events France and England are joined with the opening of the Channel Tunnel. The big family event is our 25th wedding anniversary - which we celebrate by dining (1st class) on the train to Penzance and then continue by air to Tresco and the Scilly Isles for a lovely holiday.
1993 Collection 1993 Events In Waco, Texas the Branch Davidian religious sect headed by David Koresh is wiped out in a suicide pact. Stuart lands a contract to develop an airborne Collision Warning System - intended for military fighters and takes the Project Manager role. Charlotte start her degree course at Nene College (Northampton), whilst Dan's course takes him to Caen (N France) for a year to become fluent in business french.
1992 Collection 1992 Events The EU is created with the signing of the Maastricht Treat and the 'Annus Horribilis' for our Royals family ends with a fire in Windsor Castle. Not such a good year for dad who had to give-up independent living at the age of 85yrs and move South to live with us in Bracknell
1991 Collection 1991 Events The lead singer of Queen - Freddy Mercury, dies of AIDS The family has nothing but exams, exams and yet more exams. Dan's leaves Reading School on a high and his 'A' Levels get him into Leeds Metropolitan University to study European Accounting and Finance whilst Charlotte's 'O' Levels get her into the 6th form at Ranelagh school.
1990 Collection 1990 Events Democracy Rules: Nelson Mandela is released after 27 yrs in custody and Germany is re-unified. We buy our holiday home in Labenne (actually signing at EoY 1989).
1989 Collection 1989 Events In Hillsborough 96 people are killed in the crush to escape the stadium. The Chinese supress the uprising in Tiananmen Square and the Berlin Wall falls (9th November) signalling the end of the Cold War. We holiday near Dax & Benesse Maremne and find the holiday we BOTH like at Labenne
1988 Collection 1988 Events The Lockerbie bombing kills all 259 passengers on board the Pan Am flight
1987 Collection 1987 Events World stock markets crash. 193 people lose their lives when the Zeebrugge car ferry sinks within 100m of the shore. Stuart takes the part of 'Norman' in the Alan Aykbourne comedy trilogy staged by Warfield Players in Bracknell College Theatre having time to learn the lines on final leave from the RAF and before taking up a civilian post at EASAMS Frimley.
1986 Collection 1986 Events The space shuttle Challenger explodes after take-off over Cape Canaveral and 3 months later the nuclear power plant at Chernobyl blows-up releasing radiation which reaches as far a West Wales. Dan starts at Reading School in the 3rd year following an Admissions Appeal and Charlotte starts at Ranelagh School.
1985 Collection 1985 Events A year of natural disasters: The Columbian Volcano (25K dead), Bangladeshi Cyclone(10K), and the Mexican earthquake(9K). On a lighter note the wreckage of the Titanic is found. The family catch an 'indulgence' flight to Gibraltar and visit the Alhambra Palace, the caves at Nuerja and the Mediteranean coast - all in seering heat.
1984 Collection 1984 Events Poisonous gasses escape the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal killing 2,000 people overnight and a further 13,000 in subsequent days. Also on the sub-continent, Indira Ghandi is assassinated by her bodyguards. In Summer, we leave Stanmore and buy 3 Holly Spring Cottages in Warfield. Charlotte starts at Sandy Lane school.
1983 Collection 1983 Events The virus behind AIDS is discovered by a French scientist. Michael Jackson releases the album 'Killer' Daniel starts at Lisvane Prep school and Stuart is posted to MoD and shares a historic office in the Old War Office building with two colleagues.
1982 Collection 1982 Events Argentina invades the Falkland Islands, and later the Argentinian warship General Belgrano is sunk. In Feb we ski in Holzgau, Warth and Lech and at Easter visit the bulb fields of Keukenhoff. In Autumn we all return to UK, via the Atlantic coast of France (killing time - so the car and van escape customs duty) and Stuart starts his new post with the Engineering Liaison Team - travelling around public schools, professional bodies, and universities.. We move into Prowse Avenue, Stanmore and the children start at Hartsbourne Junior School.
1981 Collection 1981 Events Charles and Diana marry. At Easter we take the caravan down the corridor to Berlin and cross Checkpoint Charlie to visit the Eastern sector. Later, we cover 2,675 mls with the caravan in tow on our summer holiday visiting: Turnersee (Bavaria), Omis and Plitvice (Yugoslavia), & Venice (Italy). At the year-end we ski in Garmish-Partenkirchen and celebrate Christmas in the caravan on the US base there. Our car is also towed away (whilst we are skiing) for blocking an unseen driveway (fine=150.00 DM).
1980 Collection 1980 Events Rubik's cube is released at the International Toy Fair and the Beatle, John Lennon is killed in New York. We move from Weeze into a MQ on camp (Trenchard Drive) and Bridget secures a job teaching at the local Maas first school and Stuart takes-up a secondary duty as Officer I/C Sailing (on the Well lakes). Stuart also learns to ski on a course at Oberamergau and passes-on the knowledge to the family in Neuastenburg. We buy a luxury Dethleff caravan and use it at weekends and for our Summer holiday in Bavaria.
1979 Collection 1979 Events Two powerful women are in the news: Mother Theresa who wins the Nobel Peace prize and Margaret Thatcher who is elected as the UK's first woman Prime Minister. Tony and Jane marry in Bath with our children as bridesmaid (Chas) and pageboy (Sam). We holiday in a mobile home beside the Scottish Lochs, catch glandular fever, and move house (and country) to 19 Wasser Strasse, Weeze, Germany. We spend our first few months there awaiting allocation of a MQ on base at RAF Laarbruch and the children join Maas school.
1978 Collection 1978 Events John Paul II is elected pontiff in Rome. Family life at Swanton Morley continues and Stuart is promoted to Sqn Ldr.
1977 Collection 1977 Events Elvis dies at his home - 'Gracelands'. The family move to 14 Edward's Close, Swanton Morley and Dan & Charlotte start at Swanton Morley school. Stuart takes up his post O/C Arm Elect (CSDE) and we decide to buy a house for investment in Leeds (55 Temple Avenue).
1976 Collection 1976 Events The first commercial flight of Concorde takes place and two Steve's (Jobs & Wozniac) start-up the Apple Corporation. Stuart becomes a Chartered engineer (MIEE) on 5th October.
1975 Collection 1975 Events UK votes to stay in the European Community (5th June) and the fall of Saigon causes the US to withdraw from Vietnam - calling an end to the war.
1974 Collection 1974 Events The Watergate scandal erupts and president Nixon is forced to resign following his impeachment. Charlotte is born in Louth hospital and then Stuart is posted to High Wycombe. We sell 'First Dew' because renting is not viable with morgage interest rates at 13.5% and we take over a married quarter at 189 Greenwood, Walter's Ash. Dan starts (pre)school at Bradenham Beeches
1973 Collection 1973 Events War breaks out in the Middle East on the date of Yom Kippur. The Sydney Opera House, although incomplete, finally opens. Stuart successfully completes officer training with 7GE and graduates as an engineer from course '52 Applied.' The first posting is as JEngO of 11(F) Sqn at Binbrook and so having been out of the market for 1 year we buy again in Binbook a house called 'First Dew' for 10K (sterling).
1972 Collection 1972 Events At the Munich Olypics, 5 terrorists and a total of 11 hostages are killed following a shoot-out. Stuart starts on the RAF Engineering Training at Cranwell (52-Applied) and Bridget continues supply teaching until Summer - Daniel is born at RAF Nocton Hall in October.
1971 Collection 1971 Events London bridge is sold to a US bidder and re-assembled in Arizona. We buy our first home (April) at 53 Birch Grove, Gillingham. Within a few months, Stuart applies for RAF selection at Biggin Hill and is offered 2.5 yrs seniority (for relevant experience) as a Flying Officer and then begins commuting to Cranwell for Initial Officer Training on the 7th Graduate Entry course.
1970 Collection 1970 Events The Aswan dam on the Nile is opened. We move to a rented house in Padstow (30 Egerton Road) until September when we return to the Medway area and rent a house at 25 Higham Road, Stroud, and Bridget starts work at Wainscott School
1969 Collection 1969 Events On 21 July, the American Neil Armstrong lands as the first ever man on the moon. Stuart and Bridget watch on street TV whilst on honeymoon in Yugoslavia - following their marriage at St Theresa's Church in Crossgates, Leeds. Stuart leaves the Nimrod flight trials team at Woodford for RAF St Mawgan and Bridget starts her first professional teaching job at Newlyn private school in Newquay. Our first marital (rented) home is at 9 Trevelgue Road, Newquay