Ho ho ho, and top of the frosty morning to all our friends and relations out there on the World Wide Web! Instead of putting a small personal note in each of your Christmas cards (who's got time to do that?!), I thought it best to pen a few choice words to sum up this year, 2001, for the nuclear family Broom.

Poor Theo had a dreadful start to the year. But he soon recovered, and now, with his spiky hair, bounds around the house chasing his big sisters. With his extensive vocabulary of Bo' (the builder), ho' (very warm) and poo (number twos), plus assorted animal impressions, he's set to write the definitive English novel. Together with his ability to identify any Teletubby, providing it's Laa-Laa, it comes as no surprise that the BBC want to track his development every seven years.

Next up is Rosie, now at the local nursery school. Her hair has grown and grown, and she's not stopped yet. Film studies is her preferred area, be it modern classics (E.T.), experimental animation (Mary Poppins) or nouvelle vague (Matilda). Expressing her ideas through the medium of poster paint or crayon, some of her more avant-garde works are shortly to appear in local galleries. And she was a fantastic bridesmaid back in chilly Easter.

What can one say about Ella? Steady on two wheels, already a virtuoso three-note recorder player, she's set to soon sign schoolgirl terms with Ipswich Town FC. With advanced numerical and spelling skills, her baccalaureate beckons. And she's a bit handy with a biro too, possessing calligraphic talents that outstrip her teacher and her dad. Though I can still type faster.

It's entirely thanks to Gail that we have a fab new kitchen and that the Bluewater shopping centre has remained in business. Worn out most of the time due to the intense demands of my kiddies, she summoned the last of her energy to start a course in pilates. With the same instructor as Delia, no less. A course in building conservation looms next year, if she can stay awake post-7pm.

And little ol' me? Well, my table tennis average has shot up since we were relegated, and I somehow manage to lose the odd game of badminton against an overweight asthmatic friend. I've nurtured an obsession with old postcards of Ipswich through ebay, and know the pros & cons of every coffee shop in town. There's also been a teensy amount of time spent on the computer too.

Be seeing you! Happy Festivus!

Ed