Schladming February 2008 Team Taylor

Prof, Andy Best, Christine, Robert and James Taylor, Bro, Doll, and Hope, Brian Booth and Trish

Saturday 23rd February - Round to the Taylor’s for 7:30am, very tired. Up to Doncaster airport, first time. Fly at 10:50, Salzburg for 2pm. Most get Taxi Maxi, Christine, Robert and James go on the train. Doll says “It’s almost like being on holiday”. Me and Andy are staying in the Hotel Kirchenwirt, near the Rossl. The others stay in the Hotel Stadttor. Go and get all the ski gear from Tritscher’s. Have a few in Charly Kahr’s at the usual table. James and Hope build a very good tower of cards. I do some beer mat flipping. Move on to the Siglu for a couple and then to the Hotel for tea. I sleep very well.

Sunday 24th - Up refreshed but still a little shaky for 7:30am. At the bottom of the Planai for 9am, meet Brian and Trish and Team Lindsey. Ski on the blue near Onkel Willy's mosty. We all meet for lunch at Onkel Willy's standing room only outside, rather slow service. Brian makes a bit of a navigational error and has to walk up to the top station. Back to Onkel Willy's for 4pm. Robert decides to work his way down the schnapps menu, have three to get things started. Good run down R1. Quick tea and back to the bottom of the Planai to watch the welcome show. See some very good skiers and the bloke on the motorbike going zooming up the black, but Michael Tritscher does not make an appearance. A group of us go to the new Tenne bar. Good music, have some Red Bull and vodka and dance with Doll. Back to the Stadttor to try and get Doll a key to stay out later, but Karl says no.

Monday 25th - Bottom of the Planai for 8:45, great sunshine. First party is me, Andy, Brian, Trish, Bro, Hope and Doll. Do the Blue run to the middle. I get 81.3 km/h on the measured schuss, don’t see anyone beat that all week. Onkel Willy's for 4pm, 4 schnapps and then down the black, most people watch us come down. They say that me and James both skied very well. Have a few in Charly Kahr’s then move on to the Siglu for some more. Eat late and then over to the Stadttor. Play a little pontoon and then later Robert teaches us how to play poker.

Tuesday 26th - Me, Andy, Brian and Trish meet at 8:45, do R3 to the three man chair, snow in very good condition. Drop Trish at Onkel Willy's for her lesson and we meet up with Team Lindsey. Trish gets run into by some bloke during her lesson. Her instructor takes her to Onkel Willy's. Doll goes for a rest and meets her there. The skidoo takes her and Brian to the top of the Planai and then they go down the Gondola and straight into an ambulance and to hospital. It turns out to be a fractured pelvis. Onkel Willy's for lunch, Robert re-discovers the Flying Hirsch on the menu and buys me one. Just the four of us at Onkel Willy's at 4pm, we quiz Trici about which schnapps to have, she tells us that she can drink 20, no problem and that the one which we have given the highest rating to is only really for girls. Down R1 for the last run. Have a few in Charly Kahr’s. I go back for tea, Rob and Bro decide to drink through. Meet back up with then and Brian in the Siglu. Me and Robert dance loudly standing on the backs of the chairs. The bar staff seem to have a problem reading our music requests, so the writing gets larger and larger. Kebab shop and then bed for midnight.

Wednesday 27th - Ski with Andy and Brian from 8:45. Go over to the top of the Haus mountain and then back to Charly Kahr’s for 1pm to meet Trish, sit outside in glorious sunshine. After some debate decide to do the tobogganing this afternoon. Get two Taxi Maxi over to the Tauernalm. Me, Brian and Andy have singles, Bro and Hope and Rob and James go on doubles. Rob has got the cornering sorted. I had forgotten how much snow goes in your face when cornering. Due to a combination of a slow sledge, bad luck, inappropriate footwear and lack of sufficient training, I come somewhere near the back on both runs. Get a special concession from the committee not to go to Onkel Willy's for 4pm. Enjoy a few drinks at the Tauernalm and then taxi back. Me and Andy wander over to the Stadttor after tea, but not much is going on, so back home to read Wild Swans.

Thursday 28th - Bottom of the Planai for 9am with Andy, Bri, Bro, Doll and Hope. Do R5 and then R12, the snow is crispy. When we get to R6 it is very icy and steep, we watch a women fall and then slid to the bottom just before we have a go. Bro has a fall and slides down head first for quite a way. Relieved when we get to middle station of the golden jet, nice rest to the top of the Hochwurzen. Stop for 11’s at the top, have Flying Hirsch. Do R31 and R33. We call a halt at 12:30 as we have done a lot. Trish gets a taxi over to meet us. Enjoy sitting outside in the sunshine at lunch. We all get a taxi back to the Planai. Me, Brian go up again. Rob has just skied down and beaten his mother and James down on the Gondola. All a bit tired at Onkel Willy's, my legs kill on the way down. A few in Charly Kahr’s, we talk with an Aussi guy which Robert met yesterday. Steak for tea, Me and Andy have a schnapps afterwards, sleep from 10pm.

Friday 29th - Team Lindsey, Me, Brian and Andy go up the Planai at 9am. Bro decides to do a few blues and the rest of us ski down Sepp Walches valley. We stop at Mitterhausalm for 11’s and all have a gluewein. Ski on to the top of Haus. We then head back to Charly Kahr’s for lunch. I am cold and my legs are tired so go down in the Gondola from the top. Brian skies down by himself. We sit inside at Charly’s, very slow service. I cannot get warm and am in some debate whether to go up for the final run. In the end I feel a little better and me, Brian and Robert go up to Onkel Willy's for the final session. Heavy rain at the bottom turns to heavy snow as we get to the top. David phones just us we get sat down, he is pleased to hear that we are having a good time. Have beer and four Flying Hirsch, strangely I feel a lot better. Say bye to Trici, Marie and Mani. The fresh snow has been partly pisted and we have a great run down. Have a good blast down the black only to get to the bottom and find that nobody was watching. I complete the week without a single fall. Most of us go to the Siglu for a few. Late tea and then over to the Stadttor. Me and Doll go to the Tenne for dancing till 1am. It is absolutely rammed, all Austrian, enjoy dancing to Push the Button.

Saturday 1st March - Nice easy morning, leave Schladming at 10:30am. We experience very strong winds on the way to the airport. It was shut for an hour at 11am. Strong head winds make us a couple of hours late into Doncaster.

Schladming March 2007 Team Taylor

Prof, David, Debbie, Christine and Max Taylor, Bro, Doll, and Hope, Mark, Mel, Emma and Eli, Brian Booth and Trish, Nick and Kate, Garry and Linda Smith, Laura Smith and James, Robert Smith and Sam

Saturday 17th March - Awake most of the night, due at Brian’s for 5am, but the alarm does not go off. Brian has to ring me to wake me up. Bill gives us a lift down to Birmingham. The FlyBe flight has been re-scheduled from 8:30 to 12:30 so we have to drink in the Weatherspoons Bar. Taxi from Salzburg to Schladming for 150 euro. Eat in the hotel, very quiet night. My jet lag is affecting me, I arrived from two weeks in Texas yesterday, I almost fall asleep at the table. Laura and James, Robert and Sam arrived yesterday.

Sunday 18th - All head over to Blue 8 for a couple of runs. Bro is going faster than Doll. Me and Brian go for a spin down Sepp Walches valley. Onkel Willy's for lunch, we all sit outside in the glorious sunshine. Ski in the afternoon with Laura, James and Robert. Onkel Willy's for 4pm, have a quick beer and a couple of schnapps. Brian has an idea to drink 40 schnapps for his 40th birthday. Leave at 4:30pm, ski down to middle station, catch the gondola down, first time for Brian. Have loads of beer in Charly Kahr's. Debs lets David stay out since it is Brian’s 40th birthday. We all move on to the Siglu bar, more beer and shorts, lots of singing and dancing. Brian has lots of strange coloured shorts, containing anythink which they happen to have behiond the bar. Him and Trish get lost on the way home. Me and Trish have to remove his ski boots later when he attempts to sleep in them.

Monday 19th - Feel moderately well in the morning considering, Brian is a little hungover. Bottom of the Planai for 9:30am, I find my skies outside the hotel. Snowing heavily. Meet Nick and Kate and we all go up the Gondola. Ski Red 12 and 5 in the heavy snow. My head is very cold from the snow, I forgot to take a hat or goggles. Whilst we are drinking in Charly Kahr's Brian mentions to me that he has just ordered a white wine for Doll and three turned up. He tells me that the same happened to Mark last night. I ask him exactly what he ordered and when he says a dry (drei) white wine it all becomes clear. Garry and Linda arrive today. Play cards in the hotel later on. Brian comments to me that it was almost an alcohol free day today, I agree with him and then we calculate that we have had 8 pints of lager.

Tuesday 20th - Due to the large amount of snow me and Mark decide to have a snowboard each. Go straight to Onkel Willy's with Mel and Doll for a quick vodka, red bull for breakfast. Bro is having a ski lesson. Have a couple of good runs on Blue 8, I fall off the button lift first time. Have another vodka red bull to get us up the Onkel Willy's T-bar. T-bars seem to be easier. Board down Red 3 to middle station. Taxi over to Rohrmoos to meet the kids from ski school. Eat in a hotel over there, not bad. While waiting for the taxi back we nip in a bar and have a crafty Jager Tea and red bull and a TVR. Doll claims that is not affecting her at all. Head to the top of the Planai and then down to the middle. Meet the rest of the gang and we ski down Red 1. It has not been pisted and is very deep in snow. All the skiers fall on the first part of the run and I briefly think that me and Mark will be OK. After a little while my board get buried and I am soon at the back, very hard work to get to the bottom. Go back up on the gondola, catch up with David and Brian as they are walking to Onkel Willy's. We get there at 4:30pm and it is shut. Board down to middle station, I am rather knackered and the snow is falling very thickly so I decide to get the last gondola down. When we get to the bottom and go into Charly Kahr's I am rather shocked that Mark went up behind us and is skiing down on his own. We take bets on how many times it will fall on the final Black, ends up being about 12. A few in Charly Kahr's, then some more in Siglu. A few go for a kebab, I go for Pizza and Pista up past Blue Tomato with Mel and Doll. Me and Mel have to press to night bell to get into the hotel, Karl is livid.

Wednesday 21st - I take my board back, Mark keeps his. Brian has a problem remembering that not all girls are called Doll! Go on the bus over to Hockwurtzen with Brian and Trish, Kate and Nick. We have to change buses half way there. Ski Red 33 top to bottom is fantastic. Meet up with Mel, Doll, Mark and Bro, some confusion about the plan, Trish gets left by herself in a bar. Do Red 31 most of the way down and then across on a path, very good, difficult for Mark on the board. They meet the kids for lunch, like yesterday. Ski down beneath the 6 man and 2 man chairs, awful run. Up the Golden Jet with Mark to Onkel Willy's, sit outside for one with Mark in the sunshine. The gondola runs till 7.30pm so everyone comes up. We have a few CVR. Me and David ski down in the dark, 7:15 till 7:45 Quick one in the Siglu bar and then just make tea. Early night.

Thursday 22nd - In the evening have a few drinks in the bar outside Alte Post with David. The others come back out after having tea so I decide to drink through. We all end up at the Hanglbar, lots of singing and dancing.

Friday 23rd - We all ski on Red 3A, blue path across and down the schuss, then on to the middle station. I get 77 kph, closest is Brian with 74. We have three goes on the slalom course, my first go is 34:88, I get tired after that. Closest is Brain with 36.95. The blader boys both struggle to get under 40 seconds. Mani tells us a lot about Onkel Willy's family, stay for three pints. Not of us realised that he is Heinz’s son. The four of us ski down to Charly Kahr's, the rest have been there a long time. Eat in the hotel. Have a few drinks sitting around in the lounge of the Stadttor.

Saturday 24th - Arrive at Salzburg airport at about 1pm. Lots of hanging around, fly at about 5pm. Get texts from David and Mark that they have been in the Almhaush bar all afternoon watching the Go-Go dancers and have spent 420 euros each, this later proves to be a fabrication. Back into Derby for 10pm, have a cup of tea with Brian and Trisha.

Andorra Dec 2006

Me, Annette and Thomas

Schladming March 2006 Team Taylor

David Taylor, Robert Taylor, Brian Booth, Mark Wilson and Me

Thursday 24th March - Pick up Rob and Brian at 2am, drive down to Stansted. I trust the sat nav to direct us to the parking which I have booked, the cheapest available. A bit of stress when Jane declares "You have reached your destination" when we are in the middle of nowhere. Relived to make to to the airport. I fall asleep on the plane and wake up to see us on the ground, I am little disappointed when I realise that the flight is delayed and we haven't taken off yet. Land at Salzburg and get a taxi across town to the train station. Travel first class because of the very reasonable cost. Great views of the mountains and a couple of beers on the train. Go straight up the Planai to ski. Go to Onkel Willy's for our 4pm appointment. After a few we are told that the bar is shut and we have to go. We stay in the Hotel Stadttor again, very good food. Mark goes to bed half way through the main course. We have a long heated, debate about the pros and cons of picking cabbages for a living.

Friday 25th - Ski over to Haus in the morning, stop for 11's over there. Robert remembers that we have emailed a lunch booking to Onkel Willy's and we head off back there. Sit in the locals area, they have no details of the booking. Mani brings us a free schnapps over, to apologise for being rude yesterday, a very good investment on his behalf. I ski a little better in the afternoon. Head to Onkel Willy's for 4pm. Start off with a quiet drink. David decides that we are being a little too quiet and orders some Champagne, vodka, RedBulls. After a few of those we all feel a bit better. Decide to try some of the Jagermeister with RedBull, they go down well so try some TVR, i.e. Tequila, vodka and RedBull. We also buy loads of schnapps. The bill comes to 297 Euros. In a fit of madness I pull out my credit card and pay it all. Leave at about 7.30pm. Call in for another beer on the way down. It starts to get rather dark. We get separated from Brian and Mark. I struggle to see anything and fall over at least 20 times on the way down, takes about an hour. Call in for a pizza next to Taxi Maxi. The chilli sauce is very hot. Brian seems to think that I will not notice a spoonful of it in my beer. I explain politely to a few Germans that the British like fighting. Bed for 11pm.

Saturday 26th - Very tired in the morning, ache all over. We have a go down the slalom course. I get the fastest time, it is then decided that this is a practice go, and we will have two proper goes.

After the official two runs, it is decided to have another few goes. I have nothing to gain but everything to lose, however I keep on winning and we move on. My best time is 38:20, whereas no one else breaks 40. Onkel Willy's for 4pm, we have a little less that yesterday, ski down in the light. Have one in Charly Kahr's and then on to the Heckl bar. David, Mark and Brian take on a lot of Austrians at the nail game. The outcome of which is a lot of Jagermeister being drunk. The loser, double loser, MacDonalds, Worker goes down very well since one of them has just taken a job at McD's. Just make it back for dinner. Karl does not seem too pleased too see us, maybe because we spill beer all over the table.

Sunday 27th - Not sleep very well, the Red Bull paradox. Lose an hour due to the switch to Daylight Saving Time. It is raining in the village and snowing at the top so we straight to the Schaf-Alm hut for the first time. Start with a coffee, and then progress onto beer. Long chat about the Da Vinci code and the Masons. Leave at 4pm for our 4pm appointment at Onkel Willy's. Have a load of chicken wings at the bar and get going on the CVR and schnapps again. We ask Mani what 'Auf Gehts' means which is written on all their sweatshirts. He says it means 'It starts here', seems very appropriate. We stop in the woods just down from Onkel Willy's on a small path through the trees. We all stand round in a circle and leave some of JT's ashes in the snow. We ski down and bad light makes it difficult to see, David falls and hurts his shoulder. Him and Mark go off to hospital. The young lady doctor asks David to remove his shirt for an examination and exclaims WOW, I have no idea why. They X-ray it three times and agree that it is a bruise. He has to endure a lot of ribbing when he gets back and they have not even given him a sling.

Monday 28th - Bright clear day, we have a bit of a slow start since we have to pack etc. Do a few runs near the top but Robert is suffering with the altitude. Ski down and meet David in Charly Kahr's for some lunch. Me and Brian go up for one last run. Walk through the square on the way back and enjoy a relaxing beer outside the Landgraf hotel. Catch the 17:09 train to Salzburg. Train Timetable Back in Derby for 3am.

Andorra Dec 2005

Me, Annette and Thomas

Sauze D'Oulx Jan 2005 Team Taylor

John and Christine Taylor, David and Debbie Taylor, Brian Booth, Prof Annette and Thomas Fitchett, Robert and James Taylor, Chris and Phil Howe, Doll, Linda Smith, Jude, Nancy Davis, Georgina.

Sunday 30th January - Down to Brian's for bacon sandwiches at 10.30am. Derek Durose drives us down to East Midlands airport. Fly to Turin and coach to Sauze, travel with Crystal. Register Annette and Thomas for ski school. Eat in the hotel, a few of us go to the Cotton Club.

Monday 31st - Me and Brian take Annette and Thomas up to Sportinia for their first ski lesson on snow. Meet up again at 3pm. I go up to the Marmotta for 4pm. We all go to the Cotton club. Lots of amusement caused by the "Chavs welcome here" sign. Chavtastic.

Tuesday 1st February - Windy day. Ski school at 10am for Thomas and Annette. Triplex chairlift is shut due to the wind. Me and Brian follow a path heading to Sportinia. However when it goes up a little we head further down, go over lots of sticks and soil, take off skies and walk. Eventually get down to Jouvenceaux. We were expecting to have to get a taxi, but thankfully find a chairlift. Late for our lesson at 1pm. Lots of jokes about whether the instructor would be able to keep up, in the end he just keeps going on about turns! Marmotta for 4pm. Lots of tequila in the Cotton Club, miss tea. I fall asleep whilst watching the Man United against Arsenal match. Brian drinks through and goes to the Black Sheep with the women and then the Gran Trun.

Wednesday 2nd - Skies on at 11.30am. Everyone skies together in the morning, lunch at Cicci's bar at 2pm. I ski with Annette down Red 11 to the bottom. Rush to get up to the Marmotta for 4pm, ski down to Sportinia. Mark Wilson and his friend Glyn Howells meet us there, to my surprise. Very fast run down from there. Meet for drinks in the Hotel Derby and then move on to the Black Sheep.

Thursday 3rd - Race Day ! We all go off at the start of the field. Start is a little below the usual. This puts DT at a disadvantage since lots of polling is involved. Early indications put me ahead. Lunch in Capanna Kind. Marmotta for 4pm. Thomas skies down with Robert and James. Straight to the Queens Lounge. Home to get changed and then Black Sheep. Back to the hotel for the last one. Glyn has entertained everyone in La Torre by playing the piano for 1½ hours, David is very impressed.

Friday 4th - Me and Annette down some easy runs in the morning. Annette comes up to the Marmotta for evening drink and the last run down. Collect the DVD, eat in the hotel followed by coffee.

Saturday 5th - Lunch at Cicci's bar again. The last run down is a little curtailed when there is thick fog on the bottom half of the course. Everyone down safely. Watch the England Wales rugby in the Cotton Club. Me and Annette go to the "Godfather Pizzeria" late on, very good Italian meats.

Sunday 6th - Strange arrangement where we have to get our cases downstairs at the hotel for 6.30 and then walk down to catch the coach at 7.45pm. Some problems with luggage not getting itself onto the coach. Home for 1pm.

Schladming February 2004 Team Taylor

John and Christine Taylor, David Taylor and Debbie, Prof, Brian Booth, Robert and James Taylor, Bro and Doll, Chris and Phil Howe, Linda Smith, Jude, Nancy Davis and Sue Edwards.

Saturday 21st February To be added

Sauze D'Oulx Jan 2003 Team Taylor

Me, David, Brian, John and Chris, Robert and James, Mark, Mel, Emma and Ely, Carlie, Georgina, Linda Smith, Jude, Nancy Davis, Doll.

Sunday 26th January - We arrive at the Hotel La Torre at about 2pm. Me and Brian ski in the afternoon. The others re-discover the bar. Our first time on blades, goes well. Meet the girls at the bottom of the piste. We all get asked to leave the New Scotch bar for being too loud. Go to the Cotton Club, lots of drinks, Liam has moved here from the Gran Trun. I go back for lunch the others stay out. I wear my team Taylor t-shirt with the deliberately miss-spelt Sauze D'Oux logo on. A great opening night to the holiday.

Monday 27th - We get up at 9am and ski. I go with Brian and DT. Do lots of runs, go half way down to Sestriere. Sportinia for lunch. Marmotte bar for 4pm drinks. After dinner most of us go to the 'Gran Trun', Chaddy is singing but not as loud as before. Jimbo, the new landlord kicks us out at 1am, this does not go down well with the party.

Tuesday 28th - The three of us ski over on Generis all morning, very windy. The chair up from Pian Della Rocca is shut all day. Go down some very small paths to get to the bottom of the Sportinia chair. Go up the double chairs and then down to Malafosse area. Mark is pretty good, he had blades for Christmas. Up the long drag to 'La Marmotte' for drinks, everyone is there. Fantastic run down, very fast, Mark falls just behind me. Cotton Club straight off the slopes. We all go to the hotel for evening meal. Doll wants to go the Karaoke bar but the machine is broken. Trun till 1am, DT does a dance for some woman from Liverpool. Cotton club till it shuts at 5am.

Wednesday 29th - Not bother till noon, have a fantastic breakfast in Paddy's. Very cold on the mountain, go to the Marmotte for coffee to warm up and sleep. David talks for a long time in the evening about a 'serious life change', i.e. stopping drinking, he is apparently allergic to beer. Go out for a quiet drink in the Cotton Club with David, Robert and Mark, serious talk about life, etc.

Thursday 30th - Register at Capanna Kind for the Andy Capp ski race, David goes off number 6, me 7 and Brian 8. Start just after 1.30pm. After the race early indications put me slightly ahead. At the presentation in the evening David comes second in the overall blade category and wins two medals with a time of 1:06, I come fourth in the blade category and get one medal for 1:08, and Brian gets nothing for 1:13. I decide that my ski boot and David's head should become much better acquainted. A few drinks round town and then Black Sleep for a meal, end up at the Cotton Club till 4am. I make a conscious decision to try and forget about the whole day.

Friday 31st - Very slow to get going in the morning. Breakfast in the Cotton Club with the girls. Long drag next to the icy black is open for the first time this week, go up and ski down to Sansicario.

Saturday 1st February - I swap my blades with John's skies to see now it feels to go back, they seem to have no edges. Up the long drag again and down to Soleil Boeuf in Sansicario. Talk to an Italian family from Turin who ski every weekend. Chaddy is great in the Gran Trun, stay till 1am. Move on to the Karaoke bar, but only the girls are in. David, Brian and I talk with Gill, a hairdresser from Liverpool. Call in for one last one in the Cotton Club, the girls are in there and do not appreciate being disturbed. Get to bed for 3am. The girls decide to drink though the night.

Sunday 2nd - We all get on the coach at about 7am. The driver has some difficulty starting it and uses jump leads. Shortly after this it starts to roll down the hill out of control. Very fortunately a passenger leaps forward and pulls on the handbrake. Back home for 2pm.

Schladming January 2002 Team Taylor

John and Christine Taylor, David Taylor, Prof, Brian Booth, Robert and James Taylor, Bro and Doll, Chris and Phil Howe.

Friday 25th January - Round to David's for 2.30am. Drive down with Brian to Stanstead. Meet the others there at about 6am. Fly out on Ryan Air, a first for Team Taylor.

Saturday 26th - Arrive at the Hotel Stadttor at noon. Me and Brian go skiing straight away, the snow is very icy. David, John and Bro go drinking. Me and Brian call in at Onkel Willy's at 4pm, Walter left a year ago to be a bus driver. We meet the others in the Siglu bar, David is hammered, he is very aggressive and then suddenly goes to bed at 7.30pm. I remember how good the food is at the Hotel.

Sunday 27th - David texts me at 3am and asks to be woken for breakfast and at early ski. Go up early with Brian, Doll and David. It rains quite heavily later, Doll insists it will not stop till Tuesday morning and will wash away all the snow. Go out to a new bar with Bro, Doll and David for a quiet one.

Monday 28th - Due to the rain of yesterday we don't bother getting going till later. In the end the weather is good. A crowd go to Onkel Willy's for a 4pm drink. Doll, Chris and Phil ski down Red One in the dark, it takes them over an hour. Go out for a drink after dinner. We try one bar and they take one look at us and say, 'No drinks' even though there are ten people at the bar. Robert recognises the guy that I threw beer over in the 1999 karaoke incident. He comes in the Siglu bar later on and I introduce myself and we have a chat. He works all over the world and only occasionally comes back to Schladming. We stay till the Siglu bar shuts, the bar man is playing all the music that we ask for, Hell's Bells seems to get played a lot.

Tuesday 29th - Up early with Doll and Brian. She comes down Red One in 15 minutes. Me and Brian then come down top to bottom in 7 minutes. I feel ill from mid morning. On the way home from the slopes call in for beer in the square, end up dancing on the bar in the outdoor Hotel Alte Post bar. Doll and Chris try to tear my ski suit off me. After dinner me and Brian go out for a quiet beer with John, we walk to the river looking for a bar he went in 20 years ago. It is now a shoe shop.

Wednesday 30th - Ski over to Hochwurzen. Usual Onkel Willy's Hutte at 4pm then ski down with David and Brian. After the damage sustained to my ski suit yesterday I decide it is time for some new gear, call in at the shop Buy a new Killy ski jacket and black salopets. Go and dance on the bar again. Go to the karaoke bar till 3am, we all sing brilliantly and help everyone else with their songs, even the ones in German. Brian hurts his back with some help from Bro.

Thursday 31st - I don't bother with breakfast, I feel rather tired to start with. I feel well later when the others are rather tired. Just the three of us at Onkel Willy's, we are a little quieter than often. Pleased to get to bed early. Forget to turn the phone off and Helen phones at 2am and wakes me up.

Friday 1st February - Just me and David stay late in Onkel Willy's, have a few schnapps. Go to the karaoke bar again with Doll, David, John and Christine. John starts barging the other dancers off the dance floor. Stay till the end, at 3am.

Saturday 2nd - Leave the hotel at 11am, back in Derby for 8pm.

Courcheval March 2001

Me, Andy and Helena, Gilly, Sal, Jayne and Dave, Mark and Amanda, John and Suzi, James.

Saturday 10th - Check in at 5am, fly at 7am, ski at 2.30pm with Andy. Drink a hip flask full of Baileys and Cognac between us. DT phones us just as we are just going up Vizelle, he was almost hoping that we had got delayed by a bomb scare at Manchester airport. We stay at the hotel/chalet Isba. I am very full of myself at dinner, good food. Play a lot of bar football in the bar downstairs.

Sunday 11th - First full day. We all ski together. Ski high up on 1650 for a while. After some debate we go to the Kalico for lunch. I hurt my back on takeoff over a small jump. Lots of pondering about the organised bar crawl. Eventually decide to go along with Andy, Gilly and Sal. We go to the same places as last year.

Monday 12th - I don't feel very well in the morning. Ski over to Val Thorens for lunch. Very poor snow in Mottaret. Feel much better after a beer for lunch. Ski back with Andy, very slowly. The others only just make it back before the lifts shut. Talk with Andy and Helena in the bar mostly. We all have a snowball fight till 1am.

Tuesday 13th - Stay in bed with a bad back most of the morning. Do one run before lunch. Meet the others in the Kalico. Ski a good afternoon. Physio comes round to sort out my back, she says that it is just a stiff back, it feels completely cured when she leaves. Down to the Jump bar before lunch. Very good fish for tea. Play computer games with Andy and Dave. Pool with Andy and Helena, a very long game. Down to TJ's for a late one.

Wednesday 14th - Wake up in agony at 3am, decide to sleep on the floor. Just lie there on my back. Lie there most of the morning. Struggle down to the doctors. He gives me an anti-inflammatory injection, more physio appointments and a certificate of unfitness to ski for ten days. Lie in bed and wait for the physio. After she goes I feel much better. She says that I must never let my back be stationary all evening. Go up to the Altibar for the fondue and torchlight descent. I go in the bus with Helena. Drinks in the hotel and then dancing in the Kalico till 3am. Keep my back moving all night, even though it looks silly when I am sitting down.

Thursday 15th - Lie in all morning. When I look outside at the sunshine I decide that my back feels much better. Walk down to the Tremblin to meet the girls for lunch. Andy gets out of bed and meets us at 1pm. Enjoy the afternoons skiing, nice weather, good snow.

Friday 16th - Full days skiing. Go over to 1650 mostly, very good conditions. Lots of talk about staying up all night. In the end me and the girls stay up till 2am in TJ's drinking.

Saturday 17th - Fly back early on. Andy goes playing Lacrosse. I go with Gilly to watch Man Utd. play Leicester. After a lot of time with the ball in Leicester's half Man Utd end up with two goals. David Taylor and Helen Smith drive up from Derby and arrive at about 7pm. Go for an Italian meal in Wilmslow, then to the 'Samuel Finney' and then 'The Rectory'. Very lively pub. Move on to Brasingamans, later, very up market night club. There till 3am.

Bardonecchia January 2001 Team Taylor

John and Christine Taylor, David Taylor, Me and Helen, Brian Booth, Robert and Dan Smith, Bro and Doll, Chris and Phil Howe all in the Hotel Des Geneys, Simon and Melinda in the Hotel Bettula.

Sunday 28th January - Round to the Taylor's for 3am with Anna. We have to let ourselves into DT's flat and bang on Brian's front door to get them up. 6am flight from East Midlands to Turin. We arrive at about 11.30am. Helen arrives by train from Frankfurt. Me and Brian rush off for the slopes, problem of not knowing which way to go. We walk up to Campo Smith, buy an afternoon ticket. Helen and Anna arrive later. They find us on the slopes. They hire some gear and we get them onto the beginners slope. Go to the Hotel Rosa for the welcome meeting. To our great surprise Garry, Linda, Laura and Robert Smith are there as well.

Monday 29th - Take Helen up to register for ski school at 10am. See Simon and Melinda from the Windmill. Others turn up at 10.30 take them up the second two man chair and do the blue run from the top. Meet Helen at 1pm at the bottom. Go to the MeDial bar in the evening with the adults, have some serious conversions.

Tuesday 30th - Ski over to the Melezet region for the first time, discover blue 25 run, on the second run down Garry does his knee in. Realise that we have done most of the runs in the resort. Meet Christian, the head waiter from the hotel, on the slopes. We had arranged to ski with him but somehow he loses us and skis with the girls. Go to the MeDial bar again later, DT goes on about classic tunes, him and Rob seem to know the release date of every record. Arguments about the date of Snap, Rhythm is a dancer.

Wednesday 31st - Go to the Jeffrau ski region for the first time, a lot higher mountain. Doll is really enjoying skiing with the A team. I have a high speed fall and end up in a large pile of snow off piste. We do lots of ski runs. Get a taxi to Sauze for the evening. Have a meal in the Black Sleep, lots of arguing about what to have. Gran Trun later, Chaddy ( Michael Chadwick is playing ). Laura recognises Chinny from Rubicon and we speak to him for a while.

Thursday 1st February - Go to Jeffrau again, go straight there, still have a late start. Helen comes over after ski school, she has hurt her head and is not happy. She stays in the button bar for some time. Play cards in the hotel bar till late on. Chase the Ace, Helen wins 25,000 Lire.

Friday 2nd - Go for the last drink in the bar Colomion at the top of the mountain. The owner follows us down on his skidoo. I talk to Gilly on the phone all the way down about my next ski holiday, she is at work. Find out that the bar owner is Rachael, the ski rep's husband. MeDial bar later with Laura, meet the others in there and then on to another bar.

Saturday 3rd - Late start, head over to Melezet, go up to some of the top runs. Helen goes up to the top of the mountain with her ski school. Resort is busy at the weekend. Dinner at the usual bar and then up to the top bar with Helen. DT and the others stay there all afternoon. Rachael is serving. Ski to the bottom with Helen and then back up for the last drink and run down. Get the bus to Sauze after tea, as before Hotel Derby, then Karaoke bar and then Gran Trun. Very good night, some of them drink litres glasses of beer. Stay till 1am.

Sunday 4th - Delayed for three hours at Turin. Take Anna back to Kilburn and then back to the Windmill for 10pm.

The next four pictures are courtesy of Steve Wheeler and are from a ski trip to Courchevel 1850 in March 2000. The first shows the full team enjoying a Fondue at the Altibar. We had lots to eat and drink for an extremely reasonable price. We then skied down carrying a flaming touch, except for Andy who had the wrong boots.

This is Steve trying his best with Melissa the rep.

The Sunglasser Boys, from the left David Taylor, Spuddy ( John Judson ) and Steve Wheeler.

Sal and Gilly in a queue at the Col du Loze. Me and Andy in the background.

This bar served the cheapest beer in the resort, £3.30 a pint.

Sauze D'Oulx Feb 2000

Me and Brain Booth, David and Robert Talyor, John and Christine Taylor, Mark, Mel and Emma Wison, Garry and Linda Smith, Laura and Rebacca Smith, Phil and Chris Howe, Mark Hammond and Sally W

Sunday 30th January - Round to David's for 5am. Arrive at the Hotel La Torre at 2.30pm. Me and Brian take a short cut across to the hotel and get ready. Wait for Laura. Ski for a couple of hours. Only the Clotes lift is open due to high winds. I have too much dinner. Go to the Gran Trun later, I feel very full and tired.

Monday 31st - We all ski together, good sunny day. We have a nice spaghetti at the Ciao Pais. They bring us out a free bottle of spirit. We are all very impressed by the hotel, it is visible from any where on the mountain. Go down to the Gran Trun, an aussie called Chaddy is playing there. I decide to drink vodka and coke all night after feeling too full on the beer last night. I drink a lot in the Hotel, Gran Trun and then the Schuss bar, home for 3am.

Tuesday 1st February - Wake up and give the command 'Brian, I am awake, lets go' still hungover all morning. Lie on the snow at lunchtime and fall asleep. Get bad shakes after a while. Ski a little and then accompany Mel back to the hotel. First time that I have not been for the 4pm drinks meet. Sleep for a few hours. Wake up and have dinner in the hotel. A lot of the others stay in the 'Andy Cap' bar till gone 9pm and then go for a meal in the 'Black Sleep'. I walk down to meet them with Laura and Rebecca. We go for a drink in the 'Gran Trun', Chaddy plays again.

Wednesday 2nd - After a lot of discussion about whether to have handicaps or not Me and Mark decide to work out a set of handicaps.

Thursday 3rd - Race day, all the usual anticipations before the race. Race down the same course. Christine Taylor snaps a cruciate ligament during the race. We all gather in the 'Andy Cap' bar for the results. We get loads of medals. I come second in the 12 week plus male race. I am rather disappointed to get only the fourth fastest time. Go back to the Hotel for lunch. We all go down to the 'Gran Trun'. Go clubbing with Laura, Rebecca and Mel. Me, Mel, Laura and two lads from Somerset go for a pizza at 'Kaly's', I dance on the table. We all get home for 5am.

Friday 4th - Me and Brain had agreed to go out early with Mark. Rebecca comes along to. We head for Sestriere. The only way is to go down on the Gondola so we do not bother. Ski down to the bottom of Sansicario. Ski back and have lunch in Sportinia. Some of us go for a curry in Sauze, basic but nice. After that we go to a smelly Kareoke bar for a while and then we all go to the 'Gran Trun' again. I insist that I am going to go to bed early, but I soften after some vodka and go to Bandito's with Laura, Rebecca and Rob, I dance all night and enjoy it. We go to the Schuss bar briefly but decide to head home at 4am.

Saturday 5th - We all have a video made by Chaddy in the morning, split into two groups. Lots of fun trying to trip David up. We end up having to push him over. The first group of Me, David, Brian, Mark and Laura ski over the top and head for Sansicario again. Start heading down the black and Mark falls and cuts his head. We decide to head back home. Go to 'La Marmotta' bar and enjoy some beer, think about Eric Thompson a lot, feel very content. Steady run down, call in for a beer at Paddy's and watch the football results. Go shopping for Helen with Rebecca, Laura and Mel, buy a Versace jumper. Gran Trun everyone home for 2am, I was ready to go again but Robert says no.

Schladming January 1999 Team Taylor

John and Christine Taylor, David and Robert Taylor, Sandra, Dan Smith, Mark, Mel and Emma Wilson, Brian Booth, Gary, Linda and Laura Smith, Me and Mark Hammond

Saturday 30th January - Stayed at Brian's the night before, sleep very well, get up at 5am and walk round to 37 Rectory Lane. Fly from Luton. Me and Mark Hammond nearly miss the flight since we are having our photo taken, 'the aircrew are prepared to take them' was the phase. The rep tells us that it is not possible to ski on the first day but we do anyway. Go to Onkel Willy's for the first time, we see Walter and Herman the waiters and Onkel Willy himself. Have three schnapps and then ski down Red 1 in the dark. We stay at the Hotel Stadttor, we have very good food all week. Lots of us go to the Siglu bar and sing American Pie till late. The picture shows me demonstrating how to land a large jump in total control

Sunday 31st - We all decide to meet at 7.45am but only me and Laura do. Eventually some of the others arrive. When we are all ready Laura decides that her pass is on the same form as her parents and cannot come. We all meet in Onkel Willy's as usual for the rest of the week. After lunch the lads are keen to check out how good team Smith really are, they are not bad.

Monday 1st February - Take team Smith over the top to Sepp Walcher's valley, my skies are not running well at all. When we arrive the piste clears in front of my and I just let them run to the bottom. Unbeknown to me David and Brian are going up on the drag lift and see me. David turns to Brian and says 'Hey look at him, he really knows how to let them go' then after a short pause he says 'Oh my god it's Prof'. He makes Brian swear to secrecy but it comes out after a day or two.

Tuesday 2nd - The lads go down into Sepp Walcher's valley and find a couple of new lifts down a path at the bottom of the two drags. The lads have an afternoon at Onkel Willy's. Me and Laura go out skiing, but she has a bit of a nasty fall. We all go to the Alte Post to start with. It has changed, the usual bar is not open. Robert and Garry do a strange musical trio in the lounge. We all go over to the Erlbacher and they have a good games room. Play quite a lot of bar football, shooting and driving.

Wednesday 3rd - Ski over to Haus for the first time with most people. I have some big falls and decide to tighten my front binding from 7 to 8. I made a brave statement that I will never go down in a gondola unless I am dead. Stop for eleven's over there. Onkel Willy's stays open till 7.30pm. Linda and Sandra persuade me to stay after everyone goes home. We dance on the tables and I am quite merry. I am tempted to ski down in the dark alone but decide to go down on the Gondola. Sandra heaves on the way down. I am very loud at dinner, Sandra goes straight to bed. Play cards in the lounge for a while.

Thursday 4th - We have a few runs down the slalom course but I still cannot beat him down. Cocktail party in mine and David's room. We get through £60 worth of schnapps, champagne, etc. We get very loud at dinner. Move on the Karaoke bar till 2am. We all sing very loudly. The bar is very full so we dance on the tables. When we are told not to I dance on a seat back for most of the night and hold on the ceiling. As a bloke is singing 'My way' I fall off my perch and throw my beer all over him. He carries on singing without a hesitation. Robert Taylor recognises him when we return to Schladming in 2002. Ring Helen and leave a message after I have to ask Brian to remind me what her name is. At 3am we wander round looking for other places to go.

Friday 5th - Neither me nor David bother with breakfast, I feel good all day but tired. We go up the mountain at about 10.30am. Do a run to the bottom before lunch and see Christine and Mel having a lesson. After lunch we have the ski race on the slalom course. David is one second in front of me. A few easy runs in the afternoon. We say good bye to Onkel Willy's Hutte for another two years. Play cards in the Hotel lounge and go to bed early.

Saturday 6th - It snows through-out the night, about 1 foot in the morning, all the lifts are shut. Leave the Hotel at 8am prompt. Land at 3pm.

Courcheval Jan 1999

Andy Higson, Steve Wheeler, Andy Cookson (Cookie), Gill Oxley, Sallyann Ellis, Jayne Burrell, Justin Schroder

Here is one of me and some friends at Courchevel 1650 during a weeks skiing in January 1999. I am just about to order Steak Tartar. I knew that it would be raw, but I did not expect it to be cold !

Saturday 16th January - Get up at 4am and drive to Manchester Airport. Meet most of the GenRad ski team, Andy, Steve, Cookie and Gilly. Andy phones me in the airport to find me. It was Steve Wheeler's 30th birthday party last night and the boys come straight from the club. Arrive at the Chalet Triolet at about 5.30pm. Meet our Chalet Maid Lizzie Culverhouse. Meet the American Justin, he arrived at about 3pm. Andy, Steve and Cookie go to bed to catch up on the sleep. Walk down to the Ski shop with the girls, we call in at L'Equipe for the first time, have three 'Van Chaud' and I am in a good mood. Back for the meal at 8 o'clock, good meal and lots of red wine. Me and Sally take on Cookie and Gill at 'Spit it out' board game, lots of sexual innuendo and laughs.

Sunday 17th - First skiing day, We all stay together except for Jayne who has ski school all day, every day. I fall above the Verdon station on a steep slope and loose my Ray Ban sun-glasses. I lead the way go over to 1650, take the girls down a steep slope into the Parmeruel Station. Justin and Sally do not like the drag lifts. Meet in the Kalico for lunch, great burgher and a couple of pints and sit outside. Meet Jayne after her ski school in L'Equipe for three more 'Van Chaud'. After tea go out for a quite drink. Go to the Kalico, the rounds of beer are expensive so we drink Champagne instead. I am in a good mood and we dance till 4am.

Monday 18th - We get going by about 10am. I feel very ill at the Meribel gondola and nearly don't go up. Get over to Val Thorens for lunch but I can over manage a couple of bites. Just manage to get my tea down. Feel very similar to Sauze D'Oulx last year, I decide that I am allergic to red wine. Andy and Justin go back to the chalet early. Decide to drink Cocktails in L'Equipe all night.

Tuesday 19th - We have a slight navigational problem in the morning, after a few phone calls we find each other, but they are not happy. Ring Helen for the first time this week, on the mobile. Lizzie knows someone living in International House. After tea most people say that they are staying in so I go out with Gill and Sally to TJ's for a couple of cocktails. Andy and Cookie come down later.

Wednesday 20th - The girls decide to navigate today. They always seem to ask me which way to go before they decide. Lizzie's day off. We go out for a meal Carpaccio du Beouf starter and Hot rock for everyone to follow. The boys are most unhappy with the meal and walk out. Me and the girls go up to TJ's and they moan about the boys. Meet Andy and Cookie in there. Try to go to the Kalico later but the queue is too big.

Thursday 21st - Ski in 1650 in the afternoon. Helen phones whilst we are at a restaurant for a coke in 1650 Call her back in the evening. Take my skies in for a service after a slide on the ice a lot. I demonstrate to Sally how to go through the tree, start by falling over and then get my skies ever side of a tree. I hurt my knee and Sally dies laughing. Go to Kalico with the Girls, meet the others and we watch 'The Sureshank Redemption', Andy and Cookie till 4am drink more Champagne, Gill gets followed round by a French lift operator. Get back at 4am.

Friday 22nd - I feel good all day but Andy and Cookie both feel very tired. Go to Mont Vallon in the Meribel valley in the morning, meet Jayne at noon in 1850. Ski over to 1650 for lunch. I guide her along. The service in very slow so we change to another place. I order Steak Tartare after Gill tells me what it is, raw meat, eat half of it with chips. Take Jayne right up to the top of the valley and then over to the 1850 side. I guide Jayne all afternoon. Me, Gill and Sally go for a couple of last runs on Coqs. Go shopping after the last run with the girls, I buy a Fat Face fleece for Helen and a White Stuff top for me. Go for a drink in L'Equipe.

Saturday 23rd - Wake early and catch the bus at 6am, have a good sleep on the bus. Gill gets increasingly ratty with me towards the end of the holiday. Spend a lot of time wandering round Geneva airport. I don't feel the need to buy anything and there are no chairs. I am bored, tired and just want to get home. The takeoff is delayed as always. I get home for about 6.30pm.

Sauze D'Oulx Feb 1998 Team Taylor

John and Christine Taylor, Sandra Taylor, Dave Taylor, Robert Taylor and Rebecca Smith, Brain Booth and Joanne Carr, Mark Hammond and Me

Sunday 22nd February - Turn up at Rectory Lane for 6am, David is not there. He stayed at Annie's house, which used to be where my friend from school, Grant Reed, lived. They do not hear the phone so Robert goes to collect them. JT goes spare. Leave at about 7am. Use the same coach from Willington. Stay in the Hotel Chaberton in the old town run by Pam from Kent. Share a room with Mark. Desperate to go skiing on the first day. Get into all the gear and walk up the hill, unfortunately go to the wrong lift. When Brain and Mark have got their skies the lift is shut. Dump all the stuff in the ski store. Go to the Black Sheep for a meal and then over the road to the Grand Trun pub. An Australian is playing the guitar and we all sing and dance around till late. Two of the Stoke lads spend a night in the cells after stealing a motorbike.

Monday 23rd - Meet for breakfast at 8.30am, very meagre, I order a bacon sandwich, very small. The queue for the Cotes lift extends almost all the way across the piste and moves very slowly. Everyone sticks together for the day. JT leads us to the Ciao Pais for lunch, bean soup and Pork and Chips. Meet back there for 4.30pm drinks, after a few beers David buys a round of Grappa on Eric Thompson. Have a good run down to the bottom. Robert falls many times on the way down. He is very drunk and goes home to bed. Go to the Black Sheep again.

Tuesday 24th - The Stoke lads wake us all up at 5am and shout till 7am. We complain to Pam and she gets the Rep to inform the police, they confiscate their passports. The early party is established as Me, Brian, David and Mark. We get to the Cotes lift for about 9.30am. Go over to the Generis area, great skiing. Meet back for lunch. We all enter for the Andy Capp Ski race. I have been for 14 weeks and so race with JT in the 12+ week category.

Wednesday 25th - Phone Helen, Robert buys my Italian phone card off me and phones Ruth, she is not pleased that he has not phoned every night and got drunk. Go to the Griglia for the first time, a huge tortilla starter followed by pizza.

Thursday 26th - Race Day: Me, David, Brian and Mark go for the usual blast around Generis. Head back over to Sportina to meet the others. I go at number 5 at 1.15pm. Mark and I go for another couple of runs and then go to meet the others in the Andy Capp bar at 5.30pm. Watch the video of the race and have a few drinks. Rebecca gets first place in the female first week skiers with 1:26, Mark get first place in the male second week skiers with 1:10, Jo gets a third place with 1:20 Christine gets a fifth place with 1:35, David gets a third place with 1:02 Robert and Brian cannot work out why they have no medal. In my category the fifth place is 0:56. Go for a meal at Del Borgo's for a meal, intense speculation about my time, Brain thinks that I must have missed a gate and after some blackmail I am forced to agree with him. All the starters and main courses come in the wrong order after a long wait JT and others get stressed. Go back to the Andy Capp bar. Discover that I got a time of 1:01:22, Robert got 1:06 and Brain got 1:08 Lots more drinks in the Andy Capp, I am in high spirits.

Friday 27th - I don't bother to wake anyone till 9am, we have a relaxed breakfast. Phone Helen after the meal at the Griglia. Go to the Grand Trun to listen to the Australian again. Me, David, Brian and Mark decide to do a few night clubs. I am full of beer so drink coke most off the night. Go to the Schuss bar first, almost all blokes, see Jim the rep again. Then Paddy McGinnty's Irish Bar go for a quiet chat. Go to the night club under the Andy Capp, full of Italian's. Then up to Bandinos, a bit modern, Mark likes it and stays. 15 Minutes after I go back Mark returns and then throws up.

Saturday 28th - Have an even more relaxed breakfast, we all still together for the first couple of runs. Go to the Black Sheep again for 7.30pm have a rather rushed meal till 9.45pm. Go to the Grand Trun until 1am, Jo asks if I am still in the mood and we go round the same clubs till 4am. She has to fight the Italians off in Bandinos.

Sunday 1st March - Stoke lads make a lot of noise about packing all their stuff from 5 till 7am. I feel wreaked in the morning for breakfast. Sleep on the bus from the Hotel to Turin airport. The plane is delayed due to a baggage dispute at Birmingham. We have a meal at the airport and I do a manual calculation of the value of tan 6 degrees on the back of a paper tray. Wait over an hour in Birmingham luggage area, get back to the Taylor's for 6pm after dropping off Sandra in Findern.

Courcheval Jan 1998

Andy Higson, Jane (his girlfriend), Steve Wheeler, John Juddson (Spuddy), Steve Lockyer, Rob Pallin (Ex-Gen Rad), Jill Oxley, Jayne, Me, Mark Reeve (RR), Craig (GenRad), Julie (his wife), Mike Longworth, Dave (friend of Andy), Debs (his girlfriend), + 5 of their friends from the South

Saturday 17th January - Mark Reeve arrives at my house shortly before midnight. Set off for Sale. Go via Macclesfield, Wilmslow, A34. Arrive at Steve's at about 1.30am, go to bed for 2am. Taxi arrives at about 4.45am. Some of the others go straight to the airport from the night-club, "Brassers". Take off at about 6.30am. fly to Grenoble, very good weather there. Ski in the afternoon with Andy, everyone else has a lot of problems getting their skis. Go up to the top of the mountain on the Saliure lift, 160 person cable car. Meet Steve, Jill and Mark later at 1850, go for a drink in a small French bar. We have had no food so get quite merry, ski back down to the chalet in time for tea. Stay at the Ruffier II chalet in Courchevel 1550. Everyone is very loud at tea time, drink lots of red wine. Manage to stay up till about 11.30pm.

Sunday 18th - Wake with a slight hangover and a bad back. Ski with Steve Locker, Andy, Craig and Jill. Meet in the Calico bar for lunch, French onion soup followed by Chicken Tikka Masala, very good. Drinks in the French bar at 5pm. It is Steve Wheelers 29th birthday so we all go down to the Chanrossa Bar ( also called Jackson's ) for more beer. Walk down with Julie and Craig, push Julie in the snow a lot. Try to push Steve Lockyer in the snow but end up bending my glasses. Home for about 1am.

Monday 19th - Welcome meeting from the boring rep Simon. People from the other chalets come round. Get about 3 feet of fresh snow overnight. Down to the same bar, talk mainly to Julie back for some Port and bread.

Tuesday 20th - Lots of us go down to La Praz to start with, race along a small path, some close over-taking. Spud forgets his lift pass. Go down to La Tania for the first time. Everyone agrees to meet at a rather smart restaurant on the piste. Me, Craig and Steve arrive there and decide to go on after seeing spag bol for 145 francs. The others turn up and have a great meal there. We made a bad call. Walk down to the Brigens Hotel, has a hole in the roof with snow coming through. Phone Helen for a long chat on the charge-card.

Wednesday 21st - Bad visibility, do some of Courchevel 1650 with Craig and Steve L, very difficult to see. See Spud on his skis for the first time, very good. Meet him, Wheeler and Andy high up above 1650. Fall to the deep snow, realise spuddy is so much better than me. Go over the snow-board jumps in the afternoon, great fun. Tamsin's day off. Hot rock night at the Calico bar. Rush to catch the 6.50 bus up to 1850. Lots of beef and chicken cooked on the hot rock. Have another drink in the bar and then I buy a bin bag for 5 FF from the bar and the others use sledges to go down the blue run to 1550, fantastic run down in the dark. The people on the bus hear and see us coming down. Home to get dry.

Thursday 22nd - Wake up to brilliant sunshine. Andy Higson is keen to ski to the fourth valley. Have lunch at the restaurant there, sit outside in the sunshine. After skiing go shopping with Steve Lockyer at 1850 wearing all our ski gear. We buy a green White Stuff top for Helen, purple Fat Face top for Rachel, red jump suit for Alistair Ben. Phone Helen on the way down to the bar, they are watching football. Try to teach Mark who Alan Shearer is.

Friday 23rd - More great weather, ski with Spuddy, Wheels, Steve, Andy and Craig, go through the Meribel valley and Val Thorens and up the glacier, unfortunately the top lift is shut. Craig heads back to meet his wife, Andy and Steve head off for lunch. Me, Spud and Wheels decide to skip lunch. We go off and do some great off-piste deep snow. Ski the last couple of hours by myself. All but the girls go up to 1850 for a Tex Mex meal, excellent chilli. The girls invite their Dutch friends round to eat half cooked duck. We have an early night.

Saturday 24th - Up at 4.15am Take off at 11.30am

Banff Canada January 1997

Sunday 2nd - Land at 5.30am at Manchester. Home for 9am. Go straight to bed.

To be added - Flaine March 1996

Schladming March 1996 Team Taylor

John and Christine Taylor, Brian and Jo, David and Michelle, Sandra and Judith, Mark and Mel, Eric Thompson and Prof.

Saturday 2nd March - Arrive at the Hotel Alte Post at about 10pm. Eric gets into the hotel first and grabs us a huge room, everyone else get very small rooms. Meet in the bat at 11pm. Initially they are unhappy to serve us. I forget the words to 'I once knew a farmer', when I remember I sing a loud solo. Drink Schladminger Beer first, dreadful, move on to the Post House brew. Stay up till 2pm with barman Alfred.

Sunday 3rd - Have breakfast together. Meet in the boot room at 10.30am. We all go to Charly Kahr's to get our boots, lots of delays. Brian tells me about his nightmare, where it gets to Wednesday before the group actually gets round to skiing. First run at about 11.30am. Go for a late lunch, down stairs at Onkel Willy's.

Monday 4th - Me, Brian and David go up for an early ski, get on the gondola for 9am. Do some very fast runs down. David is impressed by the early morning snow. See Jo and Mel for a couple of minutes. Ski over to Hochwurzen for 1am to meet everyone, but they do not turn up. Very cold on the lifts on the way over. Onkel Willy's hut for 4pm, Mark turns up, everyone else has gone down. Have a load of schnapps. Have a champagne party in our room. Eric has brought 5 bottle of champagne as well as other spirits. I am sent down to the bar to ask for some glasses, not many get returned the next day.

Tuesday 5th - Me, David, Brian and Mark go up early. We are still under the influence from the night before and in high spirits. Do a lot of skiing top to bottom. Brian is going fast. I am following him down Red One when it just accelerates away from me. I see tracks going straight over the road bridge and into fresh air. I set off in search of the wreckage. After I fail to find a body in the trees I ski to the bottom and he is waiting for me. Meet the others at lunchtime, I feel very tired in Onkel Willy's. Go over to Sepp Walcher's valley. Do lots of fast runs down the schuss piste, starting from higher each time. Brian starts from ridiculously high up, we see him disappear over a ridge and then see a ski fly up into the air as he does a spectacular wipe-out. Go to the Brewery for a meal, pork, beef, apple schnapps.

Wednesday 6th - The group catches the 10am bus to Hochwurzen. We do a few club runs. A few follow me and we get lost. Meet at the top of Hochwurzen for lunch. Do a couple of runs and then over to Onkel Willy's for 4pm. Have the first schnapps party of the week, start at 6.30pm. I get over familiar with Mark on the floor in the restaurant. We all comment on how miserable the Manageress looks, Christine makes a suggestion on how to cheer her up. Snow ball fight outside with David and John. They then go on the Erlbacher for more beer and to play darts. John has problems hitting the board. I go for a drink with Judith and Sandra.

Thursday 7th - No records exist.

Friday 8th - Me, Brian, Judith and Sandra catch the 9am bus to Hochwurzen. Me and Brian talk about the race all the way. Do a couple of practice runs. Meet the others on the race run. Start at 1am. Christine has 12 mins start, Mel 8, Jo 6, Sandra 4½ Judith 4, Mark and John 40 secs, David 20 secs, Me and Brian scratch. Joanne wins, I come last bar one. Back to Onkel Willy's for 4pm. Have a few more schnapps. Everyone comes round to mine and Eric's room for more schnapps.

Saturday 9th - Almost everyone gets up early for breakfast. Me, Brian, Judith and Joanne go up early and come straight down the black. Jo's first time down a black run.

Sunday 10th - Eric gets up his hip flask out on the coach and the party continues until the very end.

Anna Whitehead, Me, Steve Lockyer and Mark Reeve ( taking the picture) at cafe 'Le Bissac' in Flaine in March 1995.

St Johan February 1995

John and Christine Taylor, Richard and Dorothy Robinson, Kirsten, David and Michelle?, Brian and Jo ?, Robert

Schladming March 1994 Team Taylor

John and Christine Taylor, Dave Taylor and Michelle Hart, Brian Booth and Joanne Carr, Mark Wilson and Melanie, Sandra Taylor, Robert Taylor

Sunday 6th March 1994 - Taylor's for 4.30am as decided, no one is about, have to ring the door bell to wake them. Fly at 7.10am to Salzburg. We stay at the Erlbacher. Everyone decides to ski, do Red 1 and Blue 2. Call in at Onkel Willy's. Ski to the bottom, very slushy. Wander round for a long time for something to eat. In the end we all have Vienna Schnitzel at the Kirchenwirt.

Monday 7th - Brian throws up in the night. Breakfast at 9am. Ski well, feel confident. Big fall in the afternoon, Dave skies straight past. Talk about the final black slope having a gradient of 1 in root 2, lots of talk about the volume of a sphere and "Pi" fish.

Tuesday 8th - Hurt my arm on the final black run, lots of moguls.

Wednesday 10th - Breakfast at 7.30 with Brian and Sandra, good fast hard snow. We are the first people up the mountain, ski top to bottom a couple of times. Meet the others at 10.3am at the bottom. Go over the top of the mountain and down Sepp Walcher's valley.

Thursday 11th - Go up early with Brian. Try the Slalom course, 50p a go. Cut my right leg on my left ski. Snow is good in the morning and slushy in the afternoon. 12 degs C at the top. They don't bash the slopes below the middle station. Snow disappears very fast.

Friday 12th - Robert get up with me and Brian for 7.30 breakfast. Run the traditional race at 1pm. Jo wins, JT second. I pass Robert. Michelle, Mark and Dave. Dave and Mark both fall. Cocktail party in the evening. Three bottles of Peach Schnapps disappear in an hour. Also do a few flaming Drambuies. Brian and Jo retire drunk, Dave and Mark fall asleep, the rest of us go out for a pizza.

Saturday 13th - Only me in the morning. Hard snow, I do lots of skiing. See a helicopter take a heart attach victim away. Brian comes at 10.45, others at 1pm, they go straight to Onkel Willy's. Go down the Slalom, Dave does the best time. Straight to the bar off the slopes I win at darts.

Sunday 14th - Breakfast at 7.30am, 150 mph head wind on the way back.

Chatel March 1993 Team Taylor

John and Christine Taylor, Robert Taylor, Dave Taylor and Michelle, Brian Booth and Julie, Allison Hill

Friday 5th March 1993 - Meet in the Sitwell for pre-trip drinks, Eric and Julie phone to say that they cannot go.

Saturday 6th - Fly at midday. Minibus to Chatel, brilliant sunshine. JT leaves his boots at Geneva airport whilst ensuring that we all have our stuff. Arrive at about 4pm, a bit of a problem getting in, nice apartment. We get our skis. Have a problem at the ski shop where the man says "You are in France now, you must speak French !!", it does not go down well with Team Taylor. Catch the bus down into Chatel. Have a pizza and beer in a French only bar.

Sunday 7th - No breakfast. Very long queue at the lift pass office. Find a good blue run. Flod does lots of teaching. "La Leche" for dinner, £5 for a spaghetti, £3 for beer. Ski to the bottom on a green run.

Monday 8th - Go to Chatel in the morning on the bus with Chris, Allison and Brian, find a supermarket. Absolutely blue skies all day. Flod in pain from a burnt face.

Tuesday 9th - I do the breakfast run with Allison, hot croissants, etc. Ski over the top with Flod, JT, David and Michelle, very wide open slopes. Start to really let them go. Start running low on money.

Wednesday 10th - Into Chatel with Dave and Brian, buy lots of drinks for the party tonight.

Thursday 11th - Just me and Julie on the breakfast run. Determined to get going early with Brian, but not manage it till 10.50, ski to the bottom and then over the top. Ski by myself for a while, go as far from the resort as I can and then back to "Le Schuss" for 2pm, left knee hurts. We all do some timed runs. Rob, Dave and Michelle don't ski in the morning, resting for the big race. Go over the top in the afternoon, Michelle has quite a tumble.

Friday 12th - Have a lie in, easy breakfast. Do a couple of runs. Drink at "La Leche" before the race. Start at 1pm, Christine has 12 mins, Allison 9 mins, Brian 2½ mins, Dave 1 min, JT 50 secs, Rob 45 secs. Dave falls, both skies off. I fall on the path, finish in 3:50, Rob wins. Me and Brian go skiing all afternoon. Others stay in the bar. Take our skies back. Miss-understanding about the dinner arrangements, we cannot find them. Play card till late, make a start on the Southern Comfort.

Saturday 13th - Up early, taxi at 9.45, have a good look at Geneva. Home for 5pm.

Schladming March 1992 Team Taylor

John and Christine Taylor, Robert Taylor, David Taylor, Sandra Taylor, Me, Eric Thompson and Julie.

Sunday 8th March 1992 - Get up at 5.15am, drive down to the Taylor's for 5.50, wait for Sandra and leave at 6.20am. Uncle Andy drives down with us. Check in and get on the plane for 8.15am. We miss our slot and have breakfast on the ground. Take off at 9.40 for Salzburg, coach to Schladming. Do lift passes on the bus, I use a picture of Rob. Get to the Hotel Rossl and go to get skies, on the gondola for 3.30pm. Ski Red One all the way down, I fall over three times, quite difficult skiing. Get the last lift up, ski a little better next time. Go into the square on the way back and try to buy two beers, end up with two cokes. Back to the Hotel and they are all asleep. Go to the Alte Post, meet Eric and Julie in there. A few beers and then a meal, liver soup and Spaghetti Carbonara. Bed at midnight, sleep till 6.30am.

Monday 9th - Breakfast, nothing really except coffee or tea. Go up the mountain for 10am, do some blue runs. In the evening go for a meal in the Alte Post after a few drinks, I have Vienna Snitzel, we have plenty of wine. I make myself the butt of many jokes.

Tuesday 10th - Not go for breakfast, try go catch the bus to Hochwurzen but miss it. Go up the Planai, Eric teaches Christine and Sandra. The lads go with Julie on lots of runs. Have a few schnapps at Onkel Willy's, have an incredibly fast run down. First cocktail party in the hotel. We practice singing 'London's Burning' after hearing Barber's shop singers in Onkel Willy's. We get told to be quiet at 9pm. Go out for a pizza later.

Wednesday 11th - Do a lot of fast skiing on Hochwurzen, good runs but the lifts are not so good. Go to a café across from the Alte Post for a meal. We go tobogganing for 8pm. Take the gondola to the top of the Hochwurzen. We set off half way through the crowd. I go with Flod, Sandra with David, Chris and John, and Eric with Julie. We all overtake a lot of Germans and all finish in the first four. Celebrate in the bar at the bottom, then back to the Alte Post. 'Taxi Maxi' comes in and sings very loudly, and badly, till 2.30am, lots of drinks.

Thursday 12th - Neither Rob or David make it for breakfast, they meet us at lunchtime in Onkel Willy's. I go up with Sandra, John and Christine. I need a new ski pass. I leave them on Blue 8 and go off by myself. Do Red 6,5,3, go up the three man chair. They go for 11's and shout me but I don't hear. Get my skies almost parallel on Blue 8. After dinner I go blasting with John and Julie. Have another cocktail party, no singing this time. Joined by Kirstie and two lads. I challenge her to a race, she is after all, only a woman. Go for pizza, I have 'Speck and Ei'.

Friday 13th - Race Day. Go over to the Hochwurzen. Eric gave out the times last night, I am scratch, John has 45 seconds, Rob has one minute, David has two, Sandra eight and Christine twenty five. Do a couple of practice runs and then have a gluewein at the top. Eric sets us off. Christine finishes before most of us start. I find it difficult polling along the flat bit along the bottom. Finish almost a minute behind Rob. Go back to the Planai after a meal on the bottom. Meet Kirstie at 4pm in Onkel Willy's, the lads come in later. She is very proud of the gold medal that she has won in ski school this morning. We race down after a few drinks, she has no hope of keeping up and exclaims 'Don't they ski fast' after we leave her down Red 9a. Wait and help her down the steep bits. Drinks in Charly Kahr's and then a meal in there.

Saturday 14th - Get up and see a lot of snow coming down. Go up the mountain for 10.30. I do a couple of runs before joining the others in Onkel Willy's, stay there all day. We watch 8 inches of snow fall in the meantime. Ski down Red One. Meet in Charly Kahr's for more drink. Meet Steve and Kirstie in there, arrange to meet later. Take the skies back. Go out for pizza again. Go to the Alte Post for 10.30pm. Steve and Stuart are in, Kirstie has gone in bed. Sing and drink till 3am.

Sunday 15th - Get up at 7.30am and go down to breakfast, not feel too bad. Joined at breakfast by Kirstie, Steve and Stuart. Bus arrives at 8.30, very heavy snow. Blizzard whist we are on the bus, see lots of snow ploughs. Fly on schedule at 11.30, head wind of 85 mph. Back to the Taylor's in David's Granada, cup of tea. My car won't start. Home for 5pm.

Heather and Clive, Min and Me

Saturday 31st January - Pack all the gear in the morning. Min goes round to Heather and Clive's first to get their stuff. Gets to my house for 10.50am. Min is driving the Chrysler Alpine, pretty battered. All of a sudden the car starts juddering, Min said that the fan belt was loose. Stopped to tighten it up and then had great trouble starting it again. Had dinner just up from Scotch Corner. Very cold and clear day. Tried to ring to find somewhere to stay but could not get through, eventually stopped at the Cockburnspath Hotel at 6pm, about 30 miles short of Edinburgh. Have a meal in the hotel and a few drinks and watch Telle. Very good place for £11 per night.

Sunday 1st February - Get up at 8am and go down for a very good breakfast, we are the only people staying there at the time. Get the things into the car and then try and start it. Push it down the car park and then up and down a small slope, change the spark plugs. Eventually use some jump leads to start it. Drive through Edinburgh over the Forth bridge and then through Perth. Have dinner at Killiecrankie, Little Chef. I drive for a bit. Have a look round Avimore and get Min's ski's and boots. The man says that the snow is very hard. Drive up to Grantown-on-Spey and get into our house. Very nice, fully central heated, colour T.V., fridge, washing machine, cooker, everything looks new. Watch ski Sunday. Have a huge tea set up the settings on a set of points, work for a long time on loosening the front bindings on my skis. After a lot of hammering and some oil they come loose. Go to a local bar for last orders. As we walk in the barman says 'This is not the place for you'. We have one drink, there are a number of bodies lying on the floor. We ask if there has been a party and the barman says this is normal.

Monday 2nd - Get up a 7.30am. Have a good breakfast. Have a little difficulty starting the car. Get to Cairngorm chairlift for about 10am. Everywhere looks short of snow. Min goes to ski school. We three queue a long time to go up the main T-bar to the top. I am over-confident, lose my grip, and have to hold on with my hands all the way to the top. Ski some easy routes and meet Min for dinner. Do a few runs with Clive, getting a bit more confident. Lifts shut at 4.30pm, get to the top of the lift system without noticing it, snow is very sparse. Clive and Min cook tea. Go out for last orders, to an even rougher bar.

Tuesday 3rd - A very little snow falls overnight, hard frost. All the runs are very icy. Huge queue for the chair lift. Do a couple of easy runs and then down for lunch. Min stays at the top for lunch. Gets quite windy on the top. Do two long runs with Clive, great fun. Quite misty on the top. Very tired by the time we get home. Have pasta for tea. Go to the Ben Mhor Hotel, a little upmarket, phone home, Amstrad shares are up a lot, enough to pay for the holiday, goes down again later.

Wednesday 4th - I cook the breakfast. Very windy at the house. Get to the slopes and all but one of the drags are shut. All the runs are very icy. Stay in the bar all morning, watch people falling off the long exposed drag lift. Have our packed lunch, clear blue skies. After lunch me and Clive go up the mountain on the drag. Extremely windy on the top, the hail is very painful. Do the White lady a couple of times. Ski down to the bottom, sheet ice and bare rock. Call in for pizza for tea on the way home. Stay in and play cards in the evening.

Thursday 5th - Raining and very windy. Most of the lifts are shut. Heather insists on going up. Have a coffee at the middle station, do a run or two. Have dinner in the car. Meet Min in the middle bar. Do a couple of runs with him, he is snow ploughing. Watch telly and stay in at night.

Friday 6th - Wake up to the usual weather, mist and rain, get up the mountain for 10am. Heather is not feeling too well. Min and Clive go up the long drag and across to the middle station. Do the West Wall run once again and up the long drag, do the M1 lots of times, the White Lady and Genball. Enjoy doing a lot of skiing. Meet Heather at the middle station for dinner. After dinner do lots more runs, not fall much, go pretty fast. Meet Min at 3pm and do a few more runs. Come down the chairlift as it shuts. Have fish and chips for tea. Go to the Ben Mhor Hotel for drinks, they are still serving at 2am. Quiz Min about the girl at Drum Hill until well gone 3am.

Saturday 7th - Get up at 8.30am and start packing. Have a late breakfast and wash everything up. Very hard frost on the ground. Set off at about 11am. There has been a substantial fall of snow overnight on the hills. Stop for lunch at Kinross service station. Drive into Edinburgh and have a look round Princes Street. Find a dreadful, dirty old hotel to stay the night in Musselburgh. We have to sign the visitors book, I don't understand why most people seem to have come from the next town and a lot seem to be called Smith? Have fish and chips for tea, since we don't trust the cooking. Heather and Clive put their own sheets on the bed.

Sunday 8th - Get up at about 7.45am. Get a close inspection from a Doberman Pincher. Go down for breakfast at 9.20am. Heather refuses to eat hers, due to the dogs in the kitchen, so I have it. The whole place smells of dogs. Set off about 10.30am, we were only 26 miles from Cockburnspath. Very sunny day. Stop for dinner at Washington and then Clive drives. Drive through the Tyne Tunnel. Get home at about 5pm.

Heather and Clive, Wayland Tansley, Me

Sunday 23rd February 1986 Set off at 8.30am from Derby with Heather and Clive and Heather's dad. Arrive at Gatwick in plenty of time to dump the car. Fly at 15.50 to Milan, foggy most of the way. A 4½ hour coach journey to Bormio. Drive alongside Lake Como for 40 minutes and thru many tunnels. Stop at the end of Lake Como for pizza and beer. Arrive at 11.45pmat Hotel Serana ?

Monday 24th - Awake at 8am, breakfast of rolls, on the ski bus for 9am. Get equipped with skis and boots. Take the big cable cars, holds 75, up to Bormio 2000. Ski round with Heather and Clive on the nursery slopes. Do snow plough turns early on. Have pasta for dinner. Ski school at 2.30pm till 5pm. Do traversing and snow ploughing. Go to the Hotel Piccolo Mondo for drinks and then meal at our hotel, do crossword books in the evening. Ten lads form a Rugby club are staying in our hotel, they come in at 3am, after a disco. They wake everyone up, I don't go back to sleep.

Tuesday 25th - Rise at 8am, very tired. Walk up to Celso sports shop to pick up the skis. Go up the big ski lift. Do a couple of runs with Heather. Go to 'La Rocco' for dinner. Have at least one hour for dinner, then go down some steep runs with the other three. Go pretty fast, feel confident about turns and parallel downhill. Do a quick run with Wayland before ski school. In ski school do traversing, do a lot more long runs. Very tired by 5.30, beef steak in the hotel.

Wednesday 26th - Go up the Gondola lift and then the single chair and then ski down to Bormio 2000. Go down part of a black run, fall over a lot. Take double chair up to 'Cimino', ski down a blue/red route down to 2000, my first long run, knees and shins very tired. Take the big cable car up to 'Cina Blanca'. Fantastic views, have dinner at the top, pizza for £1, red wine 25p/glass. Ski down to 'La Rocca', sunbath for a while. Top is 9900 feet. In ski school do stem Christi turns and then parallel turns. Instructor takes us all the way down to Bormio, temperature at the top is -15 degrees C. Instructors name is Plachito.

Thursday 27th - Have a look at some ski boots in Celso Sport. Go up the gondola lift. Fresh falls of snow overnight. Cloudy in the morning. Go up the chair and ski down to 'La Rocca' do a lot of parallel turns. Have dinner of spaghetti and ham at 'La Rocca'. Do some more practice with Wayland. In ski class go right to the top 'Cima Blanca' and slowly ski down right into the village. Do some slalom practice, go very fast. Evening meal of pasta and hamburger. Go down to the 'Chem Pub' for an evening drink.

Friday 28th - Clive buys some boots from Celso for £60, I buy my hire boots for £14. Quite a misty day. Go up the Gondola and across to 2000. Do one before dinner, at 'La Rocca'. Go to 2000 for the ski school race. All the beginners have their race together, three slalom poles. I fall in practice but go OK in the race, I come 3rd, one second behind the leader. Go to 'Kings Club' in the evening to have the awards presented. I get my bronze medal, have some nice cocktails. Good disco and lots of videos of skiing.

Saturday 1st March - Lie in bed till 9am, Wayland stays in bed. We go up the mountain. Very leisurely dinner at 'La Rocca'. In ski school go up the chair lift and ski down to ski down to Bormio. Walter's ski class stay in 'La Rocca' for a Groller, 10 sided drinking cup. Go to the Piccolo Mondo for a few drinks with Richard. Have a few glueweins and play Clive at chess. Stager back for dinner, veal steak. Talk to two of the rugby crowd, one is an investment consultant, one a CID inspector, estate agent, etc. Sit in the lounge and watch telle, have a huge vodka and orange.

Sunday 2nd - Joyce, the rep, recommends that we do not ski today since in will be very busy. Wander round the back streets of Bormio, have a proper pizza. Go to an ice skating stadium. Back to the hotel for more drinks.

Monday 3rd - The weather starts off fine and we decide to take the cameras up the mountain. Go up to 3000 and take pictures all the way down. Ski the steep way down to 'La Rocca', fall over a lot in the deep snow. Go up to the top of the long drag and down the north side of the mountain. Go down a black run with Wayland, we are the last ones down, the body man follows us down. Upgrade my skis from 175 to 185 in order to get more speed. Go to the Piccolo Mondo and play Clive at chess.

Tuesday 4th - Bright sunny day, change £60 at the bank, very neat , security doors. Go round the market. Go up to 3000 and have dinner. Outside it is a little gusty and very cold. Use the chair lift to the top a couple of times. Ski down to 2000. Go up the long drag with W, very icy on the way down, fall over a couple of times, feel that I am not getting much grip on the ice, my skis are too soft. Ski down to 2000 with Heather and Clive, even more icy, not very happy. Catch the ski bus and bring my skis back ready for Santa Caterina tomorrow.

Wednesday 5th - Catch the ski bus to the bus station and then the coach to Santa Caterina. Go up a deep sided valley. Long queues for the lifts, very open slopes, pay £1 for a small plate of chips, 20p for a glass of wine. One long drag which goes over the top of the mountain. Snow is in good condition but icy later. Hottest day yet at +5 degs C, do a lot of sunbathing. Do all the slopes by 3.30, but back at 4.30. Fantastic lasagne starter followed by beef steak. Watch telly and fall asleep in the lounge.

Thursday 6th - Cloudy start to the day. Go up the Gondola as always. Ski down to Ciuk with Wayland to fetch his glasses case, very icy. From 2000 go up the chair lift, Clive falls off. I try hard to get the turns correct by keeping my shoulders pointing down the hill. Have a lasagne at 'La Rocca'. Go up the long drag and down to 2000. My legs hurt first thing in the morning, but recover as the day goes on. Go up to 3000and ski right down to the bottom, takes 55 minutes. Buy a Bormio sweat shirt for 27,000 L at Celso sport and then the Piccolo Mondo for some glueweins. Very nice tea, sample a bottle of Valtellina Superiore Inferno, the top of the range local wine, very good. Heather and Clive stay in our room all evening and chat.

Friday 7th - Snowy start to the day. Clive has a lie in. We go up, do one run, leave Heather at 'La Rocca', do another run before dinner. Clive comes up and goes down with Heather for some shopping. Ski down to Ciuk and then up the drag. Get the bus back at 5pm. Very windy and snowy at the top. Read a lot of 'First Amongst Equals'. After dinner go to the 'Kings Club', good music till 2am.

Saturday 8th - Low cloud. Go straight to 3000, windy, ski down the south side of the mountain. Go down a long run for the first time, via houses and trees, very exiting. Heavy snow by lunch-time. Heather gets caught smoking by her dad. All the lifts are shut because of the snow. Ski back to Bormio. Go down the slalom course but fall over. Evening in the hotel.

Sunday 9th - Only me and Wayland go for breakfast. He first went skiing in 1947 when he was 17. Also tells me about the RAF, he was an instrument mechanic. Pack suitcases in the morning, difficult to get the boots in. Have lunch at 11.30, depart at 1pm. 4½ hours back to Milano. Buy a bar of chocolate in the duty free shop and almost miss the plane. Have to run across the tarmac in the dark. Back home for 2am, back into work the next day with a nice tan.