Editorial 18th December 2001
Hello there once again!
Well yet another year is drawing to a close - where did the last one go? Suffice to say perhaps, that many of us won't be too sorry to see the back of it! It has not been one of the world's better periods, but how history will record the past few months only time will tell. But you know, Autumn is a wonderful season, for many it somehow helps to get everything back into perspective and no matter how dark recent happenings may have been, many see nature's annual donning of it's multi-coloured dream coat, as a sign of better things to come.
It's a bit like a new wall paper, and even though it may be only covering up some of the cracks, the colours of the trees - like those along the stretch of the A30 between Sunningdale and Bagshot - cannot fail to brighten the heart and cheer the soul, and if that makes people feel better, then that can only be a good thing. If nothing else it may help to prepare for the pain that the excesses of Christmas exert on the bank account - I've got six grandchildren for starters, and believe me that's enough to send any financial imbalance into free fall!
Anyway enough of the preamble - I can hear our industrious web-master already saying, 'Lord why doesn't he get on with it!' - so, despite the doom and gloom alluded to above, we trust that in general life has been treating you all well, and that health wise at least, the ravages of the past year have not taken too great a toll. Inevitably the very nature of a web-site dedicated to keeping in touch with people who originally got together as far back as forty years ago, it means that we have all long since lost whatever bloom of youth we may ever have been fortunate enough to possess - indeed for some of us the facial furrows, expanding waist lines, and greying and/or receding hair lines, are clearly more a testament of what is to come rather than what ever might have been! Sadly also, there will be some of our friends and past colleagues who are no longer with us, so to all the families of those who have died over the past year, CAPnews extends heart felt condolences and very best wishes for as peaceful and joyful a Christmas as the others of the family and friends can make it, and of course we wish everyone well for the coming year.
Talking about forty years reminds me to mention that even if last year there were some lows, we ex-CAPers at least have one high to look forward to next year - namely CAP40 on May 3rd. For any new visitors to the site - a special welcome to you incidentally - who may not know about CAP40, it is yet another re-union, this time to celebrate the founding of CAP, or as it was originally called Computer Analysts and Programmers Limited, exactly forty years ago to the day!
Regular site visitors will doubtless already be aware of the event, although I have to report that unfortunately as yet, the response to it's earlier publication has not been overly encouraging - like at this moment in time the count is only 70! I suspect that our choice for the main mode of notification - via email and the web site, with some snail mail sent to those for whom we had no 'e-contact' - has not been an unbridled success!
So, although it is appreciated that at this time of the year you will possibly all have much more important things on your minds than re-union jollies with long past buddies, could we put in a couple of 'promotional' words - so when you come to filling in your diaries for the new year, you might remember to enter in CAP40, on Friday MAY 3rd. at the New Connaught Room, in Holborn just off Kingsway.
It is in the same place in fact that we held both CAP30 and CAP2000, so for those who attended those functions there'll be no excuses for getting lost! Incidentally, for those who did attend the other 'dos' the price is even less this time round - namely £20 per head, plus your drink. To whet your appetites may we also give you a 'taster' as to what you can expect to be eating - namely a multi-cultural buffet, of about a dozen different dishes, including some vegetarian, where you will be able to eat as much as you want! And all for only £20 - now that can't be bad. Without wishing to labour the point, if you are intending to attend, can you please let us know by sending in a registration form (a copy of which you can find in the 'Events' page) - a deposit would also be handy, but that in itself is not as important as knowing that you intend being there! Knowing the names and numbers is what we really need.
And please remember, for the umpteenth time of saying, this function is not something to which you need to wait to be invited, as an ex-CAP Chap you are entitled, and MORE THAN VERY WELCOME, to attend.
So come on, rally round, spread the word, and do not only yourself, but all those other chaps who worked for any of the old CAP companies, a favour - if past results are anything to go by, we can assure you, you will have a night to remember!
Those of you who can remember last years web site Christmas Chronicle, may be a little disappointed that this year we are not doing the same, but regrettably both of the trusty stalwarts who put this together have been more than a little tied up with 'other things' with the result that it has not been possibly to gather together enough suitable material to make it worth while. That is not to say that we have been completely idle - there are still a number of new entries and indeed our Web-Master has also been beavering away enhancing both the presentation and the 'sound effects' - from common response for instance, we feel sure that the jazzy back-ground music will be much preferable to the original accompaniment! So we hope that you enjoy the read!
Anyway that is it for now. Talking about material, if anyone has anything to say which he feels could be of general interest - or even boring as hell come to that! - why not drop us a line. CAPnews prints most things!
For now though, we trust that you all have a very Happy Christmas, and an exceedingly Merry New Year as a prelude to a great 2002.
Cheers - have one on me!