Just a quick one

Just a very few minutes to say 'hi' to all our readers! We are currently in the UK on the run up to our 12 day stint at the NEC Bike Show. We have been 'squatting' in our house near Redditch with furniture on loan from friends and family and enjoying catching up with all the goings on here. It's been great being able to spend a decent amount of time with our kids and grandkids and have been very touched by the numbers of friends who have wanted to see us and have offered us meals and overnight accommodation.

Not that we have left the hotel behind completely. Thanks to modern technology we continue to access our E Mails and booking system daily and have been excited to have a number of Xmas and New Year bookings as well as the first summer bookings for 2010. We are also VERY pleased to have secured Chris Eichberger from Vienna as our musician for New Year's Eve - he is a great guitarist/singer and also a really nice guy - and as he is bringing his girlfriend with him, we are looking forward to meeting her for the first time too.

Our plans for the Bike Show Stand have been taking form - John has been busy making stand furniture and we have been able to borrow some as well, so should have more than enough space to show off the piles of photos and brochures we have brought with us. The printing company have delivered 5000 brochures and as many business cards and the posters we designed have also arrived and look really immpressive (even tho' we say so ourselves!). Today we got the sign up sheets for the free draw organised (5 nights B & B this summer for 2 people with a guided bike tour and a daY's walking) and look forward to seeing how many people sign up for that. Our nephew Matt is once again joining the Hochalmspitze team for the show and we are also getting help for John's daughter Becky and her partner Sam and my friend Jo uring the fortnight (nothing like a bit of young glamour on the stand to attract the punters!). For the second week we will be joined by colleague Michael Ganley from motorcycletours.ie who hopes to drum up some business for the 3 tours he plans to bring to us next summer. All in all we should have abusy and interesting stand. Hope to see some of you there!