The ancestral home & Matthew's nemesis

The Isle of Wight. My family on my dad's side originate from here and have been traced back to the early 1700s. If I recall correctly, my grandfather was born there but moved to the mainland when he was about 4 years old. We visited on holiday a few times when the children were younger but at that time, I didn't know about the family connection. I wish I had as I would have taken the time to visit places of family interest/relevance. Definitely a trip for the future.

So why is it Matthew's nemesis? He visited this weekend (hence the picture) with the intention of sea kayaking around the island but had to pull out on day 1 due to extreme sea sickness. He is devastated but acknowledges that he underestimated just how tough paddling a tiny kayak on choppy seas at temperatures just above freezing was going to be. I'm just glad he's safe.

Another round of redundancies announced on Friday. 780 positions to go. Learned from a colleague this morning that she received a 2nd email within 20 minutes of the first informing her that her position is at risk. I didn't receive that email or if I did, I deleted it without reading it. Hopefully I'm safe for now. Until next time that is.