For me, I'll be glad to see the back of it. The recession has hit my business hard. Not making much money, if any, and got stiffed for £12k by a 'client'. On the other hand, I'm still here and the wife and family are all well – so it could have been a lot worse.
How's it been for you?

Not been the best.

Had a forced pay cut of £1k per month, so will be looking forwards to a better 2010.

As above, more stressful & less well paid than I would have liked.

Roll on 2010

not a bad year here, very dry and sunny. guest numbers a bit down but last minute bookings have turn things from awful to OK when things actually come around..

Also worked in Chamonix in the Summer which was awesome!!

A year of contrasts. Some *very* happy and special memories upto mid August followed by a nosedive. Mixed feelings really.

Shit start – had to close our family business in January (established 25yrs), and then proceeded to go personally bankrupt!

Very fortunately though a long standing customer took me under his wing and helped me re-start and things are now going well.

So in summary, worst start possible, but a great finish!

Completley unremittingly awful. Can't wait to see the back of it! Had the same as you Sharkbait. Been stiffed by 3 clients rolling their companies. Essentially legalised fraud, leaving me tens of thousands of pounds out of pocket. Grim

I've actually reached the point where i laugh in the face of the latest catastrophe's. You have too really 🙂

Got married and brought a house, still employed so pretty good really.

Got a feeling that wasnt the answer I was meant to give.

It's been up and down.

Started the year with Mrs North returning to work after several months off due to pretty severe (work induced) depression.

Cycling has had its ups and downs, though I don't seem to hasve really go going with it until the last couple of months. Completed the étape, but never got fit enough for any meaningful racing.

Clinging onto a job I hate, and in the process of trying to get another.

Some potentially exciting – but secret – news today could bode well for a great 2010, but tempered by the fact my mother may be seriously ill (and is in the hosp right now having tests).

not bad until the 5th december when my mum passed away, funral tomorrow, kind of taken the edge of the first year of my daughters life a bit, got to stay happy for the fact my mum was a grandma for a bit…

Roll on 2010 , gonna do loads of stuff and get on with things like my mum would have done

Steelsreal…i feel for you mate. In the space of a year, i have:

Got married
Become a Dad
Lost my Dad
Got made redundant
Had a disaster of a house move
Started a new job then got head hunted back to my old work.

Hopefully 2010 is a bit more settled.

I've had a pretty good year; finished my PhD, my flat is no longer a building site, I have a job and a potential new job in the new year and I have a cool dude!

finished my third and started my forth (and final) year of uni. social life is good, work is uninspirational despite doing a degree i thought would be really good. dissertation on hold thanks to departmental incompetence. trying to find a job at the moment, but feel like i'm not qualified as my degree really isn't what i thought it would be.

spent 2 months in the summer on an internship in tajikistan which went really badly and ended up with the 2nd half of the year suffering low moods etc and had an impact on my relationship (hopefully getting back on track now)

did quite a bit of cycling in the 1st half of the year, less in the 2nd.

overall could have been a lot better, but been made bearable by having some great mates.

hopefully 2010 will bring a 2:1, some traveling and a job in something interesting (looking at forestry, nuclear decommissioning and infrastructure industries)

Made redundant, large payoff 🙂
Lots of cycling for 5 months 🙂
Partner pregnant 🙂
Its twins 🙂
New job 🙂
Transportugal race in the condition of my life 🙂
Twin to twin transfusion syndrome diagnosed and treated 🙁
Start another new job 🙂
Twins born 3 months premature
Eldest dies at 3 weeks 🙁
Surviving daughter comes home after 9 weeks 🙂
Move house 🙂

on the whole a positive year, better job (but less money) and a beautiful daughter. Hopefully next year will be a bit quieter

– 10% pay cut,
– 1 month later given months notice
– 1 week later reinstated with another 5% off
– torn calf muscle followed by perineal abcess
– parents health 'waning' …
– gf great
– job looking more secure
– leg working
– weeks surfing holiday booked next year
to be honest I consider myself lucky, still employed, generally enjoying stuff and looking forward to next year

Not a bad year but certainly a reality check year…

Become a Dad
Lost my Dad

for me it was 'lose dad' followed by 'become a dad' (twins) so mixed for me too. Dad died just after Christmas too so it will be hard this time around.

but tempered by the fact my mother may be seriously ill (and is in the hosp right now having tests).

Who has just called and let me know that everything she was being tested for is fine, but she still needs to have her thyroid gland removed.

End of 2009 looking up a little.

2009 has been a life changing year and I am excited about the future.

Got engaged last Christmas.
Made redundant due to the company going bust early May
Cycled a lot
Been to the Gym a lot
Been patronised at job centre and recruitment agencies a lot

Helped my mate in his business out quite a bit on a casual basis
Studied and achieved more quals. which should help my job prospects in the new year.
Apart from being fitter, healthier, marginly happier its been a pretty crap year, that I don't want to dwell on too much. Just want to move forward…

it was a pretty mundane one to be honest, nothing stood out.

2010 should be better as fingers corssed a baby will be along

i was going to blather on about my ups and downs but having read some of the stuff that other posters have had going on in their lives it all seems trivial.

to all those who have had personal loss this year my thoughts and best wishes for 2010.

– Started OK.
– Partner got a job 🙂
– Had a dodgy op 😕
– Got back on bike and rode lots 🙂
– Became 2 stone lighter 😀
– Am on holiday until chrimble 😀
– Job looks a bit unsteady in about 18 months (outsourcing) 😕

A pretty good year. Still: "Look forward, there's no regrets in that direction!"

A good year all round but still left with a feeling of emptiness which I plan to get over in 2010

Finished my degree with a lower mark then I wanted but after the previous two years I'm surprised I have one at all.

Got 3 graduate job offers, took the one which was secure for 5 years

Moved to Maidstone and found a new bunch of awesome riding mates, but a broken foot as kept me off the bike since I came back from the alps, except for one or two exceptions

Looking forward to settling in Maidstone and getting promoted in 2009.

So not a satisfying year but a good year.

Dodgy behaviour from my business partner and didgy accountancy advice led to the closure of my business after 5 months. All I had worked for for 20 years. Lost a fortune.

In a crap temporary job but not bad money. The wife and I have been through the mill with me leaving briefly.

Still, kids and wife are well. 2010 should see more job opportunities and I am more solvent with every pay packet.

Well started OK.
Some good riding, some bad.
Redundnacy, that really put a crimp on the year

-made redundant just before last Christmas
-6 months unemployed in Ireland with promises of work but none ever came in and it stopped me making the most of any opportunities that were available-
-now got a new job in Brighton, and went to the hospital yesterday to find out that our expected delivery date should be 2 weeks earlier, so a pretty good turnaround. Hoping for a very good end or start to next year now

Year started off ok then –

Sister-in-law diagnosed with cancer, given 12 months – this within 12 months of her father passing due to cancer.

Aunty has had a big stroke and has contracted pneumonia, but is still hanging on in there.

Me and mrs j have more ups and down than the lift in the Empire State Building after I came across an old diary and I had a peek to see what she thought of me when we first met. Really wished I hadn't of now.