Also does anybody know if there is a 'easier' (or cleaner, less code
required) way of deserializing than checking each node as per the
below code?

RL

//as inspired by: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307548

private string ReadXMLandAddtoDecoratedPersonList(string filepath)
        {
            string statusStr = "Success
ReadXMLandAddtoDecoratedPersonList";

            try
            {
                using (FileStream fs = new FileStream(filepath,
FileMode.Open))
                {
                    using (XmlTextReader r = new XmlTextReader(fs))

                    {
                        myDecPersonList.Clear();

                        DecoratedPerson newDecPerson1 = new
DecoratedPerson();
                        while (r.Read())
                        {
                            Debug.WriteLine("r.Read element is: " +
r.NodeType.ToString() + "(type)" + "," + r.ValueType.ToString() +
" (value type)" + "," + r.Value.ToString() + "(value)" + "," +
r.Name.ToString() + "Name!");
                            if (r.NodeType == XmlNodeType.Element &&
r.Name == "MyEmployee")
                            {

                                string aStringGuid = r.GetAttribute
(1);//gets Second attribute, which is GUID (.GetAttribute(0) is
schema)
                                Debug.WriteLine("this is MyEmployee
attribute: " + aStringGuid);
                                newDecPerson1.UserGuid = new Guid
(aStringGuid);

                            }
                            if (r.NodeType == XmlNodeType.Element &&
r.Name == "FiRstName")
                            {
                                r.Read(); // req'd to push to next
element
                                if (r.NodeType == XmlNodeType.Text)
                                {
                                    newDecPerson1.FirstName = r.Value;
                                    Debug.WriteLine("r.Read element
FirstName is: " + r.NodeType.ToString() + "(type)" + "," +
r.ValueType.ToString() + " (value type)" + "," + r.Value.ToString() +
"(value)");

                                }
                            }

                            if (r.NodeType == XmlNodeType.Element &&
r.Name == "LAsTNaMe")
                            {
                                r.Read(); //!! req'd to push to next
element
                                if (r.NodeType == XmlNodeType.Text)
                                {
                                    newDecPerson1.LastName = r.Value;
                                    Debug.WriteLine("r.Read element
LastName is: " + r.NodeType.ToString() + "(type)" + "," +
r.ValueType.ToString() + " (value type)" + "," + r.Value.ToString() +
"(value)");

                                }
                            }

                            if (r.NodeType == XmlNodeType.Element &&
r.Name == "thePassword")
                            {
                                r.Read(); //!! req'd to push to next
element
                                if (r.NodeType == XmlNodeType.Text)
                                {
                                    newDecPerson1.Password = r.Value;
                                    Debug.WriteLine("r.Read element
Password is: " + r.NodeType.ToString() + "(type)" + "," +
r.ValueType.ToString() + " (value type)" + "," + r.Value.ToString() +
"(value)");

                                }
                            }

                            if (r.NodeType == XmlNodeType.Element &&
r.Name == "theEmaiL")
                            {
                                r.Read(); //!! req'd to push to next
element
                                if (r.NodeType == XmlNodeType.Text)
                                {
                                    newDecPerson1.Email = r.Value;
                                    Debug.WriteLine("r.Read element
Email is: " + r.NodeType.ToString() + "(type)" + "," +
r.ValueType.ToString() + " (value type)" + "," + r.Value.ToString() +
"(value)");

                                }
                            }

                            if (r.NodeType == XmlNodeType.Element &&
r.Name == "Age")
                            {
                                r.Read(); //!! req'd to push to next
element
                                if (r.NodeType == XmlNodeType.Text)
                                {
                                    try
                                    {
                                        newDecPerson1.Age =
Convert.ToInt32(r.Value);
                                        Debug.WriteLine("r.Read
element Age is: " + r.NodeType.ToString() + "(type)" + "," +
r.ValueType.ToString() + " (value type)" + "," + r.Value.ToString() +
"(value)");


                                    }
                                    catch (FormatException)
                                    {
                                        Debug.WriteLine("The Age did
not convert: default zero used");
                                        newDecPerson1.Age = 0;
                                    }


                                }
                            }

                            if (r.NodeType == XmlNodeType.Element &&
r.Name == "UserId")
                            {
                                r.Read(); //!! req'd to push to next
element
                                if (r.NodeType == XmlNodeType.Text)
                                {
                                    newDecPerson1.UserId = r.Value;
                                    Debug.WriteLine("r.Read element
UserId is: " + r.NodeType.ToString() + "(type)" + "," +
r.ValueType.ToString() + " (value type)" + "," + r.Value.ToString() +
"(value)");

                                }
                            }

                            if ((newDecPerson1.FirstName !=
String.Empty) && (newDecPerson1.LastName != String.Empty) &&
(newDecPerson1.Password != String.Empty) && (newDecPerson1.Email !=
String.Empty) && (newDecPerson1.Age != -1) &&  (newDecPerson1.UserId !
= String.Empty))
                            {
                                //add new person to the list and
create a new newDecPerson
                                myDecPersonList.Add(newDecPerson1);
                                Debug.WriteLine("now adding a
DecoratedPerson comprising...");
                                Debug.WriteLine
(newDecPerson1.FirstName + "," + newDecPerson1.LastName + "," +
newDecPerson1.Password + "," + newDecPerson1.Email + "," +
newDecPerson1.Age.ToString() + "," + newDecPerson1.UserId);
                                newDecPerson1 = new DecoratedPerson
(); //re-instantiate a new object, since old one added to List.

                            }


                        }

                    }

                }
            }
            catch (FileNotFoundException fNF)
            {
                Debug.WriteLine(fNF.Message);
                statusStr = fNF.Message;
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                Debug.WriteLine(ex.Message);
                statusStr = ex.Message;
            }

            finally
            {
                ////debug output:  works fine, as expected
                foreach (DecoratedPerson p in myDecPersonList)
                {
                    Debug.WriteLine("these values exist for p: " +
p.LastName + "," + p.FirstName + "," + p.Password + "," + p.Email +
"," + p.Age.ToString() + "," + p.UserId + "," + p.UserGuid);
                }

            }

            return statusStr;

        }