greybeard

Until this morning, I hadn’t shaved since the start of the year.

The “beard” has now gone.
For posterity, the above photograph is a reminder to myself NOT to try grow a beard ever again... 
If you’re a facebook friend, you might have seen the following rather pathetic note on my “status” feed for 9 January: 
“Steve hasn’t shaved since the start of the year.
Although he did have a beard for over 20 years, he wasn’t never really any good at facial hair (far too many bald areas… essentially he was lazy and just found shaving tedious).
Perhaps vanity got the better of him… he thought he might end up looking like George Clooney?
In the event, he now looks like old man Steptoe… (and, if you don’t know who old man Steptoe was, then you’re far too young to be reading this).
Oh good grief!”
Until the heavy snow arrived, we were due to have a lovely, regular BABEs lunch in Bristol today (BABEs stands for Barnes, Adams, Broadway and Eyres!). In view of the uncertain weather, we sadly decided to cancel… probably for the best, but still sad. Ken+Debby+Ian+Gail+Diane+Steve+Moira+I get together for lunch (at various locations between Oxfordshire and South Hams) to celebrate our respective birthdays.
The reason I mention “beards” in this context is that Ken, Ian+Steve all possess beards - I was the only “shaved male”. As you can see from my facebook note, I soon realised that my patchy, bald, grey beard was NOT a thing of beauty (AND made me look EVEN MORE like the grumpy old man I’ve probably become!). However, I thought it would be good to keep my beard until the BABEs lunch so I could be “on a par” (well, vaguely) with my other great male buddies – and to provide them with something to laugh about on these dark, bleak, January days.
Well, it wasn’t to be.
PS: if I’d started growing a beard in November, I might have got some Father Christmas work perhaps?