It’s been a good year, DESPITE lots of ongoing, depressing, frustrating stuff regarding Trump, Brexit etc etc.
Anyway, on the more positive things:
WONDERFUL BOOKS:
I read an awful lot of books (90!) this year and so I’ve limited the list to just ten (it would have been very easy to have 25!): Spark (Alice Broadway)(you bet!)(can’t wait until April when the final book of her trilogy, ‘Scar’ is published); Abide With Me (Si Smith)(brilliant!); Inside The Wave (Helen Dunmore)(poetry); WTF? (Robert Peston); Milkman (Anna Burns); The River in The Sky (Clive James)(poetry); The Diary Of A Bookseller (Shaun Bythell); Redeeming Capitalism (Kenneth J Barnes); Lewis Trilogy (The Black House, Lewis Man and The Chess Men)(3 books – cheating, I know!); and Sincerity (Carol Ann Duffy)(poetry).
GREAT FILMS:
I’ve watched 27 films in the cinema this year. My top ten in vague order (sorry… again, I tried to get it down to five, but found it impossible): Lady Bird; The Post; Mountain; Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri; First Man; The Wife; Isle Of Dogs and The Shape Of Water; Cold War; and Dogman.
LOVELY LIVE PERFORMANCES:
THEATRE:
A Monster Calls (Bristol Old Vic); Touching The Void (Bristol Old Vic); A Christmas Carol (Bristol old Vic); Twelfth Night (Bristol Old Vic); The Elephant Man (Bristol Old Vic); and The Merry Wives Of Windsor (RSC, Stratford-upon-Avon)(live-screening).
CONCERTS:
Karine Polwart; Stacey Kent; Mirga Grazinyte-Tyla and the CBSO (Mahler ‘Symphony no.1’; Debussy ‘La Mer’); and lots of the excellent Monday+Wednesday free lunchtime concerts at Saint Stephen’s church.
EXHIBITIONS:
Not as many as I’d intended (maybe I’ve missed out one or two?): Patrick Heron at Tate St Ives; In Relation at the RWA; Clifford+Rosemary Ellis (Victoria Art Gallery, Bath); the Annual Open Exhibition at the RWA; and Richard Pousette-Dart: Beginnings at Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge; Albert Irvin (RWA); Witchy Woman Art (Centre Space Gallery); and Broken Faces (Centre Space Gallery).
SPORTING MOMENTS:
I’ve really enjoyed being a season ticket holder for the Bristol Bears (rugby) and also saw a fair amount of County cricket this year (I could always enjoy even more!) at Taunton, Cheltenham and Bristol.
The last time I actually played golf was three-and-a-half years ago and I’ve now officially ‘retired’ from the game and have joined the ranks of ex-golfers. I miss the camaraderie of my lovely golfing buddies but, surprisingly, not the game itself. If anyone wants a set of very good Callaway clubs and carry-bag, make me an offer!
FRIENDS:
Once again, we’ve been blessed to be able to meet up with many of our lovely “special” friends (they know who they are!) on a pretty frequent basis during the course of the year… always special occasions – there have been a LOT of sixtieth birthday celebrations (always good to have friends that are much younger than you!)… and have also really enjoyed making new friendships. I’m very lucky to have so many wonderful friends… and to continue having opportunities to meet new friends. I feel very, very blessed.
ART STUFF:
Another really enjoyable, busy year, including:
1. I’ve still very much enjoyed continuing to post a drawing or photograph every day as part of my “One Day Like This” blog (now more than 1,100 drawings and 1,100 photographs since I started in September 2012).
2. The brilliant Drawing Group I joined in 2017 – organised by the lovely, talented artists Charlotte and Alice Pain with the support of the Churches Conservation Trust – continues to bring me great joy. We meet for two hours most Tuesdays (and also occasionally go “on tour” to draw in other locations). The Group also held a lovely exhibition at St John-on-the-Wall church, Bristol.
3. We had another successful Arts Trail at number 40 (I think this was our 15th consecutive year)… and attracted some 700 people into our basement over the Arts Trail weekend!
4. Iris, Rosa and I combined again to produce some large window art as part of another very successful Window Wanderland in February (this time our theme was “Harry Potter!).
5. One Week 100 Faces: I was encouraged to participate in this and duly produced my 100 faces in a week – but I didn’t feel that I produced anything really worthwhile (I wouldn’t mind having another go sometime with a different approach).
6. Urban Sketchers, Bristol: I joined this wonderful group in March (thanks to a suggestion from Ian Adams)… it’s a worldwide organisation and, here in Bristol, we meet up every month and regularly get more than 20 people coming along. It’s very, very enjoyable: we compare notes (and sketchbooks) and share ideas. It’s hugely enjoyable and I’ve made some lovely new friends. The group’s brilliantly organised by local artists Jules, Jane and Charlotte. A real highlight and joy.
FAMILY AND SIMPLE PLEASURES:
Cafés, reading, drawing, photography, walking, cinema, living near the sea (well, sort of…) and, of course, our grandchildren remain very important aspects of my life (although, now that they’re all at school, our time with them is sadly a little reduced these days and ‘looking after’ no longer really comes into it)... it’s really lovely seeing them develop in their individual, unique ways (and they ALL make me laugh!!).
Feel SO lucky to have the family we have… and great that we all “get on” so well and are able to see each other regularly (even if we don’t see the lovely Chorley/Lancashire contingent as often as we’d like).
SOMETHING YET TO BE CREATED:
Each year I vow that I’m “definitely need to give more thought to this”… but, largely, end up bumbling on. I’ve really enjoyed producing double-page drawings in my sketchbooks (I’ve got a whole library of sketchbooks!!) and I’ve been experimenting a lot with watercolour pens (in addition to using my ‘usual’ black line drawings). The results have ranged from ‘interesting’ to ‘laughable failures’ and so I’d like to be able to control my use of the watercolour pens a little better (maybe in conjunction with watercolour paints or inks?). Virtually all my sketches these days are drawn ‘in situ’ and I certainly want to continue this (my folding chair/rucksack has proved a treasured possession!).
HOLIDAYS/LEISURE:
We’ve continued to tighten our belts this year, but had a lovely week staying in St Ives in the early Autumn (plus enjoying various excursions and stopovers to Plymouth, Cambridge and Leeds.
SPIRITUAL LIFE:
We continue to be part of the lovely Community of Saint Stephens, in the heart of the city, and it really does feel like our ‘spiritual home’. A very stimulating, reflective community and I love the intimacy and informality of its services and that we can actively contribute to discussions. We’ve made some really good friends with the very special people there. We’re very fortunate with our members of clergy and I particularly enjoy the involvement from the wonderful theology students from Trinity College. My own faith-life journey has felt like a combination of being both regularly challenged and blessed. Five or six of us meet up most Wednesday mornings in Dom’s Cafe at 7.30am for “Bloke’s Prayer”… and it’s something which has proved to be absolutely brilliant – definitely not to be missed if at all possible.
HEALTH:
After a bit of a ‘health scare’ in the previous year, the past 12 months have proved to be pretty good healthwise. My foot and leg issues seem pretty much under control/sorted (well, almost). My teeth continue to fall out and my back has been playing up since the end of the summer… and I have a suspicion that my left hip might need replacing over the next couple of years or so!! I continue walk on a daily basis and, having monitored my mileage, discovered that I’d clocked up some 1,200miles in the course of a year (ie. more than 3 miles a day).
OTHER STUFF:
1. I continue to serve on the PCC of Saint Stephen’s church.
2. We continue to be a no-car household… and use a local car club very occasionally, as we see the ‘need’.
I do love reflecting back on the things that have happened over the previous
twelve months and, each year, it’s a reminder that there will be some very
special things that they will happen in the coming year – even though, at this
moment, I don’t know what these will be. Who’d have thought, for example, that
‘urban sketching’ (and the friends I’ve made through doing it) would have
become such an important (and hugely enjoyable) part of my life? Clearly, I’m
also aware that there will inevitably be some sad stuff too… and perhaps
challenges we feel ill-equipped to face. In such times, families and
friendships will, once again, see us through.
For us as
a family, it’s been another very good year… and we continue to count our
blessings.I wish you (and all yours) a very happy, healthy and peaceful 2019!
PS: My SouthBank Bristol Arts Trail stuff in our basement (May 2018).
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