This year’s reflections are somewhat curtailed compared with previous years…
WONDERFUL BOOKS:
The Storysmith Book Group (run by our lovely local bookshop) has continued to be brilliant - interesting books, lovely people and good fun too (albeit that we had to ‘meet’ via zoom in the early part of the year)… and I’ve also been part of the ‘Blokes Books’ bookgroup involving some great mates – but it seems to take ages to read each book/organise a meet-up! Here are 15 of my favourites (in no particular order):
Still Life (Sarah Winman), Hamnet (Maggie O’Farrell), English Pastoral (James Rebanks), The Shepherd’s Life (James Rebanks), The Manningtree Witches (AK Blakemore), We’ll Always Have Paris (Emma Beddington), Shuggie Bain (Douglas Stewart), Many Different Kinds Of Love (Michael Rosen), Tales From Lindford (Catherine Fox), Broken Greek (Pete Paphides), Wintering (Katherine May), Homesick (Catrina Davies), Motherwell (Deborah Orr), The Man Who Died Twice (Richard Osman) and And Away (Bob Mortimer).
I’ve continued to watch lots of films via BBC iPlayer (and also, more recently, via Netflix) but, in the circumstances, it seems pointless to list my favourites. I’ve only been to the ‘actual’ cinema twice this year (the beginning of October was the first time since March 2020!)… the two films I saw were ‘Anthropcene: the Human Epoch’ and the wonderful Wes Anderson’s ‘The French Dispatch’.
It’s been SO sad not to have been able to go to the theatre, concerts and see exhibitions this year. We’ve really missed it. Here are the few that we did get to experience (hardly any!):
THEATRE:
Nil.
CONCERTS:
Karine Polwart (St George’s)(wonderful).
Three Cane Whale (St George’s).
EXHIBITIONS:
Moonlit (Ruth Broadway)(Devon Guild, Bovey Tracey)(brilliant exhibition!!)
Netsuke: Miniature Masterpieces from Japan (Bristol Museum+Art Gallery)
Grayson’s Art Club (Bristol Museum+Art Gallery).
SPORTING MOMENTS:
I haven’t watched ANY first-class sport in the past year. I didn’t renew my season ticket for the Bristol Bears (rugby) due to my reluctance to gather in large crowds. Sadly, I also didn’t get to watch a single first-class cricket game (that’s two years running!)… I went to Bedminster Cricket Club perhaps three or four times (on their beautiful, scenic ground overlooking the suspension bridge), but that was all. Despite my initial reservations, I DID end up watching the cricket ‘Hundred’ competition whenever it was on terrestrial telly – and ended up enjoying it.
ART STUFF:
Despite Covid, it’s been another 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 (just over 3,400 consecutive days – that’s some 1,700 drawings and 1,700 photographs - since I started in September 2012, more than 9 years ago). Circumstances have limited the number of times I’ve been able to draw ‘on location’, but ‘being adaptable’ has seemed to be the key requirement this year and it’s been fine.
2. The brilliant Drawing Group I joined in 2017 – organised by the lovely, talented artists Charlotte and Alice Pain – has been probably come to an end. Hopefully, we might organise the occasional get-together over the coming months.
3. Sadly, there was no ‘live’ South Bristol Arts Trail again this year (we’d previously participated for 15 consecutive years). Following our house move (and no studio space etc), I’m pretty sure we’ve now done our share of arts trails.
4. Urban Sketchers, Bristol: I’ve continued to really enjoy this wonderful group (which I joined in March 2018)… it’s a worldwide organisation and, here in Bristol, in ‘normal times’, we’d meet up every month and regularly get more than 20 people coming along. This year has again proved difficult(!), but we’ve adapted wonderfully well (again, thanks to technology)… and have continued to ‘meet’ together in various locations around the world via Google/Streetview. Happily, over some of the summer and autumn months, we’ve also been able to meet up ‘on location’ – and it’s been great to be able to meet up with lovely friends again. It’s a real highlight and joy.
5. Blurb book (‘The Winter’s Tale’): I put together another self-published book of photographs (plus a few sketches) – this time covering the second six months of the pandemic (September 20-March 21).
No proper holidays at all this year (for the second year running) – although we did have two days in Lytham in late October… which, very happily, we were able to combine with a visit to Alice+Dave+co (the first time we’d actually seen the grandchildren for two years!).
SPIRITUAL LIFE:
We continue to be part of the Community of Saint Stephens in the heart of the
city, but I have to admit that, rather like the previous 12 months, I’ve struggled
faith-wise over the past year (not helped that our brilliant leader, Lee
Barnes, moved on to pastures new in September). We’ve been alternating services
with our sister church community at Holy Trinity Hotwells. Church services have
continued to be affected by Covid restrictions and, sadly, I’ve missed the
intimacy and informality that I felt we used to have (certainly at Saint
Stephen’s). Six or so of us ‘meet up’ most Wednesday mornings at 7.30am at the
Society Café on the harbourside (or via zoom) for “Bloke’s Prayer”… and it’s
something which has proved to be hugely rewarding. Regular Tuesday night
‘Resonate’ meetings have also proved interesting (although, again, reduced in
regularity due to Covid).
HEALTH:
My health has been pretty good this year… apart from the normal ageing process.
My teeth continue to fall out; my back feels ‘delicate’ most mornings when I
first wake (but settles down); my hearing is deteriorating (I have hearing
aids, but don’t use them!); I take tablets for my atrial fibrillation plus
blood thinners and statins; I take eye drops to deter my glaucoma; and I’m
pretty sure that my left hip will need replacing over the next few years!!
OTHER STUFF:
We continue to be a no-car
household… and use a local car club very occasionally (but only once this year,
I think!). We've continued to be rather Bristol-bound - and have only used buses and trains very occasionally.
I 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 (setting aside pandemics!) – even though, at this moment, I
don’t know what the coming year will bring. 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 good year… and we continue to count our blessings.
I wish you (and all yours) a very happy, healthy and peaceful 2022… and perhaps a return to some kind of normality would be a huge bonus!
Photo: Moira and me on the balcony just after our ‘move’.
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