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… 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!). I continue to read a LOT of books (70 this year) and here are some of my favourites (in no particular order):
What Just Happened? (Marina Hyde); Walking Back Home (Ricky Ross); The Diary Of A Provincial Lady (EM Delafield); Plainsong (Kent Haruf); Eventide (Kent Haruf); The Help (Kathryn Stockett); Let Me Tell You What I Mean (Joan Didion); The White Album (Joan Didion); Back In The Day (Melvyn Bragg); Being Mortal (Atul Gawande); Saltwater (Jessica Andrews); The Beekeeper Of Aleppo (Christy Lefteri); Bad Apples (Will Dean); I Am I Am I Am and The Marriage Portrait (Maggie O’Farrell); plus I’ve enjoyed reading lots of Donna Leon’s Commissario Brunetti Mysteries.
GREAT FILMS:
I’ve been to the Watershed rather more frequently in the past year (compared with ‘Covid years’). These were among my favourites:
The Worst Person In The World; Moonage Daydream; Belfast; The Banshees Of Inisherin; Brian And Charles; Vortex; Living; The Duke; and Eric Ravilious: Drawn To War.
LOVELY LIVE PERFORMANCES/EXHIBITIONS:
We’ve gradually been getting back into the ‘swing’ of going to the theatre, concerts and exhibitions this year – but still a long way to go! Here are a few favourites (I feel sure there are some exhibitions I’ve forgotten):
THEATRE:
Doctor Semmelweis (Old Vic, featuring Felix – had intended to see Belle and Sebastien but ended up having a hospital appointment on the day!).
CONCERTS:
Ricky Ross; Steeleye Span; Ellie Gowers; and Chineke! Orchestra with Evelyn Glennie (all at St George’s).
Also: Maggie O’Farrell (interview, St Mary Redcliffe).
EXHIBITIONS:
Me, Myself, I: Artists’ Self-Portraits (RWA); Earth: Digging Deep in British Art 1781 – 2022 (RWA); 169th Annual Open Exhibition (RWA); ‘Practice Assembly’ (Association of Unknown Shores at Saint Stephen’s); and 20th Century Scottish Art exhibition(?)(Edinburgh City Art Centre?).
SPORTING MOMENTS:
Once again, this year has been pretty sparse in terms of watching first-class sport. Again, I didn’t renew my season ticket for the Bristol Bears (rugby), but did manage to get to 3 or 4 matches (thanks to Robin’s generosity – eg. handing me his season ticket while he was away in Australia/New Zealand). I watched three (I think) first-class cricket games at Bristol… plus a couple of games at Bedminster Cricket Club.
ART STUFF:
Following our house move and after participating in the last 15 consecutive South Bristol Arts Trail, we’ve now officially retired!
Another busy year as we try to get back to pre-Covid times, including:
1. I’ve continued to post a drawing or photograph every day as part of my “One Day Like This” blog (now over 3,750 consecutive days – that’s more than 1,875 drawings and 1,875 photographs - since I started in September 2012, more than 10 years ago)!
2. 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, we meet up every month and regularly get more than 20 people coming along. After the pandemic, it’s been great to be able to meet up with lovely friends again. It’s a real highlight and joy.
5. Blurb book (‘Ten Years Like This’): celebrating 10 years of my daily blog postings.
HOLIDAYS/LEISURE:
No proper holidays again this year (for the third year running) – although we did have a couple of lovely 3-day trips to Cardiff (June) and Edinburgh (September).
SPIRITUAL LIFE:
We continue to be part of the Community of Saint Stephens in the heart of the city but, rather like the previous couple of years, I’ve been struggling faith-wise. So much so that, in late October, I decided that I would take a ‘sabbatical’ from attending church services. How long this will last, only time will tell (indefinitely?). In the meantime, I’m trying to find a way of reflecting on the spiritual stuff in my life (not always convincingly!) – although I did take part in a thought-provoking, fascinating joint Advent blog with Chris Goan and a couple of others. Meanwhile, I continue to go along to our weekly 7.30am café gatherings for Blokes’ Prayer and attend the fortnightly Resonate sessions on Tuesday evenings.
HEALTH:
My health has been pretty good this year… apart from the normal ageing process. My teeth continue to fall out; my left hip keeps telling me it’ll need replacing fairly soon (jealous of the previously-replaced right hip?); I’ve now got two hearing aids (Moira’s delighted!); I take tablets for my atrial fibrillation plus blood thinners and statins; I’ve finally (after 5 years) been discharged from my annual check-ups at Southmead Hospital in connection with lung fibrosis concerns; I take eye drops to deter my glaucoma; and I’ve been attending ‘Leg Club’ (I know!) on a weekly basis for the past few weeks in an effort to sort out my on-going leg ulcer issues (the staff there are brilliant; they sorted me out over a couple of months and I was discharged just before Christmas).
Meanwhile, Moira has been diagnosed as having Parkinson’s Disease (first suspected in May 2021 – so it didn’t come as a particular surprise). She’s generally pretty well (puts up with some shaking, the fact that she’s ‘slowed down’ and that gets tired more quickly) and her medication seems to have been pretty effective.
Having lived with the uncertainties of a pandemic over the past couple of years, we’ve become rather used to living with uncertainty!
OTHER STUFF:
We continue to be a no-car household (we gave up the car 5 years ago)… and, during the course of the year, I made a decision to stop driving altogether (I’d previously used a local car club very occasionally) – so buses and trains are now our default modes of transport.
During lockdown, I used to take regular ‘dawn walks’ to and around the harbourside but, strangely (given that we now only live 5 minutes from the harbour), my walking has probably reduced a little over the past 12 months – a combination of laziness and old age perhaps?
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 – even though, at this moment, I don’t know what
2023 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.
Over the
past couple of years or so, I sense that our activities have become rather less
adventurous and our ‘horizons’ set much closer to home. Another case of laziness
and old age perhaps?
Moira and I
certainly think we made the decision to move house (in August 2021) at exactly
the right time for us – the idea of us down-sizing in say 5 years’ time feels
hilariously beyond us now! We’ve certainly settled into our new location really
well and city centre living suits us very nicely.
For us as a
family, it’s been another good year (despite its challenges)… and we continue
to count our blessings.
I wish you
(and all yours) a very happy, healthy and peaceful 2023.
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