Tuesday, December 31, 2024

2024 reflections…

I’ve been blogging New Year reflections for something like 15 years (just for me and my fading memory!). I was tempted to drop this ‘tradition’ last year, but ended up persevering… and this year feels somewhat similar.
Our year started with Ru presenting us with 1,000 (ONE THOUSAND!) paper cranes she’d made to mark the end of our Golden Anniversary year… an amazing, humbling gift – nearly 300 of them now hang in one of our living room windows.
Moira and I live a pretty simple life. We moved from Southville (just 1.5 miles away) three and a half years ago and now live in the very heart of Bristol, with the cathedral and central library as our next door neighbours… and the harbour within a 5-minute walk… and we continue to love it.
 
BOOKS
Books are a very important part of my life (even though we gave some 600-700 books to charity when we moved, we still have more than 2,000 on our shelves – so it’s become a case of one in/one out… and the local Oxfam Bookshop is the beneficiary!). This year, I’ve read 80 books (I keep a tally as a reminder!)(last year it was 85!). My favourite books were probably: Foster (Claire Keegan)(I COULD have selected FOUR Keegan books as my favourite books, but…); Orbital (Samantha Harvey); Devotions (Mary Oliver)(a re-read – I first read it last year); Politics On The Edge (Rory Stewart); The State Of Us (Jon Snow); Killing Time (Alan Bennett): and The Farmer’s Wife (Helen Rebanks).
FILMS
Like last year, I’ve haven’t watched a lot of films in 2024 (a combination of continuing post-Covid filming disruptions and/or fewer films that have appealed etc?). This year only 11 trips to the Watershed (the same as last year). My best films were probably: The Outrun; Perfect Days; Small Things Like These; Conclave; and Lee.
THEATRE
My/our theatre-going has been pretty awful this year (partly due to Moira’s hearing struggles; one trip to RSC at Stratford (Pericles – featuring Felix), but, sadly, zero trips to Bristol Old Vic (I know!).
CONCERTS
We’re very fortunate to live so close to both St George’s and the Beacon. Concerts attended: John Martyn Project; Steve Knightley; Oysterband+June Tabor; Three Cane Whale; Songs of Joni Mitchell; and Jon Hopkins… all excellent, but I think my favourite concert was a lunchtime piano recital in the cathedral by Pete Judge of various pieces composed by him.
EXHIBITIONS
Undoubtedly, the best exhibitions I attended this year were Ru’s and Stu’s (in Frome and Bristol respectively). The Walker Gallery in Liverpool was also excellent – although we did confine our viewing to UK art in the 1920/30s in our brief visit. Other exhibitions included Toulouse-Lautrec in Bath and various exhibitions at the RWA (we have Art Passes so drop in quite frequently).
SPORT EVENTS
Very little to report here! Cricket was the only ‘live’ sport that I actually watched during the course of the year, but even that was only occasional – two days watching Gloucestershire in Bristol; also watched cricket at Bedminster CC on three occasions. Must do better next year!!
ART
This is my main form of ‘activity’! I continue posting on my daily ‘One Day Like This’ blog (a drawing and a photograph on alternate days) – which has been running for the past 12 years (since September 2012) and has now amassed over 4,500 posts.
I continue to be involved in the wonderful Urban Sketchers Bristol group (I’ve participated for the past 6 plus years and am now also one of the administrators). We meet at least once a month throughout the year and usually meet up in a pub to share our sketchbooks afterwards. I also try to get to the Urban Sketchers Bath gatherings whenever I can.
Having the cathedral next door, the building and its beautiful garden have continued to be one of my regular sketching locations (I think I have now amassed some 60 cathedral-based sketches!).
HOLIDAYS
Holidays don’t really feature very highly in our lives (that may be a sad reflection on us or the fact that we enjoy our fairly simple routines living in the heart of our lovely city). We had a lovely few days in Liverpool (with a hotel bedroom overlooking the Royal Albert Dock) and went on to spend a few days in the Buckshaw area with Alice+co.
HEALTH
We’re both getting older! Medication has continued to keep Moira’s Parkinson’s in check… but, by its very nature, its effects vary on a day-to-day basis. She eventually (2.5 years after her initial consultation!) had a second face-to-face appointment with her consultant in September. Rest and diet are important – as is regular exercise; Moira impressively (to me) does her ‘PD Warrior’ exercises via video link perhaps three times a week. She struggles with sciatica and visits a physiotherapist on a regular basis, but on other medical matters, she was delighted to now by the recipient of Bluetooth hearing aids – which, brilliantly, now means she can have ‘proper’ telephone conversations – SUCH a blessing!
As for me, I was delighted to have had my left hip replacement operation in May (my right hip was replaced 10 years ago). Everything went very well and I’m now moving around like an Olympic athlete (I wish!). Huge thanks to the NHS!
I really don’t like the ageing process! I have my two hearing aids; I wear my two lots of specs; I go for regular glaucoma checks; my teeth continue to disintegrate(!)
other stuff; I have my annual ‘health check’ at the GP surgery (hardly extensive, but worthwhile methinks – this year they showed that I’m approaching the Diabetes ‘concern’ level, so I’m currently following a ‘programme’ (or my version of it anyway) in an effort to make the necessary improvements).
SPIRITUAL STUFF
Although I frequently reflect on ‘spiritual matters’, I’ve continued to opt out of attending church services – and have done so for more than two years now. I’ve attended two eucharists in the past 3 years (one at the recent funeral of a dear friend and the other at a ‘silent eucharist’ in the Cathedral at the end of November). Moira continues to attend church pretty regularly. I miss the people, but I don’t miss the ‘church stuff’… and, these days, I only rarely attend the monthly Resonate discussion evenings. Meanwhile, I continue to go along to our weekly 7.30am café gatherings - referred to as ‘Blokes Prayer’ (and we are all ‘ageing males’ and I’m one of the oldest!) - consisting of six or so old fogeys/special friends and which have now been going for more than 6 years. I suppose it has effectively become my ‘church’ (or nearest equivalent)… although, in all honesty, I have a rather different approach to faith/belief with some of the others. I’ve become increasingly disenchanted by the Church of England and, for me these days (and I realise I’m very much the exception as far as Christians are concerned), I really struggle with SO many of the words in the Bible and church service liturgies.
I’m a very early riser and, these days, use much of my early morning time sitting on my ‘thinking seat’ - reading words form the likes of Mary Oliver or Ronald Blythe and sometimes writing stuff myself – and, of course, looking at the emerging day from our balcony. They’re special times.
FAMILY STUFF
We’re very, very fortunate. We have a wonderful family (daughters Ru, Hannah and Alice and 6 grandchildren… although two of the grandchildren are now fully-fledged adults!) – who we absolutely adore. It’s lovely to hear of their achievements and what’s going on in their busy lives… but it’s also a reminder of the challenges young adults/adolescents face and how difficult (and rewarding) parenting is at times and how much we need to value stuff like mental health. Juggling family life, school, friendships and work can be a complicating business! We feel very blessed by having two of our daughters and their families also living in the city and so we see them all regularly, which is very lovely… but it’s been a difficult year for Alice+co (she and Dave got divorced last April, not Alice’s decision) and, for us here in Bristol, Lancashire feels a long way away in such times.
 
OTHER STUFF:
My early morning walking activities have dropped depressingly over the past 12 months (due to my ongoing hip issues)(maybe this will improve in 2025?)… but, as alternative dawn ‘activity’, I really enjoy watching the mornings begin… looking through our living room windows.
We gave up the car 7 years ago and, getting on for 2 years ago, I gave up driving altogether – so buses and trains are now our default modes of transport. Weirdly, I seem to have developed some form of ‘anxiety’ towards travel (I know!).
The world seems to be full of challenges these days (it was probably ever thus)… wars, the climate change, annoying politicians (including TRUMP, of course… plus the likes of Musk and Farage!)… greed, poverty, lack of funding for the NHS, mental health, education and so much more.
But 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 2025 will bring. No doubt there will be some sad stuff too (two very dear friends died this year)… and perhaps encounters 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 (despite life’s challenges)… and we continue to count our blessings.
I wish you (and all yours) a very happy, healthy and (hopefully) peaceful 2025.

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