It’s not been a bad year despite ending with rather a nasty tummy bug between Xmas and New Year. However I do seem to be over that as we ease into 2025 so let’s hope that can be as good.
Thinking about the highlights of the year, five as usual.
My big little finger op and subsequent recovery. This is a story of the good and the bad of the NHS but there is a happy ending. It started 24 Oct 23 when I went to Addenbrookes so see what could be done about my bent right hand little finger (Dupuytren’s contracture). Because it was bent I could not put gloves on nor could I hold a wine bottle.
I was told I’d need an op and was put on the waiting list. The bend slowly got worse and I’d heard nothing from the NHS so I visited a consultant 2 Jul 24 who advised against a private operation but raised my priority on Addenbrookes’ waiting list. That did the trick and by virtue of a cancellation I was operated on 2 Sep 24 in Ely. At the time the surgeon said my condition was too far gone for her to be able to fully straighten it, thank you NHS for the delay that resulted in this. It’s now just four months since the op and my finger is nearly straight, just the middle joint is bent, and otherwise I have full flexibility. Gloves and wine bottles are no problem (see photo above). I’m told I need to keep on with my exercise and massage regime for 12 months.
Highlight number 2 has got to be the election results. The disastrous Tory government called an election a little earlier than expected and fared badly. It’s ultimate fate was made worse by the involvement of Nigel Farage’s Reform party and that augers ill for the future. However it made the job for the Lib Dems easier and we won 72 seats including the three that ring Cambridge. And soon after H&I elected James Rixon as an SCDC councillor to replace Pippa Heyling who became MP for South Cambs.
The other side of this coin though is Donald Trump being re-elected which would worry be before I start to think about Elon Musk’s money on Reform and what that means for politics in the UK.
We’ve had four good holidays this year: Cyprus, Darwin Forest (Derbyshire), Northumberland and Florence. They’ve all been good but maybe Northumberland was the best. With limited expectations, we just wanted to see the castles of the north east, we were pleasantly but not unsurprisingly impressed by the people, the restaurants and the weather.
Florence was the most culturally rich, Cyprus was an experience in seeing a divided island where the wishes of the people are subjugated to the whims of more powerful neighbours, and Darwin Forest gave us another opportunity to holiday with three generations of family!
That’s a lead in to highlight number 4 which is several good meals starting at the Puesta Oyster Bar & Grill (photo left) in Agios Tychon near Limassol in Cyprus and continuing with a superb breakfast at Joni’s in Darley Dale, then the Broad Chare and 21 Restaurant in Newcastle, my birthday dinner at Tuddenham Mill, Casa Ciabatini and Terazza Rossini in Florence and finally the Rupert Brooke in Grantchester today. I also enjoyed a super dinner at Magdalene College where the local Lib Dems celebrated election success (see feature image above with me and my hand in plaster post operation).
Finally: I’ve bought a new camera, a Sony RX100 VII, to enhance my street photography. I’m enjoying using it (left is one of first photos with it) but I’m enjoying all my photography and understanding what characterising it better. I have resolved to apply for a Licentiate of the Royal Institute of Photography in 2025. I suspect it won’t be easy but it will improve my photography. I just need to make sure that it doesn’t neuter it in the name of what’s considered ‘good’ photography.
Entering 2025 by weight seems OK (65.5kg), blood pressure this morning was 120/62 with my pulse rate at 54. Dr Capon at Firs House pronounced by ECG as ‘fine’ when I got tested a couple of days ago. I’m off to Mauritius (four nights) and then Australia (two weeks) later in January then Juni and I are doing gardens and castles of South Wales in April. There are the County Council elections in May when I’ll do my bit to support Ros, she should be re-elected without difficulty. Add in continuing involvement with Sensotec and there’s plenty to which to look forward keep me busy in 2025.
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