At least it ended on a positive note with a fine but very cold day, my blood pressure at 122/65 and my heart rate at 53. I weighed in this morning at 65.4 kg. Last year the numbers were 120/62 and 54 and 65.5 kg meaning no significant change over the year. I continue to exercise three or four times a week including two of Steve’s cardio classes and but for my left knee twice giving me problems I think I’ve been pretty fit and well throughout.
Close to home it hasn’t been a bad year but the same can’t be said for national and international developments. Kier Starmer continues to squander the goodwill of his overwhelming election victory in 2023. Further afield the Ukraine war continues and, despite the cease fire, Israel continues its uncompromising approach to Palestine and its people. And in the US we’re being given a lesson in how to dismantle democratic institutions as every day seems to bear witness to more fascist-like behaviour. Can the country hold its nerve and vote for the Democrats in the mid-terms?
Rather surprisingly I don’t have a long list of friends and acquaintances who’s passed away: just Eddie Powell whom I’ve known since Churchill days and Alan Sharplin who lived on Park Lane. However I’ve not had a Xmas card from Kyoji Ohtake in Japan who’s normally very reliable with his communications and I’ve heard in a roundabout way that my Best Man, Phil Judd, died in New Zealand some time ago.
Juni and I have not travelled so much: just South Wales in June and ‘historic’ Spain in October. However I did get to Australia at the start of the year and enjoyed a few days in Mauritius on the way, and had a short break in Swansea in the middle of the year.
To compensate perhaps Charles visited the UK with Aby. The feature image above is them in their kitchen in Wandi.
The absence of travelling notwithstanding there have been highlights.
Number one has got to be photography. I became more active at the Camera Club attending a couple of the special interest groups, taking on the responsibility for new members and winning a competition! This photo was a part of my winning portfolio.
I also have an LRIC application pending and we’ll see how that gets viewed early next year. Methinks my next step is to get a better everyday lens.
Number two was our trip to South Wales and especially the Bell Hotel in Skenfrith. It’s in the Johansson’s Guide and there’s an excellent restaurant and in a year where we enjoyed many good meals and stayed in several fine hotels the Bell stands out on both counts.
We enjoyed other excellent meals at Maybe Later in Wetherby (twice) and the Rupert Brooke and Fancetts in Cambridge (again), at the Carpenters Arms (twice) in Cambridge, at El Tostado in Avila and the Restorante Ambrasado in Alcala, both in Spain, at the Shed in Swansea and the Six Bells at Witham.
Number three: my short trip to Mauritius where I stayed for three nights at Lakaz Chamarel, a boutique hill top resort. The island was super, the people were a delight with their mix of English, French and Creole, and the resort was first class.
I took two tours, just me and a driver, which was enough to cover the island, I had a cabin with easy walks to the hotel’s restaurant and its swimming pool, and I just enjoyed two full days and a bit more of ‘enforced’ relaxation.
Number four has got to be the excellent TV programs I’ve enjoyed, most notably series five of Slow Horses and a third of Blue Lights. As one of the TV critics said you couldn’t expect the former to maintain its high standard but nonetheless several scenes in the recent series, like the one with the igniting aerosol, stood out. And Blue Lights combines personal stories with a police procedural in plots which continued to draw me in. At the end of the year I also watched Oppenheimer which told a story of which I was unaware and which gives some clues to current American behaviour.
And finally highlight number five: I have a new car. The Saab did me good service and never really let me down. The one time it just would not start it was parked outside Buckingham & Stanley so I was rather promptly rescued.
However it was showing signs of age and most recently had shown a reluctance to engage reverse gear which can be a disadvantage! After a short review of options I decided on a red Volvo XC40 and was alerted to one as it was put on the market by EMG in Huntingdon. I did the deal within 24 hours and although the car was 6 years old it only had 12000 miles on the clock. A good deal I reckon and I’ve enjoyed riding it. It’s a different drive to the Saab. You did drive the Saab, with the Volvo you are driven!
That’s it for another year. In September I begin my 80th. Would you believe it?
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