Highs & Lows

The past twelve months have been turbulent, full of turmoil and euphoria in equal measures. All I am seeing in newspapers and on the internet is the top ten or top one million things of 2011, so I thought I'd write down the highs and lows of my year.

The good bits, in no particular order -

Reading Festival - So, okay, it rained and Muse were playing, but the combination of the Saturday's sunshine and having an absolutely unforgettable giggle with two of the funniest people I know - can't be beaten. Elbow's set was ethereal, Jarvis Cocker is the coolest fifty year old in the world, Madness got everyone dancing, OFWGKTA were just plain scary, Yuck brought back 1990's shoe gazing with a bang and The Strokes were their usual business like cool. I'm just not fucking camping next year...


Running a half marathon - unseasonable warm weather for the Basingstoke Half Marathon had runners dropping like flies from mile six onwards, but despite being 830th out of 1271 finishers, my main victory was BEATING JIM, who is a good friend of mine, by 230 places. Smug, yes. We're booked onto the Reading Half Marathon in April.. Game on.


New job - can't say too much about it, but it's been an eye opening experience for me from day one. There's so much I have to learn, but it's coming to me quickly and I've got the trust of the staff, so I'm halfway there. It is incredible how much after hours glad-handing that I'm having to do.. The Christmas Carol Concert held last Monday had about five television celebrities, the Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire, the Mayor and various other local dignitaries in attendance. Champagne and canapes at The Forbury Hotel afterwards sealed the deal with wanting to stay with the organisation.. Not that I'm easily swayed by these kind of things, of course.


Millenium Trilogy - reading these books coincided with starting a daily hour long commute to my new job and they couldn't have come at a better time. They've been around for a while, I know, but I'd not picked them up, despite being told to, on numerous occasions by someone who is irritatingly right about these kind of things.


My big fat Danish wedding - July took me and my friends Peggy and Dave from Gatwick to Billund to the tiny village of Harndrup to celebrate my friend Charmaine's marriage to the lovely Jan. A wedding like nothing ever experienced in England; so friendly, relaxed, laid back and incredibly enjoyable. We were incredibly blessed with the weather, the people and the travelling. Strangely though, the real highlight was getting to know Dave better than I ever imagined I would.


The hot British Spring - Can you remember that far back? I happened to have taken two weeks off of work at the exact time that Mother Nature decided to roll back the clouds and throw open Spring to an early glimpse of Summer. I made the best of it by being out on my bike pretty much solidly for fourteen days and wondering around various towns. I watched "Norwegian Wood" at a cinema in Guildford (by myself - try it sometime) and whilst sitting outside having a coffee, I distinctly remember feeling as if I was in a square in Barcelona I'd sat in before. Global warming is blurring the lines between the seasons - which is deeply troubling - but every now and again, I don't mind ignoring the inconvenient truth.


Yuck - "Yuck" - by far the best album of 2011. Twanging reverb coupled with genuinely touching lyrics made for the soundtrack to my summer.

I Want My Hat Back - I've done this one to death on this blog, but go out and buy it. It makes me smile every time.


The Lake District - I'd not been until I visited with my friends in July / August time and nothing can quite prepare you for the unbridled volume of breathtaking scenery. We were blessed with three days of beautiful weather and I decided to go canoeing for two of these days. With the exception of getting burnt feet, it was one of the best adventure trips I've ever been on in my life.

The Sea Inside - The Spanish film starring Javier Bardem as a paraplegic had me reaching for the Kleenex and nodding my head in quiet agreement about many of the nuggets of wisdom that the film maker has to say about our attachment to life. (And yes, I know it's from 2004 - I only saw it in November.)


Wilderness Festival - I was fortunate enough to win tickets to the inaugural Wilderness Festival in the rolling hills of Oxfordshire. We didn't have enough time to organise camping but we travelled there each day to the beautiful site and enjoyed the sights and sounds. If things had been different (read below "Losing someone") - it would have been an even more incredible experience; but I can't take away from the special time spent with someone at one of the most relaxed festivals I've ever been to.


Cornwall - I'd only passed through Cornwall before I visited at the end of October, but I was once again transfixed with the beauty that England has to offer. Country lanes opening up into spectacular vistas, tiny paths running down to almost deserted beaches, incredible food and lovely people.

Emily King - "Seven" - Her song "Down" came to me at just the right time... The rest of the album is hearty soulful soup.

My new jacket. (That's not me, by the way.)

Learning about myself - I've learnt a few things about myself this year which had been holding me back for quite some time. Thankfully, it's all behind me.




The bad bits, in no particular order -

Jen moves to London - The bestest best lodger I've ever had (Jen) moved to London this Spring and I've missed her like hell. Fortunately we still see one another; only now she's not covering my spare room in make up and Cava. Love it.


My (fucking) car - it decided to roll off a harbour / quayside whilst in Cornwall owing to my hand brake cable snapping, despite £400 having been spent on it the weekend before. Another £250 went on insurance excess, then another £650 on a service, MOT and various other bits a few weeks later. I'm getting a VW in February...


Losing someone - well, they're not lost as such; they're just not in my life anymore and they probably won't ever will be again. A train crash of a relationship ruined one of the most meaningful bonds I'll ever care to have.


In the tradition of music or film critic sites, this year is getting a rating of one point six "Thumbs Up" out of a possible two "Thumbs Up". The point sixth of a thumb is just below the knuckle, by the way.

You can't look backwards without having some consideration for the future. There's lots to look forward to in 2012... Inter-Railing part deux (I might try and be organised this time), Bruce Springsteen in July with my Granddad, moving to Reading, Graduation in January, OU course in September (?!?), buying a new car and just generally fucking enjoying life :)

I hope your 2011 has been as memorable as mine and 2012 brings you adventure and love. x