Twelve Lovely Things

I always try and keep the snuggly winter vibe going for the the whole of the twelve days of Christmas, and as we approach the twelfth night, I have tried to remember some of the warming, exciting or delicious things worth treasuring from the last twelve months.  The older you get after all, the harder it is to be surprised, enlightened or uplifted and it is these things that keep the motivation to get up in the morning.  So below is a list, in no particular order of some of those things…

My new record deck

I’m not a particularly materialistic person.  Granted - I like pretty things, comfort, a warm dry house - but genuinely I don’t give a crap about the latest technology and my nearest and dearest will tell you I rarely have a present list - I can’t think of anything I want.   That said, for years I have coveted a new record deck.  Up until now I couldn’t justify or afford a new one, so Big C splashed out recently and it is the greatest present I have had since 1978 (when I got my first album, which I can tell you without embarrassment was ‘War of the Worlds’).  It is simply hours and hours of fun and at times blissful contentment.  I have roughly 200 albums to get through so I look forward to many more evenings in my den, listening undisturbed…

Chelsea and Battersea

As a student, I used to spend most of my travelling time on the tube and weirdly never really got to know London that well.  More accurately, plenty of places were visited but never joined up.  In recent years therefore I have tried to walk as much of it is as possible and am always amazed by a) how close together everything is and b) how pretty much of it is.  In a jaunt to Oscar Wilde’s house in Chelsea, I found the hospital gardens and walked over the bridge to the newly poshed up Battersea Power station.  So much nicer than staying underground.

Our Town Band

The bias towards this is unavoidable - I conduct this band and have done since it was founded in 2005.  The thing you have to remember about amateur ensembles is a) they are often full of people nicer and cleverer than the MD, b) they are the greatest music fans (not to be underestimated in a time of less and less live music), c) they fulfil increasingly important life-affirming roles and celebratory functions locally and d) they usually want to do the best they can.  It’s honest, it’s generous and it’s good clean fun.

The books of Raynor Winn

I’ve mentioned this inspiring writer on a previous post and have read her (so far) three books about walking around Britain, the healing effects of nature (and believe me we are talking miraculous) and her observations on the environment.  Check them out if you get the chance.

Falmouth

Amongst the many travel ambitions I have, one is to explore the treasures of these islands much more thoroughly.  Although I had dipped a toe in Cornwall, it was fairly unfamiliar and a new discovery was Falmouth and its surrounding villages.  Blessed with creeks, rivers, greenery and a soft, summer climate, the enchantment of this place in August left us having the conversation that is doubtless repeated countless times - namely ‘could we live here?’   The simultaneous ancientness of the place combined with a hippy vibe made it very tempting…   

My Massive Family

It’s possible that children from large families when asked whilst growing up if they would prefer a smaller unit would say yes.  I certainly would have; it was harder to find places to escape to (of course we shared bedrooms), it was noisy when you didn’t want it to be, you were very conscious that your needs were a mere speck of dust in the great scheme of things and there were endless, mountainous chores.  Fast forward however a few decades and I now consider a copious clan to be a huge, fat bonus.  Spelling out why is probably unnecessary, but a few reasons are; the unspoken understandings between siblings to do with shared experiences, laughter and sadness, it isn’t boring (there is always news), we noisily fill restaurants and perhaps best of all our kids love each other.  I’m getting sentimental in my old age.

Our Town

It’s funny where you end up isn’t it?  Growing up first in London and then in the West Country, settling in a market town in Cambridgeshire wasn’t particularly on my radar.  But - having now been here twenty years, the emotional connection keeps growing.  Putting down roots is obviously mainly about connecting with people, but that connection increases all the time.  My children were born locally, attend schools here and belong to local clubs.  We have the band, the library, the eco shops, the market square, parks, eateries and now - joy of joys - even a jazz club.  I’m always up for a new adventure - but it would have to be very exciting to take us away from here.

Kew Gardens

Growing up in West London, this amazing botanical oasis was always hovering on the edge of our consciousness and as children we visited in a slightly unengaged dreary way a few times.  Like much of London however, it is so much lovelier and cleaner than it was, and visiting in May, it was one of the most uplifting trips of the year.  Highlights were the treetop walkway, the gloriously laid out gardens and the temperate house.

New Scores/records/gigs

Ok - a bit vague this one, but I still get a thrill from all of these.  Looking at new scores gives a little dart of anticipation, records still have the same enticing thrill, and new gigs of quality always give a sense that all is right with the world, that there is still hope in human nature and craft, love and spirituality.  Highlights from the past year have been the Epiphany service at St John’s College chapel in Cambridge, and recordings by Sean Shibe, Samara Joy and Onyx brass; my reviewer hat is an absolute privilege in those moments.

Cefalu

Admittedly, this beautiful place is not new to me, but we were lucky enough to revisit it last Easter.  Big C’s brother moved to Sicily in 1989 and - rather unsurprisingly - chose to stay, so we have visited many times.  Cefalu (about an hour outside Palermo) is a particular jewel in the crown on the island and we were reminded of its gorgeous food, architecture and coastline.

Forest Green FC

I used to be a football fan, but gradually got sick of the hype, bored of the pathetic behaviour and grossed out by the money.  I am always happy to have my mind changed however and Forest Green may just achieve that.  The owner, Dale Vince is a new green hero because he has shown that it is possible to combine business with environmentalism, and recreation without destruction.  Will this club pull it off?  Watch this space.

Work

Despite fantasies of winning the the lottery, and at the risk of sounding corny, I have realised that I need to work.  A good moan about this however is obviously essential, but bloody hell I would miss it if it wasn’t there.  It is mostly varied, often interesting and at times tedious and frustrating.  But it is occasionally thrilling, frequently stimulating, makes me feel (a bit) needed and most importantly persuades me that I deserve a damn good holiday.  Long may it continue - and happy 2024 everyone.