New Year 2025

Happy New Year of the Snake!*

In Asian mythology, snakes are associated with charm, wisdom, and grace, so that’s my policy for 2025! (* - in case you're thinking Chinese New Year isn't until February, my associations are with the Japanese calendar, which is very much a 1st January affair!)

I’m not religious, but as New Year dawns I hear the old church bells ringing nearby in this ancient English city, and can’t help but feel a warm glow of hope. Though news across the world continues to trigger alarm bells, it feels the bells here are ringing for joy, for expectation, and for determination to make 2025 a year to remember - for good things - climate progress, conflict solutions, as well as personal achievements. Health, happiness and success dear readers!

Social media has been on hiatus throughout the holiday in the Studio Nib scribblaway, as things have been very much family - focused with my daughter at home, however there are a few things afoot I'll be able to bring news of a little later in the year.

I’m terrible for failing with new year resolutions, but I think those this year have a chance, as the alternatives are becoming ever more scary!! It's a rummage assortment of the usual themes - “more creativity”, “more (environmentally friendly) travel”, “more time with friends & family”, “more exercise” “snappier business” etc etc… no great surprises, but these all seem increasingly threatened things now.

Yes, travel! To parts of the UK long overdue a visit, like for example an extended trip to villages of my deeper 19th century genealogical roots. As everyone in my living memory met in the melding pot of Birmingham, most of these villages I've not travelled to for decades, some I've not visited at all, but have become very familiar with online through Facebook local history groups. In-person trips to walk the old lanes and perhaps meet some of my distant cousins have been regularly postponed - this year, perhaps, I’ll get out to North Wales, the Cotswolds and West Country. Also, a Japan trip looms, but dates yet to be confirmed, and I'm thinking it's time I got back to attending Bologna again - I've not been since it re-opened following the pandemic.

Exercise? Well, nomatter how skinny I feel, working from home doesn't really keep you in trim, and Tai Chi alone isn’t really burning the calories! Most of my exercise is marching at as frantic a pace as possible around Norwich - everyone thinks I’m in a fluster all the time, but it’s really just making the most of the time outdoors. More of this anyway - time outdoors I mean, not fluster!

And business? Well, I’ll talk about that as it happens!

Happy New Year everyone, let’s make it a good one.