And that’s it, a year gone by since I left full time teaching. Bloody hell where did that go? On side 2 of the LP of life if the tracks are passing that quickly there needs to be some brake I can apply to slow things down a bit. Surely… But no, the only thing that can be done is a moment of reflection. What’s happened over the last 12 months? Uh oh, I can’t remember, at least not immediately and then the memories trickle back – helped by photo stream and diary entries. A wet hols in France, Jackie singing at the Fringe, T20 cricket, 4 Battlefields tours, Wales, knee op, direct a show, a raucous AUK writers meet up, festivals, Britain’s Got Talent, another term’s teaching, over 2000 bus driving miles, 52 radio broadcasts, Kracow, beginnings of other radio work, over 40 gigs, countless AUK articles and lots of time with ailing parents. As Jim Royle might say, “Retirement, my arse!” And then there’s next year and the possibilities are endless.
This week I’ve been patiently waiting to see Gary Louis so you get the first Jayhawks track I ever heard and buying my tickets for Chuck Prophet. The radio show was a chaotic blast as a lost memory stick prompted panic and excellence in equal measure, plus a brand new sexy photo. As ever, take what you want or need.