Happy 2025 to One and All.
Dear All,
May I offer you all my best wishes for 2025. This has been another difficult year. As time went on things seemed to get worse again. At the time of writing there are TWO wars, plus high inflation and energy prices. The politicians seem unable to get a grip on anything as crime and refugees continue to haunt the news. I have no idea if this new government will make any difference- there is no money in the pot for anything so what can anyone actually do ? Hopefully normality will someday resume so I do hope that friends and family are coping well and still in good health.
So far I think I have avoided catching the any bugs. I have been very carefull and have only had one or two sets of overnight visitors in the house over the last three years. In the Summer, occasionally, friends dropped in for a glass of wine or a snack in the garden but that was about it. At the time of writing I have had my 7th Covid Jab and my winter flu vaccination, plus a shingles jab so am keeping my fingers crossed for a sniffle free winter.
I have had quite a productive year. I managed to complete quite a few jobs on my house and garden maintenance list. As the house was built in 1934 it is starting to show signs of wear. I tidied up some of the windows, replaced some fencing and filled/painted about half of the small cracks in the paintwork. I had the flat parts of the roof re-waterproofed so that should see me out. I should complete the painting next spring. My big project next year is to have the house re-wired. I am dreading the upheaval ! As the garden is very mature, I hardly have to buy any plants. Roses, Hydrangers, Sweet Peas and other perennials come up each year so I just have to prune and mow. Sadly the strange weather this year laid waste to my fruit and veg. My tomatoes and beans failed dismally and my apple and apricote trees hardly produced anything. The Apricote tree actually died and had to be removed. Hopefully next year will be more fruitfull. I have long decided that my skiing days are over. I still hope to visit Switzerland a few more times if the air travel system gets back to normal. I had no holidays this year as both the trains and airports in London seem to be on near permanent strike. I would like to try Summer Alpine walking and maybe visit some places where my family originally came from, in the Swiss Jura. There is even a JOBIN museum in a town rather aptly named Brienz !!!So I am still in the family home and my address has not changed. I will not even consider moving until these problems and COVID are sorted ( 5 years ???). If the economy does collapse maybe bricks and morter will survive.
Best wishes again to everyone for 2025. Hopefully by next year things will have returned to some sense of normality. I will then be able to return (as shown below) to my favourite three SUMMER occupations, eating, drinking and burning things down !
And Here is me enjoying what was my favourite WINTER occupation
My beautiful God-daughter's Wedding in 2022 with me actually in a suit.
Regards,
Brian. Contact Me