Review of 2017

My highlights of 2017 start with running, but only because it coincides with a holiday in Northumberland and a weekend in Portsmouth.

It is now five years since I started running. To be able to run with Alison around a deserted Hulne Park on the outskirts of Alnwick was such a pleasure. Our weekend visit to Portsmouth for The Great South Run was equally enjoyable, despite the stormy weather, so much so that we have already booked for next year. My time for the Milton Keynes Half Marathon in March was not my best, but I was amazed to receive a certificate for first place in my age category. But I did get a PB at the Marlow 5 Mile with a best age grade for any race I have run. I also managed a PB at our regular  Maidenhead 10 Mile on Good Friday.

Our Holiday in the Lake District was memorable for the weather. It was sunny and hot! Sitting outside for breakfast and dinner on the first few days. Holehird Gardens were fabulous on a lovely day. We also enjoyed good weather in Northumberland. Especially on the last day at Druridge Bay parkrun, followed by walking on the huge beach and a visit to Amble with fish and chips at The Old Boathouse. And the day at Dunstanburgh Castle with another beach walk.

I could not miss mentioning Alison volunteering at the World Athletics and World Paras.

I made huge progress on my project to describe the history, landscape and lives of my Ascough ancestors on the border of East Fen in Lincolnshire. My draft in complete with only final editing left to do before publishing it on a website. Gaining permission to include sections from numerous publications became a major task. All this culminated with my visit to Lincolnshire in early September included the two churches of Toynton All Saints and Toynton St Peter, a trip around the back roads of the old East Fen and the drains as they are today and Lincolnshire Archives and Lincolnshire Family History Society's Research Centre.

Theatre was a mixed bag this year. Whilst Coriolanus (now just two Shakespeare plays left to see) at the RSC was an interesting production, People Places and Things was let down by a less that perfect lead actress. Jane Eyre at Aylesbury and Julius Caesar at Stratford were disappointing but Peter Pan at the National was brilliant. It was left for theatrical productions live in cinemas to be the best seen this year, from the outstanding Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead to Hedda Gabler, The Tempest and Follies.

My favourite film of the year came early in January. Manchester by the Sea should have won the Oscar. I also loved Hidden Figures, Elle, Get Out, Blade Runner 2049 and Lady Macbeth. But what surprised me more than anything was the succession of great British movies later on in the year: Goodbye Christopher Robin, Breathe, The Death of Stalin, Murder on the Orient Express, Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool, Paddington 2 and The Man Who Invented Christmas. I guess they were getting out of the way for the American Oscar contenders due in 2018.

I only went to one concert this year, but Amy Macdonald at The Royal Albert Hall was outstanding. My highlights on TV were the final series of Detectorists and Series 2 of Michael Portillo's Great American Railway Journeys. The books which earned from me five stars this year were Birdcage Walk by Helen Dunmore, This Must Be The Place by Maggie O'Farrell and the script for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard.

The lowlight of the year was Mathew Bourne's production of The Red Shoes at Milton Keynes Theatre. The lack of any mention that there would be recorded sound instead of a live orchestra (as there was in London and Plymouth) was only matched by the disgraceful price of the ticket. £54.90 for second rate dancers compared with £10 less for English National Ballet's superb Nutcracker with Tamara Rojo and the full ENB orchestra in November 2016. Despite a succession of emails exchanged with the producer and theatre, I have not received any satisfactory reply. Only that the latest production from the same team now advertise "Cinderella will be performed in surround sound .... featuring a specially commissioned recording etc ". At least patrons in MK now know what they are getting. A second rate dance show.