Review of 2019

I always seem to start each review of the year with running. There were four races this year. The Milton Keynes Half Marathon went OK but the Maidenhead 10 Mile was far too warm for the middle of April, especially as there was little shade from the harsh sun. I enjoyed running the Central London 10K that started on The Mall with over 20,000 runners and was pleased coming in 17th out of 92 runners in the 70+ category. (Then lunch at Bills near Marylebone Station). Slightly faster was the Bearbrook 10K but that was another very sunny day! Parkruns had been going well, quite a few at 27 minutes plus and my third best ever age grade at 68.3%.

The downside was that I contracted plantar fasciitis when I upped my training for the Great South Run and had to cancel. Since the middle of October I have not run and stuck on 241 parkruns. Although I have enjoyed lots of volunteering at parkrun. The indoor exercise bike less so.

Our holiday in Bakewell turned out to be wonderful, especially that we had good weather. Alison's Baslow Bash and my Monsal Trail parkrun on the Saturday started things off with visits to Haddon Hall, a walk from Eyam and Chatsworth House. Then that poppy field was unforgettable. September took us back to the Lake District and Coachman's Cottage in Grasmere. Again the weather was spectacular. The Easedale Ridge walk was superb, although I am beginning to struggle with the long craggy routes. And The Jumble Room restaurant just across the road from where we stay proved to be a huge hit. On the last day it was Fell Foot parkrun that we always enjoy.

In February, we had some unexpected warm and sunny weather, the temperature reaching 18C on two days and it was great to be out in the garden. May took us to Salisbury, Portsmouth and Chichester for a short break. A guided tour to the top of Salisbury Cathedral, the Mary Rose Museum, Spinnaker Tower, Fishbourne Roman Palace and Chichester Cathedral were packed in to our itinerary. In August I visited Battersea Power Station and the Stanley Kubrick exhibition at the Design Museum. September found me at the University of Oxford Botanic Garden and a tour inside Christ Church College. Nova Victoria was a big disappointment on the day I went to see Three Sisters.

My favourite films of the year were Pain and Glory, Once Upon A Time In Hollwood and La Belle Epoque. Followed closely by Rocketman, Us, Mary Queen of Scots and On The Basis Of Sex.

At the theatre All About Eve at the Nowel Coward Theatre was outstanding with that starry cast, Art, Malory Towers, The Lovely Bones and Remains of the Day at the Oxford Playhouse were all excellent as was Three Sisters at the Almeida Theatre and Measure For Measure at the RSC Stratford. We both loved English National Ballet's Le Corsaire at Milton Keynes Theatre.

My favourite books were Normal People by Sally Rooney, The Only Story by Julian Barnes and The Other Side of You by Sally Vickers. I also re-read Graham Swift's Mothering Sunday for book club and loved it even more than the first time.

Three concerts this year. Amy McDonald at the Eventim Appollo, Lissie's wonderful solo at The Stables and Molly Tuttle at St Barnabas Church in Oxford. They would be hard to equal in 2020.

On other matters, the gas fire in the living rooms was taken out and the fireplace upgraded. At last I acquired a smartphone (useful for showing the e-ticket at the cinema), I found the weebookshop in Chinnor and in the garden, the tiny Salvia Seascape bedding plants bought online grew into a fine display from their unpromising start.