65 # 2 Nightjar

Christmas started with a walk down to the beach to see Jade (Adams)| swimming for charity. Huge effort on her part and small effort on ours, but well worth the effort all round. I guess the time of year brings out that kind of event but I have to say its becoming the new normal. Food banks and charity giving for the sixth most successful economy in the world and all the Queen can say is its 'been a bumpy year' - well how to be patronised with one sweep of the hand. But this is not the time for looking back at another annus horribilis. What propels us forward is optimism that 2020 will have the vision to be better. Is that too much too hope for? Christmas came with a new assortment of jumpers and a new electric mandolin for those tricky live events. And I will post a picture of it before the year is out but it has been a horrible year and now the corner is turned. So onward to new and better days. I feel a change in my bones and optimism is a good way to start. As my dear friend, the poet, Katharine Coles once wrote:

      And if we grieve in anticipation, will we
      Take the edge off or only bring grief

The question remains unanswered but I know what I think - I raise a glass to optimism and good cheer. And this tune 'Nightjar' by my very dear friend Nigel Horn always raises my spirits.

65 # 1 Soul for Sale

Well its been quite a year though not a 'groundhog' one I want to repeat because the speedbumps have been more like mountains, at times. Still, I guess life can only get quieter and where would that take us. As I write this in preparation for the beginning of my being 65, votes from another general election are being counted. I am not holding out great hope for my team - unashamed socialism in the mainline! My neighbour just over the fence (Caroline Lucas) should get in, and I hope so. And if we can bookend Brighton Pavilion with Labour each side of her, in Kemp Town and Hove, then we will be doing okay. But there is a lot about voting that I don't understand - like how can any reasonable person swallow the lies. But I guess we do. People lie to us all the time, the lad in Spec Savers lied to me (new hearing aid not glasses) just because it was easier and we accept with a tolerant nod because its what people do. Now this isn't a theme I am riffing on, or will be chasing this coming year which I will be recording here, though it might become one.

They lie those that say I lost the moon,

those that prophesised my fate of sand,

they assert so many things with cold tongues:

they wish to ban the flower of the universe.

Pablo Neruda knew a thing or two, 'and look what they did to him, I'm not ready for that parade...' (which is a line from a new song I've written). So anyway, here I am at the end of my 65th year and starting out on number 66 which I will begin recording here. This video was of a good event, a high point, we launched The Briar Band's first record.

It was a lovely thing to do and here's my song Soul for Sale. Playing music is such a lovely thing to do - long may that continue because as I write news os a landslide is just filtering in. See you around, I hope. 2020 is just around the corner and there is symmetry to that if nothing else. I wonder what the poor will do now? I have written a new song, 'No room at the inn' - its going to be a long decade - sigh.