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Christmas letter 2004Well, here is my annual pigeon post newsletter I have been putting off writing this with the perennial “I don’t know where the year has gone!”, but made some notes tonight on my way home, looking back 2004 has been really quite busy. A month in China set the year off to a great start – I’m not sure I have ever been or will go to a place like it. Vast, colourful, somewhat dour and maudlin, but nonetheless amazing. We have no real comprehension of numbers of people, congestion or even the scale of what is coming from China over the next decade and more. But, I managed (or rather Russell’s planning managed) to squeeze in my four goals: a boat down the Yangtze, Tiannamenn Square, the Terracotta Warriors and the Great Wall of China. For more background and crucially many of the pics check out Russell’s website on www.russelleagling.com Elections made a big comeback this year – after two years out of the front-line I decided to return: we gained ten more seats in Watford (including five Tory scalps! Particularly gratifying); came within 460 of winning the Birmingham Hodge Hill by-election and lost the Hartlepool by-election by just 2,000. A good summer in terms of my own involvement but the near misses were frustrating – especially in Birmingham. Amongst all of this I left Watford Council after two years and have taken a post at Sutton Council in South London. The travel is significant for me, but I’m now no longer politically restricted. The summer saw a brief 10 day week in Sitges, Spain This was a tough year for my family, Dad’s health is okay, but only okay, Uncle Alan had a heart attack but seems better, but tragically Uncle Ginger (Mum’s brother) died after a tumor following a bicycle accident. I really am praying for a better year in 2005. I now find myself Secretary of the Robert Bloomfield Society – a currently obscure poet and relative from the 18th/early 19th century. I finally subscribe to the Society for the Promotion for Roman Studies and have done some serious work getting my website sorted out and uploaded: www.edfordham.com Tonight, Russell and I have just got back from seeing The History Boys (Alan Bennett’s latest play) at the National Theatre. I can say it is the best theatre I have ever seen – full of pure Bennett observational charm. A really great show and performance! This is all part of a concerted drive to get to the theatre more: the last six weeks have seen an evening with Steven Sondheim and Tom Stoppard (separately!) and Sweeney Todd and before the year is out have tickets for Aladdin (Sir Iain McKellen) and Bat Boy. 2005 – Well I haven’t really had time to think about what’s coming, but we will have a General Election this year – so I better get ready for that! Seasons greetings and a happy and prosperous 2005… |
