One More Dawn , One Year On.........

A year ago, following the encouragement of a dear friend, I started writing a blog. It was to be a way of writing down my thoughts and musings on various themes and topics and also a way to share some of the experiences I had throughout the year. I wasn’t sure if anyone would read it, but I hoped it would help to improve my writing and give my thoughts a means to express themselves. Now approaching 8000 hits, it seems that my little blog has caught more than just the interest of a few close friends (even if the biggest search on it seems to be for pictures of Alfie Boe and his wife Sarah!) and I am thankful for the encouragement and support I’ve had to continue writing it.

As I look back over the past year I, like many others I know, can say it has truly been a rollercoaster of a ride. There have been many occasions of sadness and worry, both in my own life and in the lives of those dear to me. There have been some sad events experienced by members of my family this year; death, divorce, long term illness and redundancy being just some of them. I know of quite a few friends who will be starting the year facing difficult challenges in their lives and I’m sure we will all experience some difficulties in this New Year. However, hard as it may be, it is important to learn from these times and face the challenges head on, hoping that they will pass and leave us a stronger and better person. It’s also important to enjoy the happier times and enjoy each opportunity that comes our way. No day in our life will ever be the same and just as I said a year ago, each new dawn brings with it a new day and new opportunities and we should make the most of them. Come What May and Love It!

I have been very fortunate this past year to indulge in my passion for the arts and as I look back, I can count seeing six Shakespeare plays including Patrick Stewart in the Merchant of Venice, Dominic West in Othello, David Tennant in Much Ado About Nothing and my friend Dominic Tighe in Richard III and A Comedy of Errors.  I also attended the 447^th birthday celebrations of William Shakespeare in his home town of Stratford on Avon with my nephew Bradley & introduced him to some of the Bard’s work.

I was thrilled to see two light operas; Ruddigore and the Mikado and two operas; Carmen and Fidelio. Three of these productions were performed by the brilliant Opera North and I was delighted to be given the opportunity to get a behind the scenes look at both Carmen and Ruddigore through  social media networking events organised by Leeds based Emma Bearman and also to write an article for her own blog Culture Vultures. The insight I gained from these events gave me a deeper appreciation of all the work involved in putting on a production and the arts as a whole.  Seeing Fidelio, the only opera ever written by my favourite composer Beethoven was one of the hi-lights of my year and although I had been worried that the performance wouldn’t live up to my anticipation, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment. I was also fortunate to see Beethoven’s 5^th Symphony and Missa Solemnis performed by the wonderful Darwin Ensemble Chamber Orchestra at the beautiful Lichfield Cathedral. My other musical highlights of the year were The Classic Brit Awards, 25^th Anniversary Concert for Phantom of the Opera, A Night with the Phantom (Ramin Karimloo) and also seeing old friends Blake and Thomas Spencer Wortley in concert.  When I see the events listed like this, I realise just how many great opportunities I have had and how lucky I am to have seen them all.

I met some wonderful people in 2011 including some of my favourite West End Stars such as John Owen-Jones, Ramin Karimloo, Hadley Fraser and David Tennant. I have also made some great friends along the way through social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook and as ever, my friends and family are my most treasured blessings. Their unwavering support throughout the year has been a great source of strength to me and I hope that in my own way I have helped them in their own times of difficulties.

I know that things won’t always be easy but I hope that we can all endure the trials we have to face and be there to support others as they face them. My new year’s resolution is to be a better friend and better person; to tell my friends how much I love them and look for ways to make new friends from strangers. One of the books I read this year was The Seventeen Second Miracle by Jason F Wright. It talks about looking for opportunities in your daily life to serve and help others and by doing so change your life and the lives of those you serve in just a few seconds.

As I look ahead to this New Year, I have many hopes for my own future and for my friends. I don’t know if they will come to pass but I look with a renewed determination to do all that I can to make the most of every opportunity, to seize the day and make each day one to remember. A New Year brings with it, new beginnings, new hopes and new opportunities and it is up to us what we do with them.

Tonight’s the night, the world begins again

Tomorrow we’ll discover what our God in Heaven has in store; one more dawn, one more day, one day more!

Happy New Year!!