That Was the Year That Was.

So that was 2012.

I have to say it's been a rather good year. Not as much work as one might have hoped, but many things that have made me feel better. Not the least of which was a lovely Christmas away in a hotel in rural Nottinghamshire. Two absolutely fantastic bedrooms for Richard and myself, and mum. Great meals, fantastic hotel staff who couldn't do enough for us from the moment we arrived and a trip to the pantomime at the Theatre Royal Lincoln on Boxing Day afternoon to round things off.

So many of us have our first experience of theatre at a pantomime. I know mine was -"Humpty Dumpty" at the Sheffield Lyceum in 1967 with the Cub Scouts. Such a shame that so many Christmas offerings are incredibly shoddy affairs. In my system for handing out points onto Equity cards like speeding points for driving licences, there were quite a few endorsements that should have been given out during this Boxing Day matinee of "Dick Whittington". Some people as to whom you have to question why they were  allowed on stage at all. But Christmas allows us to forgive an awful lot of things, and it's also brings a lot of surprises. One of which was rediscovering the joy that is Cannon and Ball. One of the biggest variety acts around in the late 70s and early 80s, they fell from grace after personal disagreements, but here they were at the Theatre Royal Lincoln celebrating 50 years in show business and working their socks off on a Boxing Day afternoon. They made me laugh until tears running down my face, which is never a bad thing.

Tears ran down my face during one of the other highlights of 2012 - standing in the Olympic stadium and screaming my head off as Mo Farah won gold in 5000 metres. Something I will never forget. Indeed having been such a sceptic prior to the Olympics, one of the joys of the summer was to be swept up in the whole feeling of the event. Finishing my work early each day so that I could settle in front of the television at lunchtime to watch events, I loved the whole thing. I know the tears will flow again at the various montage reviews of the Olympics we are bound to see during reviews of the year, but the feeling of being there is something  that I will always treasure. Just the same as I will always treasure the feeling of being in a theatre.

That feeling was another of my highlights during 2012 when Richard and I created a production of "Green Forms" by Alan Bennett. Staged at the Tabard Theatre last January, it was the brainchild of myself and my great friend Janet Ellis. We were joined by the delightful and exceptionally talented Jan Ravens, the deliciously lugubrious Andrew Alston, and the burgeoning ingenue that is Joan Iyiola. Backed up by an incredibly talented team of amazing young people, we were able to stage a production that raised £10.5K for Maggie's cancer centres and made everyone involved with it feel incredibly proud.

I'm hoping that the opportunity to do some more theatre will present itself very early in 2013.

The other great highlight of the year has been long hours sat in front of my computer screen writing my first book. Brought about by a conversation with my delightful other half during dinner in Rome in March, its aim is to help and advise actors who want to work in the corporate market. The first draft took me from mid April to the end of August to write, and at the moment I'm incorporating my editor's suggestions into that draft ready to return to the publishers in mid-January. If all goes to plan it should be published in the middle of the year. It's been an incredible experience, and although I'm absolutely shocked by my lack of skill at punctuation (I am a grammar school boy after all!) the challenge of coming up with 55,000 words has been a great one, and something I have thoroughly enjoyed. I'm hoping that at some point in 2013 I will start that elusive first novel. I now know I can write. It's just a question of whether I can write something good!

I'm not sure it's wise to set down too many aspirations for the coming year, but here are just a few. In the formal appraisal process which I've been involved in so many times during role-play sessions, the idea is to set down objectives for the forthcoming year so that you have something to look back on at the next appraisal.

Well here we go.

To take part in at least one theatre project as actor or director during 2013.

To start writing my first novel.

To continue to support causes that I believe in, such as the actors Centre, and hopefully by stint of my efforts, to move them forward as a successful enterprise. (God that does sound a bit wanky doesn't it?)

 To earn enough money to have nice holidays-and to take at least three of them during the year.

And on a more personal level, to try and listen more to people, even though I know I'm right! To endeavour to share what little knowledge and skill I have with others, and to try to do some small things each day that make sure other people have a happier time as the result of my actions.

Let's hope that the spirit that filled London during the summer months is something we can see more of during the coming year.

Here's to a great 2013 for all of you.

Happy New Year