2025. Really?!

Yes I remember walking along the beach back in 1984 with a college chum and thinking about the vast universe of time that lay ahead and trying to imagine what we might be up to in 10 years time. And that seemed an eternity (and was certainly a quantum imaginative leap)

But now alas, 41 years have past since that day on the West Sands in St Andrews and rather whizzed by may I say. Yes I recall a bit of time drudging along in London, a couple of blissful winters skiing in the Alps, a lovely year in Cambridge and a summer in Marbella which must surely have been a dream, a certain time in finance in Edinburgh trying to be the career-man, a long and fun period establishing a flower company, a cafe, a restaurant, ski teaching at Hillend, caddying and the move to St Andrews (ten years ago now!), and presently tour-guiding and potentially looking at opening another restaurant!

But as I say it all rather whizzed by. I will be 63 this year and feel about 20 on a good day and oh so old on a bad one. I’m in reasonable shape and am presently hovering around 90kg which is my hovering weight. I am aiming at 85kg but that is a huge ask.

My golf is still a bit of a passion and I am still tweaking away at the old swing. I won’t say too much to tempt fate here but I am quietly confident about the season to come (it’s now all in the right hand at takeaway). I have had a bit of a long slog with my technique and struggled for well over 30 years to be honest. But as we all know it’s rather a compulsive game. We keep coming back.

This year I have a new diet and fitness regime. I will carry on my tours which are fun and give me just enough lucre to pay the bills and the odd shandy. There is a desire to attempt an open-mic session at a stand-up club even though I failed miserably at a zoom stand-up competition. I am entered into the Tam O’Shanter recital competition again, I am going skiing to Morzine (whey hey!). I just hope my old ski legs come with me.

In 2024 I found matcha latte, creme brulee frappuccino, Clix, Breadstix, Walt Whitman, Frites and their loaded peri peri chicken fries, onigiri, Hoka trek shoes, Alice in Wonderland and Sainsbury’s custard. I have rediscovered the joys of walking the Pentlands Hills, sea swimming, Dad’s Army, some journalistic ambitions and Wm Christie steak pies. Yes that butcher in Bruntsfield where you go in for a rib-eye and get a ribbing.

I do believe that this unassuming little place in the heart of Bruntsfield is at the centre of the comic universe with Angus and Bob’s unrivalled chat (and certainly a whole lot funnier than a £28 quid Frank Skinner stand-up show).

I just wish they would get their act together with the chicken and leek pies again. But I suppose you can’t have everything.

Have a great 25 all !