Dry (Gin) January…

Today I’ve been decanting, tasting, filtering, tasting, sweetening, tasting, & bottling my latest batch of homemade sloe gin today. Did I mention tasting? 😋 Oh, that sweet ruby nectar! Oops. Hic! 🥴

Like the 2025 batch I made last year, I have moved to a sweeter recipe for 2026 so it pairs well with deserts rather than the 2024 batch which was a better pairing with cheese. 

#Foraging #Homemade #SloeGin #DryGinJanuary #DontSampleTheGoodsAndExpectToStillStandUpAfterwards

The #1 Album Each Year In The UK In The 21st Century…

2000 - 1
@thebeatles

2001 - No Angel
@didoofficial

2002 - Escapology
@robbiewilliams

2003 - Life For Rent
@didoofficial

2004 - Scissor Sisters
@scissorsisters

2005 - Back to Bedlam
@JamesBlunt

2006 - Eyes Open
@snowpatrol

2007 - Back to Black
@amywinehouse

2008 - Rockferry
@duffy_official

2009 - I Dreamed a Dream
@SusanBoyle

2010 - Progress
@takethat

2011 - 21
@Adele

2012 - Our Version of Events
@emelisande

2013 - Midnight Memories
@onedirection

2014 - X
@edsheeran

2015 - 25
@Adele

2016 - 25
@Adele

2017 - Divide
@edsheeran

2018 - The Greatest Showman
Various Artists

2019 - Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent
@LewisCapaldi

2020 - Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent
@LewisCapaldi

2021 - 30
@Adele

2022 - Harry’s House
@Harry_Styles

2023 - The Highlights
@theweeknd

2024 - The Tortured Poets Department
@taylorswift13

2025 - The Life of a Showgirl
@taylorswift13

New Year’s Meal 2026…

Fabulous afternoon out with the boys to celebrate the New Year together. It’s a great tradition. Love you guys. ❤️ 

Hairdressers….

 At Hairdressers. She starts talking. 

Where are you going on your holidays?

• Italy, I said. 

It’s awful there. Who are you flying with?

• BA

Their trolly dollies are all sluts. Where are you landing?

• Rome

It’s packed there. Horrid airport. Where are you staying?

• The Treksi Hotel

A dump. Stinks. What are you hoping to see?

• The Vatican

Packed. Rude people. Avoid. 

Two weeks later back at hairdressers

How was you holiday?

• Amazing. Italy lovely. BA gave us an upgrade. Rome was beautiful. Treksi Hotel lovely. Got an upgrade there too. Penthouse. Vatican was empty. Swiss Guard said I was 100,000,000th visitor. Got to meet the Pope. Private audience. As we were leaving he whispered something in my ear. 

What was it?

• I can’t say. It was private. 

What?! WHAT?!!

• I really can’t say.

TELL ME!  WHAT DID HE SAY TO YOU!!

• Who did your fucking hair? 

London New Year’s Fireworks…

 Bloody hell have you seen the London fireworks??  Amazing. 

Especially the Coldplay section at the end. ❤️ I was in tears. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002p58m

Arsenal 4 - 1 Aston Villa…

MLovely scenes with the @gaygooners pre-match, then Arsenal saved the drama for after the interval. 

Gabriel Magalhaes bundled one in from a corner and the complaints were filed directly into the recycling. Odegaard pinched possession and fed Zubimendi, Trossard added precision, Jesus added curl, and Villa added a late shrug via Watkins. Eleven wins met one very firm no. 

Five points clear. Year finished. Title talk politely resumed.

Onwards and upwards, my friends.

@Arsenal #COYG #ARSAST #arsenal #gooners #afc #gunners #AstonVilla #GabrielMagalhaes #Odegaard #Trossard #GabrielJesus

@klausfaust @darce_styles

Ethan…

Had a lovely afternoon out with Ethan and Darce.  We went for a wander into town and then to the Tate Modern. 

@klausfaust

@darce_styles

C. Final answer…

 

Arsenal 2 - 1 Brighton…

Paul was at the game. Yay! 

Also lovely to see the @gaygooners assembled pre match proving once again that fashion, passion, and football can all coexist. Less so on the pitch though.

Arsenal dominated everything except the scoreboard. Odegaard finally remembered he is very good at football and scored after Saka stole a goal kick like a polite burglar. Fifteen first half shots suggested comfort. Arsenal disagreed.

Rice delivered a corner. Brighton delivered an own goal. Very sporting. Then Arsenal remembered tradition and invited chaos. Raya refused the invitation with a save of genuine beauty and everyone exhaled at once.

Top of the league again. Mild panic included.

Onwards and upwards, my friends.

@Arsenal @OfficialBHAFC @bukayosaka87 @martinodegaard
#ARSBRI #COYG #arsenal #afc #gunners #gooners #PremierLeague

Stranger Things Season 5 Episode 6…

15 min (partially orchestral) version of Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill? Yup.

Emotionally devastating, spiritually cleansing, still not long enough! Beautiful. 

@Netflix @Stranger_Things @katebushmusic

#StrangerThings #StrangerThings5 #RunningUpThatHill #KateBush #TVMusic #Orchestral #SynthsAndFeelings #UpsideDownEmotions

Xmas Eve Drinks 2025…

Lovely Xmas Eve drinks at The Welly while we all wait for Santa to arrive 🎅🎁🥳🍻

A Christmas Carol (abridged)…

 

Candlelight Carols @ Union. Chapel…

Stuart, Darce and I went to a lovely candlelight carol service at the Union Chapel last night. We’d had a couple of liveners beforehand, so naturally we were all in full voice 🎶🍷😀

@UnionChapelUK @UniChapelChurch @UnionChapelChurchLondon 

#CandlelightCarols #UnionChapel #CarolSingalong #FestiveSpirits #InFullVoice