Another Year Over ...

It's that time again - to reflect on the year just past and to look forward to the year ahead. Excuse the self-indulgence, but these were the memorable moments of 2007 as far as I'm concerned:

Family

Everyone kept good health, which is a real bonus. Gail left for New Zealand in February and it seems to have done her a power of good - she'll be home in February. She came home for my 50th birthday party in July too - the social event of the year by far!

Sport

Highlight of the year was Hibs League Cup win back in March - seems a long, long time ago now. John Collins has since departed in strange circumstances and the team is struggling - no replacement in place yet and the transfer window has just opened.
Scotland, predictably, were heroic failures once again when we just failed to qualify for Euro 2008, and manager 'Big Eck' showed his loyalty by p*ssing off to Birmingham! Mind you, the pain we felt in Scotland just didn't compare with the fury down South when our big cousins didn't make it either!

Holidays

Two great short breaks in London - I'll never tire of going there.

Work

A very steady year at the North Edinburgh News - no shortage of positive stories to cover, Forthview's ongoing Burma initiative probably the most memorable. The cash crisis at North Edinburgh Arts Centre was the most difficult story to cover. Picked up a few bits and pieces of freelance work too - covered a Ministerial visit for a PR company and also covered my first ever wedding as the official photographer - both events went well and 'clients' were pleased, which augurs well should things change at NEN next year.

Community Council/Community Activity

The official opening of Drylaw Field was the highlight of the year, with a tie-up with Sainsbury's supermarket a valuable partnership for the future. I also packed in as secretary of the Edinburgh Association of Community Councils due to other commitments - just not enough time to do the job justice. I did manage to build new websites for Drylaw and the EACC though.

Politics

Made it onto the list of approved Labour candidates for May's local elections but was not selected - long story about Mountcastle/Restalrig here but I won't bore you with the details. Given the election results, no bad thing. Labour lost control of the council and the country and my old mucker Billy Fitz wasn't re-elected.
On the national stage Blair bowed out and Gordon Brown has been having a torrid time ever since, while in Scotland Salmond has been particularly sure-footed thus far. Labour mired in dodgy donor sleaze allegations for months - this has yet to come to a head.

National News

The Madeleine McCann disappearance was the big story of the year - the mystery remains unresolved and I doubt if we'll ever know what really happened.

The Arts

Saw 'Billy Elliot', 'Les Mis' (again) and 'Wicked' - all brilliant, with Blood Brothers and South Pacific making it quite a year for musicals. Favourite two books of the year were Richard Holmes 'Tommy' - an excellent insight into life in the trenches on the Western Front - and Norman Baker's thought-provoking 'The Death of David Kelly' which I read in a couple of sittings after Christmas.

Performances

Appeared in two films screened this year: 'Stuck', which won an Award in Chicago, and Graeme Fitzpatrick's dark Christmas short which was screened at the Filmhouse while I was in London. Haven't seen it yet, but it has been particularly well received.
Ended the year with an Elvis turn at the Civil Service Club for the Rainbow Club's pensioners - the old magic's still there, although the jumpsuit's getting a bit tighter!

Births Marriages & Deaths

The birth of my niece Carol's baby Laura was a highlight in November.
Marriages: I attended two. I was asked to be the official snapper at Tracey Stewart's wedding and it was a really enjoyable and successful afternoon. Between Christmas and New Year Caroline and I attended her work colleague Brian Lawson's wedding over in Glenrothes. It was a very happy affair, but with the cost of transport, etc. it would probably have worked out cheaper having a week in Majorca!
And finally, deaths. There were three deaths which particularly saddened me this year - Trish, formerly of the Design Resource and more recently Source, died after a long and brave fight against cancer at the end of the year. We also lost community council stalwart Bill Martin, a dear old friend who looked on community council meetings as almost a social occasion! And finally I was shocked by the sudden death of Jock Napier, one of my friends from my earliest days at The Scotsman. Jock and I were of similar ages and the news of his death, soon after my birthday, was a real jolt.

So that was 2007, then - more pluses than minuses I think. Who knows what 2008 will bring?