This is hopefully the last surprise of 2013 – I was sitting here minding my own business when DM walked into the room looking like this – er well, of course he looked like this because he is, in fact, this person in the photo! What I mean is that he’d been off, got changed and came down in this strange combo of DJ and Converse All Stars. I am sure it all makes great sense to him.

I have prepared a feast to celebrate the year’s end and the new one’s arrival with our friends from up the road and we sit here awaiting their presence as I type. They’re only coming a few hundred yards but the weather is so filthy that I’m expecting them to arrive soaked!

This year has been full of surprises, not least finally getting my degree and what a degree I got – a first and a prize for the best dissertation about plants. I got an unwelcome surprise when I couldn’t find gainful employment with that and 30 years’ experience of working, especially when one potential employer told the job agency that he thought I was lying about being prepared to work for the salary he was offering me (I actually thought it was a good salary for down here) – I was so mortified I almost, but not quite, wrote to him asking him how dare he question my integrity in that manner. I am even more surprised at finding myself in post-grad education and doing the teacher training – I never saw that coming for a moment. I am also surprised and pleased at finishing a full year of PaD after my break. It’s cathartic!

So, here it is – the end of an eventful, if not always great year. I hope that 2014 is my year to get a job and that I have a successful end to my teacher training.

I wish all of my friends, both those I’ve met in the flesh and those I’ve only met in cyberspace the happiest times for 2014. Cheers.