Our local postal service continues to be “patchy” (i.e. so rubbish it featured on BBC News), so once again we’ve bashed out a long and rambling review of the year as an alternative-cum-back-up to sending cards.

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Happily, 2023 was a lot better than 2022, which was dominated by the battle to install Colin’s parents in a care home and, last October, by his father Andrew’s death at the age of 96.

Mum has already outlived Dad by a year

Although hardly thriving, she seems content at the Manor, where she has been a resident for nearly two years. Her daily diet consists of fortified fruit juice and a few teaspoons of yoghurt. The only time she gets out – apart from occasional spins in a wheelchair round the garden – is for visits to Arrowe Park Hospital, where Colin took her to have a new pacemaker battery fitted this autumn. She has dementia, but at least she still knows who we are (in answer to the question most often asked).

If you have not yet seen it, you can watch The Father, starring Oscar-winning Anthony Hopkins on Channel 4’s website. This brilliantly scripted and acted film charts the development of dementia from the sufferer’s viewpoint. You will be left thinking, “I hope it never happens to me”.

North of the border

On a warm, sunny late May morning, accompanied by Colin’s cousin Ewan, we set off on a hired boat from Luss Pier on Loch Lomond. After a short cruise we scattered Dad’s ashes. It was a special moment and we feel we did him proud. It was also good to spend some time with Ewan. At least it wasn’t technically a funeral – which is when we usually meet these days.

We took the opportunity to stay a couple of nights in Glasgow, incredibly the hottest place in Britain while we there!

Next – to sell Mum and Dad’s house

It wasn’t so much to fund Mum’s care (now more than £1,000 a week) as that hanging onto and maintaining a house 230 miles away had become a burden. We decided that selling it had to be our No.1 priority. Much to our relief, the sale was completed in mid-August.

In the loft was 60 years’ worth of stuff, including most of Colin’s childhood toys, but we have kept very little as we don’t have much space in London. So, farewell Whitewell Drive, and thanks for the memories.

Anne’s father David is in a much better situation, in his own flat just a few minutes down the road from us. It is easy to forget that he is now 88, but of course he is slowing down a bit.

Music, music, music

In her first full year as a retiree, Anne continued her campaign to pass the Grade 8 piano exam, practising for at least an hour a day. Her efforts were rewarded when she passed first time, two weeks before Christmas. As Kate quipped, “Young Musician of the Year”!

Colin has continued, at a much lower level of musicianship, to work with his chums on a third One for the Wall album called Memoryland, featuring 12 new songs by Bernard. They believe it will be as good as, if not better than, the first two. Perhaps when you cease to think like that it is time to stop.

Apart from the pleasure of playing music per se, it is stimulating to be part of a team when your working life is over. It would be easy to become introspective, and even misanthropic.

In May Colin had the privilege of joining Bob and other former members of the late 60s – early 70s rock band Skin Alley on a reunion stroll round Notting Hill. Some great stories were shared.

Working for nothing

Anne continues to be a Trustee of the Wordsworth Trust in Grasmere (Cumbria) and the Jane Austen House in Chawton (Hampshire), as well as the Peter Minet Trust in South London. It adds up to quite a bit of work.

It is eight and half years since Colin left the British Library. In that time he has managed not to earn a penny. He has cut down on his activities for the Herne Hill Society, though he continues to manage their website and e-newsletter and is now working on a new project, a history of local shops.

In April the Herne Hill Society presented its first biennial Excellence Awards. It was Colin’s first appearance as President: a rôle that allows him to interfere without being a trustee. It was encouraging to see how delighted the winners and commended entrants were. This scheme, dreamed up and driven through by the Chair, Dr Rebecca Tee, has been a huge success.

And on Remembrance Sunday Colin quietly laid a wreath on behalf of the Society at the war memorial at Herne Hill Station; not a religious or political ceremony that seeks to glorify war but a reminder of how terrible it is.

With more time on our hands than of late, we have done a lot of travelling, both in Europe and around the UK.

Winter sun in Spain

We enjoyed a week in Moraira and Alicante/Alacant on the Costa Blanca, one of the few areas of Spain we had never visited – apart from Dènia, where we spent a couple of nights some years ago.

Many thanks to Phil and Di for sharing their holiday let and driving us around.

So pleasant to feel the sun on your face in February! Moraira is justly popular with tourists, so locals seem to be heavily outnumbered, and Alacant is a town well worth seeing, though perhaps not in the height of summer.

Summer sun in Greece

But our travel highlight of the year was two weeks in north-western Greece (Epirus) in June. Swimming at Sivota and Parga, walking the Vikos gorge in the Zagori national park, exploring Ioannina, visiting the monasteries of Meteora… it was all a joy, thanks to perfect weather and Anne’s assiduous planning.

We also took four trips to our holiday cottage in La Bréchoire. February and April were mostly sunny, with the occasional wet day. August was roasting hot – close to intolerable at times. It was a pleasure to have Monica & Bernard (and Nala) as guests, fortunately not during the dog days.

In contrast our week in November was very wet with violent storms. The new normal? We fear so.

Dear old Blighty

In July we visited friends in Somerset and Dorset, enjoying the countryside and villages and eating well before coming back via Avebury. Thanks to David & Emma and Kate & Tim for their kindness in looking after us.

Amongst Anne’s long-standing friends are Rosie (who has been living in Spain but is now in London) and Amanda (living in Toronto), neither of whom she had seen for years. We finally caught up with both of them – Rosie, who Anne has known since she was three, joined us to watch the Coronation on TV with Anne’s Dad. We managed a fleeting brunch with Amanda on her way from Italy to Canada and on our way from London to La Bréchoire…

Jo also came over from Toulouse, and later joined us (with Pip the dog) in La Bréchoire to help celebrate Anne’s 60th birthday in November.

Jenny and Paola held memorable 60th birthday parties in London, along with Dot’s 70th in Aigre – thanks for inviting us.

We have indeed been out and about

There were day trips to Chester, Chichester (with their treasure-packed cathedrals), Brighton and Hawarden (North Wales). A lot to see and more friends to catch up with.

While we are about it, thanks to everyone (whether mentioned here by name or not). We never take our friendship for granted.

Back to college

On 14 October Colin attended a Gaudy lunch at Queen’s College, almost 50 years to the day since he “matriculated”, meeting up with fellow Hispanists Nick and Peter. In the evening they enjoyed a drink with our former tutor John Rutherford, still going strong at 81.

In November the Exodus India group met for our 10th annual commemorative curry, though not many of us could make it this year.

The weather in Maidenhead was foul, but such is life.

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And now, the cultural supplement, if you are still with us

Live performance

We loved Guys and Dolls at the Bridge Theatre and Cinderella (Royal Opera House) – also The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty (both ROH Live, at the cinema). On our 33rd wedding anniversary we went to our first Prom at the Albert Hall to hear the amazing Yuja Wang play Rachmaninov, followed by Belshazzar’s Feast.

We used to go regularly to the Wigmore Hall on Sundays and we’ve recently started to go again. An hour of chamber music before lunch suits us fine, and it’s affordable.

Film of the year: Anatomy of a Fall (France)

Contenders: Oppenheimer, The Banshees of Inisherin, Rye Lane, The Night of the 12th. Mentioned in dispatches: Killers of the Flower Moon, Napoleon. So-so: Barbie, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, A Haunting in Venice. Excruciating: My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3. Bonkers: Cocaine Bear (“It’s cocaine Christmas!”).

Exhibition of the year: Marina Abramović (Royal Academy of Arts)

Contenders: Rubens & Women (Dulwich Picture Gallery), Impressionists on Paper: Degas to Toulouse-Lautrec (RA), Summer Exhibition (RA). Mentioned in dispatches: Gwen John (Pallant House), The Rossettis (Tate Britain), Spain and the Hispanic World (RA), Hilma af Klint & Mondrian (Tate Modern), Berthe Morisot: Shaping Impressionism (DPG), Luxury and Power: Persia to Greece (BM), Extraordinary Endeavours (Royal Asiatic Society/Brunei Gallery). So-so: Philip Guston (Tate Modern), Turner and Lamin Fofana: Dark Waters (Tate Liverpool), M.K. Čiurlionis: Between Worlds (DPG).

But the must-sees for lovers of medieval and Renaissance art are three recently re-opened permanent galleries: at the National Portrait Gallery (London), Burrell Collection (Glasgow) and Walker Art Gallery (Liverpool), all of which are free to visitors.

Eating out

Some of the best food (and the best service) we have enjoyed this year was at chains: Côte Brasserie, Masala Zone, Sticks ‘n’ Sushi and Pho. Otherwise: Theo Randall at The Intercontinental, Four Seasons (Soho), Café Murano (Covent Garden), Mai Sushi (King’s Cross) and Le Mercury (Islington) were all excellent.

Books of the year

Have we read any books published in 2023? Possibly not… but there are still a few days left.

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Finally (again), may we plug a charity? The Linda Norgrove Foundation, generously supported by our friends John and Annelise amongst others, is campaigning to bring 20 female Afghan medical students to the UK. They are currently stuck in visa limbo. Do look at their website and see what you can do, such as writing to your MP. These are 20 of the brightest young women in Afghanistan who have had their futures stolen, and face a life of domestic drudgery or being married against their will.

If you have been, thanks for reading. This comes with our best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous 2024.

Colin and Anne