Since the millenium, I've not customarily observed the new year celebration. This year, I wandered out for a couple of pints, but soon found I was a little out of place propping up the bar on such a festive night. Returned home to watch TV and eat too much. This year London's fireworks were impressive, finally making up for the damp squib of 2000 when the world was puzzled by our alleged 'River of Fire' which failed to burn. Otherwise, it was a case of attempting to decipher the strange ramblings of Andrew Marr - the BBC's man in Edinburgh - as he ranted incomprehensibly about hogmonay to Natasha Kaplinsky!
Having returned to work for the strange limbo days between Christmas and New Year, I'm restless for the rest of the world to return to normality, and along with it for the railway to return to its usual timetable. I've spent much of the holiday season happily helping out my family and contentedly spending time with my nephew, but I'm sorely in need of a rail trip to blow away some cobwebs and generally just see different places. Naturally, these past few months I've felt reluctant to take leave, and I suspect that this will remain the case for a while longer. I miss the strange expeditions which I usually make on weekdays when the rest of the world is busy with its usual activity. So I'm loosely planning a trip to Northampton tomorrow based on a poorly-remembered journey ten years ago and curiousity aroused by mentions in Iain Sinclair's Edge of the Orison.
There are some immediately obvious challenges this coming year, and despite some shaky times over Christmas where nervous contemplation of the year to come overcame me, I think I'm probably ready for them. In my usual way however, I'll be worrying about the tiny details while the big issues are looming overhead!
Lost::MikeGTN
I've had a home on the web for more years than I care to remember, and a few kind souls persuade me it's worth persisting with keeping it updated. This current incarnation of the site is centred around the blog posts which began back in 1999 as 'the daylog' and continued through my travels and tribulations during the following years.
I don't get out and about nearly as much these days, but I do try to record significant events and trips for posterity. You may also have arrived here by following the trail to my former music blog Songs Heard On Fast Trains. That content is preserved here too.
