Saturday 1 January 2022:

It’s been something like 10 weeks since I last wrote a reflection (and I’ve also just decided to stop writing a daily diary). Now that the Christmas and New Year festivities are over, I’ve been endeavouring to concentrate on the months ahead. Most of the ‘jobs’ related to the house move have now really been sorted and I’m conscious that it’s left something of a ‘void’. In the normal course of things (and especially given our new home location), I would almost certainly have been visiting the cinema (Watershed) on a weekly basis, but continuing Covid concerns have meant that I’m still reluctant to return to watching films at this stage. The RWA is currently closed for refurbishment, otherwise I feel sure I’d be there on a monthly basis at least. The Museum+Art Gallery is currently incorporating the Grayson Art Club (we’ve been once and will no doubt return a couple of times before the exhibition closes in September. I’ll continue to sketch most days – although doing so in the winter months is a little restrictive.  
We would normally have tried to book tickets for the theatre but, again, Covid concerns still make us both feel uncomfortable at present. Similarly, I would usually have booked concert tickets at St George’s, but still feel rather reluctant to do so at present.
I’m less involved or, frankly, interested in church matters these days (tending to avoid services at HTH… but also not really switched on to or enthusiastic about Saint Stephen’s services (I’m in something of a spiritual wilderness).
So, my only real ‘outside contacts’ these days are bookgroup, urban sketching and ‘Blokes’-related stuff.
We probably need to make arrangements to get people round to Deanery Road for coffee or lunch or supper over the coming months (Covid permitting)… Dave+Sarah, Janice+Nigel for instance.
I also need to continue arranging zooming sessions (especially with Alan).
I’m also very conscious that we’ll probably not see much of I+R unless we organise stuff (their weekends seem sacrosanct and so we probably need to ensure that we get together for chips(?) occasionally during the school holidays.