The ends loom – a quarter of the year gone

Which means I’m 1/4 way through the challenge to write a blog every week. Still making granola too – which is getting better each time. Unlike the blog.

The quarter is drawing to a close – as is the financial year athough not my business year so I’ve been distracted chasing invoices, preparing VAT returns and pension regulator re-enrolment. Boring but necessary bureaucracy I suppose. And at least it has come at a time of relative quiet – so I can get it cleared before …. well before whatever comes next.

Been a good start to he year and I was pleased to complete work with both Recovery Connections and Kaleidoscope – both great organisations, at different stages of their development and history and each thinking about what comes next, succession planning and strategic development. Got a fascinating insight into the challenges facing organisations on a daily basis and as ever was utterly blown away by the enthusiasm and compassion of the workforce and and the sheer resilience of those they work with.

I’ll try and do some more of that next year.

Of course whilst finding myself with some more time I decided to sign up for Cancer Research “100 press ups a day in April” – so that’ll be 3000 press ups in a month. Which I reckon is 2900 more press ups than I’ve done in the last 40 years. Feel free to sponsor me – I’ll re-tweet the link.

Really pleased to see a bill progressing in Scotland about ‘assisted dying’ – something that is overwhelmingly supported by ‘the public’ and increasingly supported by medical professionals. Just seems unfathomable to me that people are denied the right to choose when and how to end their lives due to other people’s moral or religious objections.

As Dignity in Dying say “Assisted dying doesn’t mean more people die – it means fewer people suffer”.

Had lunch last week with two old friends and housemates from our time as Polytechnic students in the 80’s. One of whom I hadn’t seen since that time. There’s something really special about those kind of re-connections, reminiscing and reflecting upon what’s come since. At the time we rarely talked about much other than whose round it was and what gig we were going to next. Plus ca change….. All helped by meeting to listen to the new Adrianne Lenker album (it’s sublime) and Bao Buns at The Pond (divine).

Politically we just seem to be crashing from one piece of ineptness to the next – I don’t care how people are going to vote (well I do obviously) but we do need to have an election where someone actually has a mandate and can govern uninterrupted for a period of time. Otherwise we’ll continue to literally swim in sh*t, have no long term energy plan and be wrangling over abhorrent policies or promotions.

Anyway – long weekend for Easter, two friends are turning 60 (clearly much older than me) and I’m preparing for the excitement of seeing Paul Weller on Tuesday for a pre-tour warm up gig.