2016: Pushing the Boat Out?

Ho Ho Hello,

Wishing you and yours a Happy Christmas and healthy new year. We’re spending the day at home in Lewes with our most splendid tree, carefully prepared menu of culinary delights, and special guests.

As the calendar comes to the end of a year marked by important national races with uncertain, destabilising outcomes here’s a roundup to bend your ear and provide some cheer. While prospects for 2017 aren’t exactly an empty canvas we can still paint what we like to make it beautiful so let’s do it.

The year in a few words:

Will, now 12, is back on the bottom of the pile in his first year of jacket, tie and carefully manicured hair secondary school. Highlights include a Distinction on his Grade 4 Cello exam, day out at Goodwood Festival of Speed and Mercedes driving experience for his birthday reaching a top speed of 35 mph and third gear. A Segway entered his life this summer and forever changed how he interacts with the outdoors. These days he prefers communicating in German, wears hilariously big shoes and has settled on studying engineering as an outlet for his automotive enthusiasm.

Marian was selected to join the Brighton Festival Chorus performing alongside the Brighton Symphony and London Philharmonic this autumn. Attending concerts have made for some memorable days out for everybody and a wonderful outlet for her musical affections. She continues to do incredibly well in her work managing a  flight of stairs commute or campervan mobile office(he says jealously).

I’ve not much to say for myself really. Despite the reactionary movements apparent in Brexit and Trumpworld, the practical limitations and hypocrisy of the ideologies they represent will no doubt prove disqualifying in practice. While we’re still pushing the functional finance framework and progress is slow, the limitations of orthodox policy continue to manifest with solutions in our direction. Otherwise, managed two paintings this year for a change of visual stimulation around the house.

Music

Now I know what you're thinking. How can a year full of fantastic new albums from Andrew Bird, Radiohead, Wilco, et al be all bad? And you are right music continues to be a beautifully redeeming reason not to give up on society and culture even in a largely Radio 1,X Factor-televised talentless autotuned world.

Person of the Year

That “surreal” topped the Merriam-Webster word of the year list pretty much says it all about 2016.

For me, in part due to the nomination of the first female Presidential candidate from a major party in the US, I was constantly reminded of the increasing leadership positions held by women around the world. There are now 26 female heads of state, not including the queen, with many other policy makers such as Janet Yellen, Christine Lagarde and Elisabeth Warren and many others prominent in their fields as well. A positive, perhaps timely, development that is worthy of note and praise. Even though the most privileged group in the history of the world, the white American male, had a hissy fit and gave us Trumpism  the continued march of equality and civil rights will persevere. If you’re not convinced here are 99 reasons 2016 was pretty good and to be optimistic.

Well, all that's left to say now is Peace and Love to you all the best from us,

Bryan, Marian and Will