The weekend before New Year I stayed with my oldest friend Jonathon Loose, his wife Gale, her friend Philleda, and neice Rachel, his daughter Helen and her boyfriend Paul. Very nice house in Kingstone Winslow in the Vale of the White Horse. On Sunday some of us walked round the White Horse, with Helen’s dog Beach. When we got back Rachel was playing guitar and the mandolin she got for Christmas. She also plays piano and trumpet and sings beautifully. We stumbled through some music together. Delightful.

I went for a late beer at the local and bought a ticket for the New Year do, but I didn’t go. Drank a few glasses of wine and went to bed.

Since then I’ve been booze free and back at work. Not quite as difficult as I expected.