Author name: Mark Haworth

Well as a further year looks to be drawing to a close, and I reflect on the content of this blog, I can see that my so called “goal” of keeping it reasonanbly current has again fallen by the wayside. I’m reluctant to provide any sort of promise that next year will be different, but I’ll try.

In short it’s been a good year. Work has been challenging and interesting, and while I still don’t get as much time to persue my interests as I would like, it’s much improved on this time last year. If I am to change anything next year, it will be to set some sort of time management routine to ensure I get to dedicate sufficient time to those things that interest me the most. So, what are the priorities? Well here are some, and in no particular order.

1) – Having swapped all my amateur radio gear, I’m still keen to get back on the bands more than I have in 2012. With that in mind, I’m going to concentrate in two areas. One, the Tuesday evening VHF RSGB contests. Clearly I’ll only be able to do that while I’m not travelling, but these contests give the ability to get quick results from experiementing with home made arials. And I also need to  concentrate on CW on an HF band too. It needs to be a band where I can get contacts pretty much any time of the day and time of year too, so LF is the only way to go. Currently I’d say it’s likely to be 30m, but 5MHz and Top Band may yet still be in the mix.

2) – This Christmas, my good lady bought me something I’ve always wanted since I was a kid, an electric guitar. I am hoping that by the end of the year I’ll be able to bang out some tunes. Having spent two evenings on chapter one of the beginers book of guitar, I can confirm that the likes of Brian May and Eric Clapton make it look ridiculously easy. So far, I can play three notes on one string. Well at least it’s a start. Aiming for aroud half and hour a day when I’m at home.

3) – I’ve been extremely lucky over the last couple of years to be involved with the wonderful TV programme “Time Team”. I even managed to be part of what turned out to be the last ever dig at Brancaster (to be broadcast in January 2013). While I am greatly saddened by Channel 4’s decicion to “pull” the programme after 20 years, my hope is that we haven’t yet seen the end of it. With that in mind, I’ve already attended what the series producer (Tim Taylor) hopes will be its successor, DigVillage. For further information on DigVillage click here. If plans come to fruition, I believe there may be around five of these next year, and I’ve an invite to attend them all. Work travel permitting, I aim to be there 🙂

4) – In recent years, the number of times we escape for a day or two walking in the Lake District have fallen dramatically, in fact this last year, I can’t even remember one visit. Needless to say, I’m aiming to improve on that in 2013!

5) – As regards fitness and exercise, I can thankfully report that this year has seen a continuation from the previous year. I’m run somewhere between four and six miles most days. I’ve still not run  anything further than half marathon distance, and I’ve no desire to enter any formal races or suchlike. Neverthesss, I feel I need to have some form of target for 2013. It’s not much, but I’ve set 20 miles as a target distance. No timescales, it’ll happen when  the timing / conditions are right. But hopefully I’ll achieve it in 2013.

6) – Golf, plain and simple goal here, to play at least one medal every month during the summer season. I need to get my active hapndicap back! In addition I must play a lot more golf with Mikey this year too.

7) – To try and give more frequent updates to this blog. Time will tell if I succeed!

There are probably loads more things that I should list here, I can even think of a few now, but those listed above are at least a start.

In the meantime , I hope everyone had a great Christmas, and furthermore, wish everyone a great 2013.

M.