I HOPE you had the most wonderful Christmas and that your sprouts weren’t overcooked and your roast done to perfection. As a bit of fun, here’s a little round up from me about some of the best and worst I’ve found in 2024.
Discovery of the Year: Without a doubt it’s The Northern Belle train. Pullman carriages that take you on a wonderful ride for the day, departing from stations as close as Wakefield. Not cheap but still worth it. Going on it and scoffing a seven-course meal was research for a book. My job truly stinks sometimes.
Advice of the Year: Someone telling me to pray to St Anthony after I lost my prized silver bracelet and it turning up against all the odds. I was totally gobsmacked.
Gulp of the Year: The moment when my childhood family home passed to its new owner. A rush of fifty-years’ worth of lovely memories drowned me on completion day and though we have to march forward, I wish I could have dipped back in time and been there with all my family again, just for a half an hour.
Shock of the Year: Turning sixty. It feels so much older than fifty-nine. Although being able to get a senior railcard at this age has saved me a fair bit of brass. Only wish I’d used my Tesco Clubcard points to get it cheaper.
Disappointment of the Year: Without a question of a doubt, Mr Two-Face Keir Starmer ‘Promise us champagne, but instead give us Cava’. Is there one promise he made that he hasn’t U-turned on? The latest is shafting the WASPI women after sympathising about their plight before he got in. And we all had such high hopes too.
Revelation of the Year: After a physio told me my agonising symptoms of knee arthritis would disappear if I dropped some lard, I did and they have. If anything is going to keep me away from Potts’s eclairs it’s the fact that I’m moving around now like a spring lamb rather than a crippled crab.
Favourite Barnsley Place of the Year: I love the market. I love Mike’s Famous Book Stall. I love chatting with his customers and I love the way someone puts a coffee and a biscuit on the escalator for me to get at the top when I’m signing book there. Magic.
Funniest Moment of the Year: The debacle we had getting our rescue dog into the groomers is right up there with any Only Fools and Horses sketch. Although it was only humorous after the fact. And it’s the dog’s own fault she missed out on a cut and blow, and a blueberry face mask and ended up with us snipping at her instead with the kitchen scissors.
Book of the Year: Yorkshire girl Jane McDonald’s book ‘Let the Light in’ is the most charming, heartfelt, emotional and readable autobiography I think I’ve ever read.
Hero of the Year: It’s got to be this year’s Proud of Barnsley ‘YOUNG SUPERSTAR’ winner 14-year-old Freddie Davies who shaved off his hair in support of his mum who was having cancer treatment and raising money for the chemotherapy ward. And they even made the trip up to the Chron offices afterwards to drop off a thank you present. Worra lad (and mum).
Lovely Person of the Year: Too many to name. Thank you all for your support in what has been a difficult year for me. You know who you are and I’m grateful and touched you’ve put yourself out for me.
Wishing you all a very happy new year xxx
