Month: January 2026

Ten reasons why January sucks

I am fed up with January. I know there are only two days to go, but it all feels to have been pretty miserable. Here are ten reasons that this of all months sucks.

  1. It is so dark. I know I could buy vitamin D tablets to replace the sunshine, but I just miss the sun. Getting up in the dark, afternoons in the dark. I crave daylight.
  2. It is so wet. I actually feel like it has not stopped raining since September. Driving back from the hotel we stayed in last week, the roads were flooded and the rain was torrential.
  3. It is so cold. Strange because I used to like cold weather. I miss going skiing for instance. But this year the cold seems to have got into my bones.
  4. No fruit or veg is in season. I like fresh food, and this is the worst month. Even the Christmas sprouts have finished. You can get parsnips, potatoes, carrots and apples and that is about it.
  5. The canals are closed. I appreciate this one is very personal to me but I want to get out and about again. Next week we will go down to Narrowboat Thuis for a week or so, but we will probably have to stay in the marina because most canals are closed due to winter maintenance.
  6. It is so muddy. Many of the walks I like for the dogs have become quagmires. It is cold but not cold enough to freeze the ground. Miserable.
  7. There is so much salt on the roads. I am not precious about my car but I do like to see out of the windows. One short drive in January and it is covered in salt and dirt.
  8. So many things are closed. I love to visit a stately home. I love to go on a steam train. I keep looking for things to do to cheer me up but I keep bumping into “open at Easter” messages.
  9. It is twelve months till Christmas. I think I love the festive season the most, but in a flash it is over and we are back to the grind of endless January.
  10. It is still so dark.

On the plus side, we are going down to Brighton this weekend to see our son and fiancée acting in their or local village pantomime. Maybe that will brighten my mood. Oh no it won’t.

January. Bah humbug.

0

What is it like to stay in a cottage in a hotel?

I have written in previous blogs about our favourite hotel – Swinton Park in North Yorkshire. We have stayed at least once a year since it opened in 2001. Indeed, I once stayed in 1989, long before it was a hotel. It used to be a training college and I was sent on one of those team building courses that were all the rage in the ‘80s; mixing team theory with raft building and high rope walks.

What we have always liked about Swinton is the mix of relaxation and luxury. I am writing this in the Drawing Room, with lots of comfy sofas, a piano playing, and a log fire. You don’t get that in a Premier Inn.

This year we are trying something different. As well as the hotel rooms, ranging from cozy to massive suites, they now have cottages you can rent. And in January they do amazing offers, with prices about a third of rack rate. So we are staying in High Swinton Cottage for three nights, over Mandy’s birthday. It has a comfortable lounge, a dining room and a large stone kitchen.

It has the benefits of self catering where we have our own space, but still being next to the hotel we can easily use the facilities here. Mandy has a massage booked this afternoon, and we are having a fancy meal in the restaurant tonight. Tomorrow, we are seeing a birds of prey display, taking afternoon tea, and wandering along a winter light trail through the very large grounds.

But I am finding it a little strange. Sitting here in the hotel, I feel like an interloper, and when I am in the cottage it is not quite the luxury of the hotel. I think it would have been better if we were sharing with friends or family but with last minute booking we could not make that work this time.

I know what Mandy would say. I am sweating the small stuff instead of enjoying the visit. We are so lucky to have these choices. It is a great way to be retired. So I will just look out of the Drawing Room window to see the deer and the pheasants. I will listen to the automatic pianist playing themes from the shows. I will put another log on the fire. And I will try my very best to enjoy the moment instead of worrying about what comes next.

I find that so hard.

0

Why am I only walking one dog?

We have two eleven year old cairn terriers, Ziggy and Lulu. Ever since they were puppies we have loved going for walks together. We have done some pretty strenuous walks including parts of the West Highland and Southern Upland Ways. They always had so much more energy than me, running up ahead and then coming back as we walked. Unfortunately Ziggy now has multiple cancers and it has reached the stage where I can only take Lulu for walks.

Ziggy doesn’t like it. She has a strong fear of missing out, and looks at me with her big brown eyes when I leave her at the door. Lulu doesn’t like it. She shouts at me that I have forgotten her sister, and she misses her playmate on the beach. And I don’t like it. I miss my companion, with her gangling gait and “at heel” loyalty.

But even taking her down the road to the village green is becoming too much. She just needs to be at home, in the warm, mostly sleeping. It is a sad situation.

But I should celebrate that she is still with us. She was given three months to live a year and a half ago, and she still welcomes me with a wagging tail when I get her up in the morning. And when she has gone it will be even tougher for Lulu. She isn’t the sharpest of dogs and will not understand.

But for now I will make the most of my walks with Lulu, and my time with Ziggy, cuddling her and giving her sausages.

Sorry for a downbeat blog this week. I’ll get back to my usual “everything is awesome” next week.

0

Are jigsaws a waste of time?

My wife likes to do jigsaw puzzles. My mum also enjoys them, though she can only do 500 piece ones these days. I quite like the cartoon ones but I have always found jigsaws a bit of a waste of time. Surely I could be doing something more productive than moving bits of cardboard around a table.

This week I have really been enjoying building this space shuttle jigsaw. It is three dimensional and built of wood, so feels more like a model than a toy but it is still a jigsaw. It was a secret Santa present so I felt obligated to build it. I am glad I did because it felt like a real achievement to complete it.

So is doing a jigsaw a waste of time? Have I been wasting my time? Maybe I have but I have also been watching TV this week and how productive is that? And I have read the latest Rory Stewart book, which was also given to me at Christmas. For some reason, reading does not feel like a waste of time, but what good does it really do?

Also I am very aware of Mandy reminding me that we are retired and entitled to relax.

So will I start doing more jigsaws?

Probably not. They are a waste of time.

2

It’s looking like it’s going to be a wonderful new year

We are staying for a few days with our eldest son Robbie, and his partner Alessa, in their swanky house on the South Downs. I woke up this morning to the most beautiful sunrise.

We really are blessed to live in such a stunning country. Whether we are living on Narrowboat Thuis, or in bricks & mortar houses, there are few countries like the UK. I spent much of 2025 grumbling about the weather. When we were on the boat in the summer, it was sometimes so very hot. The canals dried up and became unnavigable. From September to December it felt like the rain never let up. The ground in some areas became like a marsh.

But on crisp, cold, clear mornings like today I could not wish for a better place to live. And having Christmas with one son and New year with the other, both with their wonderful girlfriends has been such a privilege. I am a very lucky chap.

I think it is a sign for me in 2026. My New Year’s resolution is not to complain about the weather or other challenges and what they are stopping me doing. Instead I will enjoy the moment and what it allows me to do.

A very very happy new year to you and your family.

Pete

0

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑