Hi, I hope this year has treated you well, and that you've been having fun! So here's my years highlights in pictures .... I finally made it back overseas to France & UK in July-Aug. I flew into Paris for a couple of days to relax and see a few sights, including Musee d'Orsay. Then I caught the train south to the Studio Hop Balboa Swing dance camp in Le Mont Dore for a week, and then stayed on for another week enjoying the scenery with my friend Ingrid from Germany. The photos show one of the evening dances, the "Grand Cascade" and the view from the top of Puy de Sancy with Le Mont Dore in the valley in the distance. Whilst staying on, we had the Tour de France La Femme's ride past us on the Mon! Then I caught the Eurostar train to London. I stayed there a few days, with a highlight being the ABBA Voyage concert. An awesome experience. I also visited several galleries & museums, including seeing the Rosetta Stone in the British Museum. It was then off to to visit cousin's Ginny & Frank in central Wales. The photo shows me above one of the Elan Valley dams, gorgeous Victorian engineering. I then spent a relaxing few days visiting my friend Linda at Bolton-le-Sands on Morecombe Bay. And finally I headed to Port Sunlight near Liverpool to see Colin & Rachel. The photo shows the Beatles statue on the Liverpool waterfront.
Back in Australia, I also made a couple of week long trips to Brisbane for swing dance events. The first was in May to the "Brisbane Swing Thing" social exchange (photo of me with friends Zoe & Yolanda and the event photo sign). I also saw the "Dinosaurs of Patagonia" exhibition while I was there, which was great. I headed back there at the end of Sept for the Brisbane Balboa Weekend of workshops and dances, which was also lots of fun. The photo shows the Sat evening dance at Elements Collective with a big band. Both times I also just enjoyed relaxing in the warmer weather, and going for a swim at Southbank. At the end of Nov I drove to Melbourne for MLX (Melbourne Lindy eXchange) which was finally back post covid. 5 nights of dances with 2 late night parties was fun but tiring!
On the folk side, I was at the National Folk Festival at Easter as usual, and enjoyed lots of music and some dancing, the photo is from the Jane Austen Ball. The following weekend I went to the Brindabella Regency and Victorian Dance Festival at Wesley Hall, which was also lots of fun. Some wonderful costumes were seen at both events. Then in Oct I spent a Sat at the Canberra Irish Set Dance weekend, going to workshops and the evening ceili at the Hall Pavilion. It was nice to see friends from elsewhere at these events.
Last Dec, while in Melbourne with family for Christmas & New Year, I went to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Princess Theatre. It was a great show, and I had a nice seat at the front of the top circle. Then a couple of weeks later I went to see the "Time, Rone" exhibition in the old Flinders Street Station ballroom. A fascinating and interesting reimaging of historic Melbourne. Back in Canberra I saw the Feared and Revered exhibition of images of the feminine through the ages at the National Museum of Australia (the photo shows Kylie's Aphrodite costume with a statue of Venus behind). I also saw several of the Jazida productions burlesque popup shows. And I went to some circus performances, including at the Circus Festival Market Day in Apr.
I also went to a number of my favorite regular Canberra events including to Enlighten (photo showing projection on the National Gallery) at the start of Mar. Just after was the Balloon Spectacular (the photo includes "Buster the Bulldog" which was the feature balloon this year, among the group of inflating balloons). And I made a couple of trips to see Floriade in Sept.
I made a trip to Sydney for a few days to see this year's Sculpture by the Sea at the start of Nov. I walked the path 3 times while there to enjoy the sculptures, and very much enjoyed the sculptures on display this year. I've included photos of 2 sculptures I liked. I'm also out regularly walking a street orienteering course most weeks of the year. I'm still helping publish the electronic courses each week. There are not many photos of me at orienteering. But I did get this nice photo of this Firepit at Wildbark in Throsby in Oct. I also enjoyed finally seeing John & Aylwen Garden's new property near Yass at their dance day at the end of Oct. The photo shows us dancing the Chess Dance that John composed, on their outdoor cheesboard.
I've been enjoying going to live music events at a number of bars & cafes in Canberra with swing dance friends. In particular, I've been enjoying some wonderful blues & jazz music at "Blue Eyes bar & lounge" with its great glamour theme. And the staff are happy to have some dancers there, which is wonderful. In other news for the year, I finally have a new car! A Hyundai Kona Highlander EV, photo here of it in my front yard soon after I collected it mid-Sept. I've also had a charger installed in the carport, and I'm really enjoying driving it. Its made a couple of long trips, to Sydney and Melbourne where I needed to use fast chargers, but otherwise its kept charged at home. And finally, after over a year and a half of work, the new 5th edition of the "Computer Security" text I co-authored was finally done and published in print and digital. And I have some authors copies to show off!
And a few more photos that I didn't get room to squeeze into the printed letter. A lovely painting in the Musee d'Orsay. The Bronte sisters portraits at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Ginny & Frank at Brecon Cathedral. Morecambe Bay. Alien costume in the Science Museum in London. Some Apollo Remastered photos in Birkenhead. And a colorful parrot in my backyard at home.
The Big Swoop sculpture in City Walk. And 2 more Sculpture by the Sea photos. Next dancing at the Folk Society's Mr Fezziwigs Ball, the Melbourne Myer store's Christmas window display, and Kangaroo Paws in full bloom in the Australian Garden at Cranbourne, all last Dec (in 2022). And lastly, the mural at Narrabundah Shops that I'm using for this year's card. Illuminated creatures in Civic Square during Enlighten. And dancing at The Old Museum for the "Brisbane Swing Thing".
