2024 and the Magic of Friendship

This past year has been one for the books, and not necessarily in the way any of us saw coming. The unexpected happened, the dreaded, and where from that moment on everything seemed to hang in the balance, and you couldn’t help but wonder how things would ever feel okay again.

But somehow it has, and it is. The outcome is better than any of us dreamed because it hasn’t just met our hopes, its surpassed them and has made me realise that miracles really do happen, and no matter how dark things seem, you can’t stop believing.

I’m not avoiding saying exactly what this ‘thing’ was to be cryptic or aloof; it’s just private and it’s not for me to explain. That may or may not happen; it’s down to the person directly affected.

But if there’s one thing that carried us all through, it was keeping in regular contact (more than normal) and the time we spent together. This year has been a reminder of how important it is to surround yourself with people who lift you up in more ways than can be explained.

We’ve shared lots of creative times, where ideas have flowed as they always do when we’re together. Those moments were inspiring and energising, the kind of times that remind you why you love doing what you do.

But, what’s stood out even more has been the quality time we’ve spent together. The laughter, the conversations, the quiet moments of simply being there for one another—it’s those times that have truly made this year unforgettable.

Looking back, I’m struck by just how much our friendships mean. They’ve been the anchor through uncertainty, the light through dark times, and the spark that’s kept us moving forward.

This year has taught me that no matter what life throws at you, there’s strength in sticking together. There’s hope in believing things can get better, and that the outcome can not only be okay, but extraordinary.

So, to my friends: thank you for being my constant, my motivation, and my safe space.

To anyone else reading this, treasure the people in your life with whom you feel supported and inspired. Sometimes, simply being there for one another is the most important thing you can do.

The 'Friends' Portrait Project

Yesterday … a great day with friends which also saw the start of our ‘Friends Portrait Project’ which, over the next couple of months is a project that will intentionally mean we get to know each other way more than we currently do.

Back Row (L to R): Ian Munro , Gerwyn ‘Gez’ Williams , Anthony Crothers

Front Row (L to R): Brian Dukes , Dave Clayton & Yours Truly

This is to be a very personal project that’s going be quite a ride with the conclusion seeing us each revealing a portrait , composite , design … whatever, that visually describes and explains who the person is, what they mean to you, and how you ‘see’ them.

What really makes that person tick? Why are they like they are? What is important to them? What is there in their past and present that makes them the person they are? Their values. Their motivations. Likes, Loves, Dislikes. Life events.

There are no rules. There’s no competition. This is a project with the sole purpose of not just knowing, but understanding each other, and an exercise that will make close friends, even closer.

Each and every part of the process is being filmed, with the final part bringing us together and revealing to each other, the pictures we’ve created.

The first part today … Who will Photograph Who?

And so it begins …

Billy, Bone and the Tree Keeper

A very dear and close friend of ours, Keith Trayling, who within the last year was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease has written his first children’s book called Billy, Bone and the Tree Keeper and we couldn’t be happier or prouder…

Poetry, which is how the book is written, seems to have been a lifeline for Keith since his diagnosis. Each and every time we meet up, he’s been busy putting pen to paper laying down words that recount daily occurrences, memories and such, in Keith’s playful and humorous manner.

Billy, Bone and the Tree Keeper is the first in a series of books about the Adventures of Billy and his 4-legged best friend Bone, and to see the joy in Keith at having the first book published, is just so incredibly moving.

Here’s a short video promo for the book that I put together from when Keith and Bridget came over for a bite to eat and I convinced him to read a few pages that I could record…

Now I’m no web designer but I’ve also made the website for the book and did it using SquareSpace (took a morning to do it) where you can discover more about the book, what the message and educational side to it is, plus learn about Keith and where the inspiration for the book series came from.

Here’s the link: https://www.billyandbone.com

Keith yesterday when the first print copies finally arrived from the publishers

Keith and Bridget have worked incredibly hard and invested to get the adventures, messages and life lessons of Billy and Bone out into the world (something that is so incredibly important to Keith) and even though a few orders have come in from friends and locals, I’d love for us to be able to help them spread the word far and wide.

Through the website, Keith is personally signing and adding messages to copies of the book which are able to be posted worldwide, so if you’d like a copy for yourself, for your children, as a gift or simply because you’d like to support one of life’s truly good people, that would be utterly fantastic!

Yesterday I sent an email to people within my Email Group and last night Bridget messaged to say that orders have come in from people they don’t know, so thank you!

To be able to help good people … people who have been there for us and been a shoulder when things haven’t been so good, but have also celebrated our successes as if they were their own, is a wonderful feeling.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Thank you for taking the time to learn about Billy and Bone, and, well … just thank you.

Glyn

Taken when Keith, Bridget and Arthur came to visit a couple of weeks back and I recorded Keith reading part of Billy, Bone and the Tree Keeper