Reasons to be Cheerful 2022

1.     Jude’s infectious smile.

2.     Jude’s babbling.

3.     The birth of Jude.

4.     The happiness a new baby brings to the whole family.

5.     Kit adapting well to his brother: we’ll take general indifference over raging jealousy.

6.     Kit’s speech coming on.

7.     Going with my mum to see Les Mis: she’d always wanted to go.

8.     The students in my debate team holding their own against selective schools.

9.     Kit saying, “He came,” when he opened his present from Santa.

10.  Kit’s mischievous giggle.

11.  How much Kit loves going to the library.

12.  The way Kit points at me and says, “You’re my daddy.” He seems surprisingly ok with the idea.

13.  Playing a new game at Christmas: we got Tension this year.

14.  My mum came through and got me a book this Christmas.

15.  Gallows Pole by Benjamin Myers was my favourite book this year.

16.  Closely followed by the comic writer, Georgia Pritchet’s memoir, My Mess Is A Bit Of A Life.

17.  The women brought football home.

18.  England winning the Euros was great for the nation, but I was really pleased for my brother who has followed the women’s game for fifteen years.

19.  Watford keeping hold of Joao Pedro.

20.  Jude Bellingham showing wisdom beyond his years. A great first name too.

21.  Southgate staying on.

22.  The flight to and from Australia wasn’t the expected disaster: the boys slept pretty well.

23.  Sitting in Harriet’s aunt and uncle’s hot tub in Australia.

24.  Going to Fremantle: coffee bars, record shops and breweries. What a great place!

25.  Talking to Carl about classic British comedies.

26.  The pizza I had in that brewery in Mandurah was the best I’ve ever had.

27.  I saw an actual dolphin in the water.

28.  Carl and Linda made a great Chilli con carne on our first night in Australia.

29.  We saw kangaroos in the wild.

30.  Harriet’s cousin Emma finding out her art had sold whilst we were there.

31.  Clea getting her first acting jobs following her graduation from WAAPA.

32.  Baptising Jude’s feet in Swanage waters.

33.  The Good Friday episode of Derry Girls.

34.  Jack and Danny’s friendship in Big Boys.

35.  Jimmy and Kim sharing a cigarette.

36.  Ben Whishaw’s acting in This Is Going To Hurt.

37.  PJ Harvey’s cover of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Who By Fire’ on Bad Sisters.

38.  Loved the recent series of Taskmaster.

39.  I get things wrong at work, but I’m still grafting. My dad believed in graft and so do I.

40.  The Conservatives disproving the notion that they know how to govern.

41.  Boris Johnson being cast off into the wilderness. He said, “I’ll be back.” Unfortunately, I wouldn’t bet against him.

42.  My mum renewed my Radio Times subscription.

43.  My brother bought me an Audible subscription for my birthday and it’s allowed me to listen to classics I wouldn’t have had the time to read: Jane Eyre and Tess of the D’Urbervilles.

44.  BorrowBox is a great App. This year I’ve listened to Where The Crawdads Sing, Shuggie Bain, Adam Kay: Undoctored and Elton John: Me. All you need is a library card and you get all audio downloads for free.

45.  Our local library is wonderful. It is more than a book borrowing service. They provide free computers and internet for people that otherwise couldn’t access them. They provide daily craft activities and weekly play sessions for babies and toddlers. It is a children’s centre, social service and cultural hub. The library is very special.

46.  Having a cup of tea whilst doing my writing.

47.  I’ve really got into peanut butter and banana on toast because of Kit. It wouldn’t have been a combination I would have contemplated if Harriet didn’t do it for Kit. Now, I love it.

48.  The run-up to Christmas.

49.  We’re a mid-terrace and are bordered by very kind neighbours.

50.  Seeing Kit’s face when he jumps in a muddy puddle.

51.  Harriet’s mum and dad kindly treated us to a trip to Centre Parcs in November – Kit still talks about it.

52.  Laughing at one another’s incorrect answers when we play a game at Christmas.

53.  The homespun charm of Ted Lasso.

54.  Kit plays football on a Sunday. He is all over the place. A maverick without the mercurial talent. The coaches there are so kind with him though. Despite his incompetence, they enjoy his company. Seeing other people smile at him makes me feel unbiased about his qualities. I think he’s got the potential to be a very lovely boy and man.

55.  Finding the time to read.

56.  I did do a 10k in October, which although stupid, given I got up early to train for it, did give me a feeling of satisfaction.

57.  Belfast was the only film I saw in the cinema this year. Given it was the only one, it was a pretty good one to see.

58.  I listened to Sweet Bobby at the start of the year and was utterly gripped by it.

59.  My brother didn’t have a drill when he moved in, so I hung his memorabilia up for him. They’re still hanging. This shouldn’t be something I’m proud of, but power tools and me go together like oil and water.

60.  Getting to see Mark Rylance as Johnny Rooster in Jerusalem.

61.  Watching Mackenzie Crook on stage. Detectorists is my favourite sitcom of the last ten years, so to see him in person was great.

62.  I work with incredibly dedicated people.

63.  At the end of the school year, a student’s parent got me a crate of beer to say ‘thank you’. I’m not someone who gets given gifts by students and parents, despite my letter writing campaigns in the run-up to holidays; this therefore was a real treat.

64.  Kieran and Zoe.

65.  Taking myself out of my comfort zone and trying to do crafts with Kit.

66.  Watching my boys play in the water.

67.  Seeing Emma’s print in an art exhibition.

68.  Jill Scott winning I’m A Celebrity.

69.  Hamza and Helen getting to the final in Strictly made Harriet happy.

70.  An Allyson Woodhouse buffet.

71.  Harriet’s dad putting up with my limited practical skills.

72.  I saw Alan Partridge this year.

73.  Maxine Peake being interviewed on Desert Island Discs.

74.  Richard E Grant on Adam Buxton’s Podcast.

75.  Kermode and Mayo seamlessly made the transition from the BBC to Sony.

76.  Simon Mayo is a great interviewer.

77.  James Joyce’s Ulysses on Radio 4. I tried to read it at uni and failed. This was an abridged dramatisation and I loved it. Admittedly, the Dedalus parts weren’t to my liking, but the Bloom bits were great. I haven’t got the patience for the text; however, I think I’ll give the audiobook a go one day.

78.  The BBC turned 100. It is so important to me. It is where I get my education from. Whether it be a play on Radio 3, a book on Radio 4, TV reviews on 5 Live or a live set on 6 Music; I need it. And that’s just the radio.

79.  The England men and women’s football teams are fantastic role models.

80.  Rashford and Saka’s poetic dribbling was a rejoinder to the racist graffiti of online trolls.

81.  Ian Hislop challenging Gary Neville on Have I Got News For You.

82.  Joe Lycett taking ‘national hero’ David Beckham to task.

83.  Claire Keegan’s Small Things Like These chronicles true heroism in crystalline prose.

84.  Having dinner with my mum, Kieran, Harriet and the boys on Fridays.

85.  Teaching has made me more confident at dealing with tricky situations. I recently had a standoff in a mobile phone repair shop. I don’t like confrontation, but I didn’t blink. I gave them the full Eastwood; they gave me a full refund.

86.  My brother always gets me some nice ales on my birthday.

87.  Dec and I saw a bill at The Comedy Store. Troy Hawke headlined it. We had no idea who he was at the time. He’s now massive with his Greeter’s Guild character. It’s great when you see people before they become huge. It makes you feel smug. “I saw them before you heard of them,” you think, but don’t say.

88.  I made some cakes to thank mentors for their hard work this year. The cakes weren’t disastrous.

89.  One of the senior leaders in her assembly week has each student write a thank you note to a teacher of their choice. She then puts these messages in staff’s pigeonholes. I wasn’t inundated with notes (I didn’t have to apply to the site team for an extension for my pigeonhole), but the few I received were a fillip, a feeling that the effort is worth it.

90.  I just heard Grayson Perry got made a Sir. Personally, I would turn down an Honour, given my republicanism (unlikely I’ll ever have to have that difficult conversation with a Royal emissary; I don’t think they reward Services to Radio Times reading) but I’m pleased Grayson got recognised.

91.  A sell-out crowd at Wembley to watch The Lionesses roar.

92.  The time I’ve been able to spend with Jude. He’s coming up to five months. Through school holidays and paternity leave I’ve been at home nearly half of that time.

93.  Having a second child is less scary than having a first child. It’s busier, but less daunting.

94.  I think Kit has got a sense of humour. My dream of turning out one comedian need not be a pipe dream. I just need to be like Richard Williams and train him relentlessly to hit joke winners. And if my hunch is wrong and Kit is humourless, then his younger brother might have some jokes in him. I’ve doubled my chances now.

95.  Lionel Messi lifting the World Cup.

96.  My cousins who got married this year.

97.  My cousins in Sri Lanka and Canada who conformed to the stereotype of Sri Lankans being hardworking. Well done on your excellent qualifications.

98.  Matt and Sarah are doing so well in their respective professions.

99.  Allyson’s operation appears to have go well.

100.                 I have the most amazing partner in my life. Harriet is a wonderful mum, wife, teacher and friend. I have two beautiful children. I may ask myself, “How did I get here?”

Reasons to be Cheerful 2021

 

1.     Emma Raducanu winning the US Open.

2.     Shamefully, I only listened to two albums from start to finish this year. I’m glad one of them was Bo Burnham’s Inside. His finest hour, a lockdown work-of-art.

3.     Help was a searing, vital piece of television.

4.     Jack Thorne is a national treasure: his Desert Island Discs was so moving, a real tribute to his mum and dad who gave their life to the care of others.

5.     The chemistry between Sharon Horgan and Aisling Bea in This Way Up.

6.     Stath Lets Flats grows more confident each series. Jamie Demetriou has created an iconic comedy character.

7.     Rose giving a platform to the deaf community on Strictly.

8.     Russell T Davis’ It’s A Sin had it all: comedy, tragedy, music – it was an education on a dark period in British history.

9.     The British public seem to be growing tired of Boris Johnson. Serious times requires a serious mind: the man is frequently found wanting.

10.  Tom Daley achieving gold.

11.  Watching Rhod Gilbert doing stand-up in October.

12.  Going back to Vicarage Road in August for the opening day. The atmosphere was electric.

13.  Getting tickets to see Watford’s favourite, Elton John.

14.  Next year, I’m down to see Jez Butterworth’s Jerusalem and Steve Coogan’s Alan Partridge.

15.  Seeing Hamilton on a Disney+ free trial. It isn’t hyperbolic to say it’s Shakespearean in scope, exuberance and artistry.

16.  My brother getting his flat how he wants it.

17.  We take Kit to a little gym class on a Saturday; seeing the care the staff have for the children is humbling. It’s easy to be kind to your own, but a sign of goodness if you’re kind to others.

18.  I know it shouldn’t matter but for the first time in a long time I had lovely cards from the Year 11s I teach. A thoughtfully written card is really worth more than a present – which coincidentally is what I said to my family at Christmas.

19.  Piers Morgan getting the old heave-ho. Cheerio, cheerio, cheerio.

20.  Watford getting promoted back to the Premier League.

21.  Claudio Ranieri coming in as Watford manager.

22.  My work buddy bought me so many lovely Watford gifts: calendar, mug and socks. Nice one!

23.  England getting to the final in the Euros.

24.  Gareth Southgate’s letter to England supporters explaining why his players would take the knee and how he was proud of them for doing so.

25.  Jurgen Klopp for just about everything he says: on vaccinations, public health, inclusivity in sport – he is the best of men.

26.  Bo Burnham’s White Woman on Instagram achieves the impossible in skewering vanity, yet empathetically understanding it. The song is a game of two halves: satirical, then heartfelt.

27.  I really enjoyed Sam Fender’s ‘Seventeen Going Under.’

28.  Seeing how much my students enjoyed listening to Arthur Miller’s A View From The Bridge.

29.  I do a job where I have to read new poems, plays and stories – it’s alright really.

30.  I was appointed to a new position in work.

31.  I work with very kind people.

32.  Donald Trump being voted out of office. Twitter is not the place for political discourse.

33.  My mum’s birthday is a happy sunlit memory.

34.  Kit turned one. This was the six in the garden rule. We had people coming in three-hour slots to celebrate his special day. We should have put ‘work meeting’ on the invitation to circumvent government directive.

35.  Leicester winning the FA Cup. (Two of my best mates are Leicester fans.)

36.  Re-learning how to ride a bike.

37.  I got the Theivamanoharan handshake for my carrot cake.

38.  Michelle, Clare, Ashleigh and Lauren having babies. Again not an easy year to go into hospital, so hats off to you.

39.  My mates getting new jobs.

40.  Playing ‘Beat That’ on my birthday.

41.  Cooking a full Sri Lankan meal for the family and seeing them enjoy it.

42.  Going for a walk and buying a coffee.

43.  The Xmas Radio Times coming through the letterbox.

44.  We had a work party in September. It was the first time since my wedding I’d danced in public. The public have been denied that for too long.

45.  Jon Ronson’s Things Fall Apart: a brilliant radio series.

46.  I do like the Radio 4 book of the week: some great ones on Robert Maxwell and Bessie Smith; also Sorrow and Bliss; The Fortnight in September and Harlem Shuffle were great listens.

47.  The Plot Thickens podcast captured the creative failure of The Bonfire of the Vanities in such a compelling way.

48.  The Shrink Next Door was stranger than fiction. It has now been adapted into a TV show that features Will Ferrell, who was once in a film called Stranger Than Fiction.

49.  I read my first graphic novel, Flake. A book about two ice cream men at war.

50.  Andy recommended a podcast On Writing. It’s a great interview series with authors about their craft.

51.  Rodham was the best book I read this year. A supersmart page-turner.

52.  The day I got my new role I bought a round of ice creams from the van that stops opposite our home. Is there any better way to celebrate than a Mr Whippy in one hand and a glass of fizz in the other?

53.  Spending a month learning about Sri Lankan history was enlightening – I appreciate it was only a month though.

54.  Harriet’s scrapbook.

55.  A Baileys at Christmas.

56.  Our bin men (and woman) wave at Kit every Wednesday. He waves at them first. They don’t just actively seek children out.

57.  Although I got rejected by a number of agents to repackage my blog, I’m pleased I gave it a go.

58.  Kieran, the boys and I finished our running challenge in memory of dad and others lost to Covid.

59.  Watford FC kindly let us finish the run there, so we all had a tour of the dressing room: pictures we’ll savour forever.

60.  Visiting Jim, Jen and Loveday in Cornwall.

61.  Despite not going to the Minack Theatre, it was lovely to get up close to it.

62.  Having our child meet our friends’ children.

63.  The Black Swan in Swanage remains our favourite pub.

64.  The first official day of the holidays when we went to the zoo, the sun was out and the summer felt infinite.

65.  Listening to Caitlin Moran on This Cultural Life. I could listen to her for hours.

66.  Season 2 of Louis Theroux’s interview series Grounded was great again.

67.  When Cadbury’s yoghurts are half-price in the supermarket.

68.  My favourite muesli was discontinued but the new muesli that’s replaced it is pretty good.

69.  David Sedaris’ near-the-knuckle humour on Adam Buxton’s podcast.

70.  Being part of a training video at work and leading training sessions. As hard as it, it’s good to take yourself out of your comfort zone.

71.  The sun was recalcitrant in the summer, refusing to leave its room and shows it face, but on the day we scattered dad’s ashes it daytripped to Dorset with us. It was the perfect weather for a perfect man.

72.  My dad’s memorial plot is very beautiful.

73.  The way Kit smiles on a swing.

74.  The way Kit holds my hand when I get in from work.

75.  The way Kit reverses into my lap when he wants a book read to him.

76.  The way Kit dances round the living room to a Spotify playlist.

77.  The way Kit asks for his massive elephant to sleep in his cot.

78.  The way Kit says ‘no’ with such a straight face when he doesn’t want to do something. (This will be less funny next year I’m sure.)

79.  The way Kit gets into bed with us on a Saturday morning to read a book.

80.  The way Kit kisses the picture of my dad every day.

81.  The way Kit is.

82.  I’ve got back into hot chocolate.

83.  Junk food Friday is always a treat: either pizza or burger after a working week.

84.  Meatball Saturday is always good. This isn’t a euphemism. We have meatballs on a Saturday. Again, not a euphemism.

85.  Every Friday we have dinner at my mum’s. Kieran is there too. It’s a lovely way to end the working week: great food and company.

86.  Harriet’s mum Allyson is a great cook.

87.  Harriet’s dad Rod bought me a drill. I like power tools. I might not know how to use them properly, but I do like the power of the thing.

88.  At the end of each half-term, we get takeaway from Spice Lounge. There’s nothing like a naan to see in the weekend. Sure Wayne Rooney feels the same way too. A retro joke there.

89.  Harriet is so creative with Kit. I’m lucky I married a primary school teacher. I’m lucky I married her.

90.  Knowing that Kit is in loving hands when he spends half of the working week with our folks.

91.  Through all the isolations and self-isolations, I’ve spent more time at home with my son. For me, there is some good that’s come out of this.

92.  Promising Young Woman was audacious, bold filmmaking.

93.  Alex Wheatle who inspired Steve McQueen’s Small Axe: Education episode gave a virtual talk to our students. He was truly inspirational.

94.  I read The Giver as part of a school challenge. It’s taught widely in America and Canada but little known here. It’s a great read for young people and one I recommend if you’re a fan of The Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

95.  Dwight’s fire drill in the US Office was the funniest thing I saw on TV this year.

96.  Kit getting everyone up on the dance floor at Christmas.

97.  Having our families together this Christmas.

98.  Getting a gift you love whilst having no idea it existed: this year my brother got me a book which had a transcript of interviews between Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen.

99.  I got my booster today. To the scientists who developed it, the nurses who administer it and the volunteers who facilitate it: thank you.

100.                 I’m optimistic about next year. You have to be, don’t you. As the quote goes, ‘Everything will be ok in the end. If it’s not ok, it’s not the end.’