Some good news in 2020

Rosie & Arwen - Good News for 2020

The year has almost ended. After Covid with so many deaths, the terrible lockdowns, and the disgrace of a government bringing about such vast swathes of unemployment and the traumas of leaving the EU, many will say us to say, "Thank God". 

In Edinburgh, where the Balmoral Hotel clock runs 3 minutes fast to help people be in time for the trains, this year it is being left fast at midnight because they can't wait for the year to end. Here, we must celebrate alone, but we have some bubbly to welcome in the next year and wish 2021 good cheer.

One welcome piece of news is the happy and successful birth of our newest granddaughter Arwen to Rosie and Matthew, after the traumatic time of prematurity, and Matthew being barred from the hospital from seeing his own partner and daughter. Today, she is 3 months old, and has more than doubled her birth weight. 

Second good news of course is the Oxford vaccine, also approved this morning and holding such great promise for health and freedom. Thirdly, it was the year I took up painting, under the prompting of Grayson Perry and his series on Channel Four. I have now completed a larger portrait of Rosie and Arwen to celebrate. I'm pleased to see some constant improvement over the year from my first tentative endevours, though I readily admit there is still have some way to go with colour and techique to reach a truely high standard. Perhaps next year I shall be truely adventurous and have confidence to try a large canvas.

Happy New Year to you all - Grandad John