So we come to the end of another year - the sixth that this blog has operated in - full of highs and lows in equal measure.
On a personal and business level, this year has been the most challenging and troublesome that I can ever remember so I'm ecstatic to see the back of it. Fortunately, 2014 promises (at this very early stage) to be far more rosy, fingers crossed. It is these work pressures which have led to fewer articles being posted here than in previous years, though it's very heartening that there has been an increase in readers nonetheless; this year attracting more traffic than any previously and July in particular setting a new record for the number of unique visitors in a month.
As far as matters concerning us here, though, the announcement that plain packs was being shelved back in May stands out as a Champagne moment, as does the scrapping of minimum alcohol pricing - only to be countered by facepalm strokes of stupidity such as the spineless (or politically inspired, as some believe) decision by the coalition to re-consider the former, and the transparently pathetic war against e-cigs by the EU and MHRA.
However, one thing has become crystal clear during 2013 in my humble opinion, and that is that the tax-leeching public health industry's accelerating extremism is increasingly being recognised - by a wide variety of previously uninterested people - as being a threat to the public's calm enjoyment of little pleasures in life and also as having little to do with health. That, I think you'll agree, is entirely a good thing for those of us on the side of the angels, and a mood-swing that I hope continues in 2014.
Tonight the Puddlecotes are off out to an old-fashioned house party - kids all collected upstairs with their new Christmas gadgets, adults enjoying a raucous smokey-drinky downstairs, floating towards midnight on a river of beer, spirits, wine and cocktails. And it's only up the road so a mere tenner cab fare there and back. I can't think of a better way of ringing in the new or - in my case - sticking two fingers up to the old.
Thanks to everyone who has swung by this corner of the internet this year, a Happy New Year to all of you from Puddlecoteville. Have a great evening!
16 comments:
Have a happy new year.
Very best wishes for all at Puddlecote Manor.
CR.
Thanks for all the fun you've given us/me this year.
I hope 2014 is good to you and yours, DP. Thanks for all the great stuff you keep churning out.
And remember:
Got that?
Hopefully 2014 will see an end to retreat,disunity and defeatism.
Banish the doves of peace,the appeasers,those who do nought but chatter.
Let the call go out ,who will stand up and who wont,who is in and who is out.
Lets get shut of the white feather and white flag brigade they are manna from heaven for the Puritanical Control Freaks
Name a day, name a place,name a venue,invite all the campaigns,the bloggers,the activists,the chatterers,the "liberty" lovers,the ghosts of the ether,let us see who can walk the walk rather than talk the talk
Make 2014 a year when the mumbling stops and we find out ,who really means business,let us identify the Judas goats by their absence.the false prophets by their excuses.
All the best for the new year.
But - just to keep your juices boiling for next year:
http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/barrow-booze-id-card-vision-is-revealed-1.1104913
Happy New Year
Wishing you all the best for 2014 and thank you for your tireless work. x
All the best for 2014
Best wishes for 2014 to my favourite blogger.
Cheers mate, and keep up the good work.
Thank you, Glenn, that's kind praise. Thanks too to everyone who has posted generous messages for 2014. :)
Not at all. ;)
I remember predicting a similar scheme, based on smart cards, to Mr P Snr a few years ago, thanks for sharing - we're inching towards being another East Germany, aren't we?.
You and I must have had the same vision, DP. I can distinctly remember about four years ago when I was discussing the UK smoking ban over a beer with a friend, and the fact that alcohol was following hard on it's heels. And I predicted the very same, but with the addition of the card only working up to a specific limit, that limit to be decided by the state of course.
It's quite chilling to see it happening so soon.
Yep, the card is declined when you've had your weekly units, that's how I envisaged it. There'll be a healthy black market in smart cards created overnight. ;)
Belated Happy New Year, DP, to you and your family.
Many thanks from me, too, for keeping us up to speed with what is happening in the wider UK and World.
Have a great year.
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