The new list

I mentioned a while back that a number of the things originally on the list involved expensive travel and had become unfeasible in the relatively short time left.  I've kept a few destinations on there as I feel I can get those done, and I already have flights and hotel booked for Hong Kong, so that's a definite.  I've fleshed out the list with a few other things which I've either got planned, or wanted to do anyway and that will hopefully provide interesting blog material when they're done.  So, here's the new list (items in bold are already completed/blogged about) :

1. Learn a foreign language (probably French or maybe Italian) well enough to write a meaningful song in it.
2. Train for and run a Half Marathon for Charity (ask Jon Collins for advice and help)
3. Get body painted at a public event
4. Get an E-bow and use it on a variety of instruments including Lap-Steel
5. Record at least one track at Real World Studios (near Bath – vaguely realistic)
6. Train for and run a second Half Marathon for a different charity (training in progress!)
7. Create a website for my photography split into Nature and People sections (with help from web-minded friends).
8. Organise and go on a song-writers & lyricists retreat somewhere beautiful in the UK with writers and musicians from different genres and with myriad influences.
9. Climb Sleive Donard (Highest Peak in Northern Ireland) again as a nice easy warm up for 10 and 11 (combine with trip for 7).
10. Train for and climb the 3 Peaks – Snowdon (both directions this time – no Trains allowed even on the way down!), Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis – not in 24 hour challenge, a more relaxed pace is required when approaching 40!!
11. Swim in the sea somewhere in the UK
12. Abseil down something cool for Charity (cliff face, building, whatever)
13. Swim in the sea somewhere abroad
14. Tour “The Light Broke In” and additional new material in as many UK venues as possible during 2015 as a solo artist and with the full band where appropriate/possible.
15. Collaborate and jam with as many musicians from different genre’s as possible and record the results where possible
16. Go to the Netherlands
17. Go to Italy
18. Go to Hong Kong (again)
19. Get another Travelling hat from the “Big Head” stall in Stanley Market – Hong Kong
20. Visit my Niece at Uni in Cardiff and have a night out on the town with her and hopefully jam together at an open mic.
21. Visit my Nephew at Uni in Exeter and drink Real Ale, catch some live music and probably talk drunken philosophy/physics/metaphysics and  rock music!
22. Get more support slots with bands doing national/international tours
23. Get John Hackett to play flute on my next album
24. See at least one band from a genre I wouldn’t normally go for every month in 2016 (suggestions welcome, especially if you’re in a band)
25. Ride a Horse on a sandy beach somewhere
26. Go to the Orkney Islands and find lots of Sinclairs including the guy who runs the Orkney Brewery :)
27. Join the National Trust and visit more awesome places reflecting our heritage.
28. Get at least one track played on BBC Radio (Local or national)
29. Get back to the weight I was in my mid-twenties (with a small degree of tolerance for the fact I now have more hair!)
30. Get Steve Rothery to play a solo (or three!) on my next album
31. Improve my Cello playing and write and arrange for it more
32. Visit more Arboretums/ Remarkable Trees
33. Make some creative and artistic things out of old used/broken guitar strings using various mediums (paint, photography, sculpture etc.)
34. Go on more random photo-walks
35. Make a mosaic picture from bits of broken china found in people's gardens.
36. Have a day of just properly messing about, playing, climbing trees and generally being a big kid with a bunch of mates who are young at heart
37. Find volunteering opportunities that would get me in touch with nature or dogs or both
38. Talk to my Mum about her memories of childhood and life before we came along and record her thoughts and reminiscences so I can write them down. So many fascinating stories that need to be preserved for my generation and the ones to come.
39. Research my Mum's side of the family and get a bit more of a family tree from the Dollin side as I'm fully appraised of the Sinclair Tree stretching back to Robert The Bruce but am far less familiar with the Dollin line.
40. Take more photographs of people! I spend a lot of time photographing easy things to photograph like Trees and Flowers as unless there's a high wind, they tend to stay still, look beautiful and not shy away. That does mean though, that special moments with friends stay in my memory, but not in photographic form, and that needs to change.

Item 40 - started and will definitely continue!

So, I wanted to start taking more photos of people.  This kick started with taking photos of bands and musicians in live gig situations, partly because it combined two of my passions - Live Music and Photography, but also because it was a good test for both my camera and my eye.  As luck would have it, a few of the bands liked the results, and one so much so that they invited me to come and shoot another gig and do some "casual" shots with them too.  Kikamora are a fabulous blues influenced hard rock/metal band based in the wilds of Clevedon and are a great bunch of lads to hang out with, as well as being easy to direct and photograph.  That connection lead me to be taking photos at The Fleece, Bristol when Mordrake were playing - a few shots later and Mordrake have now asked me to do a shoot for them in January and to be on the guest list for their next gig at The Fleece.

Along with those pics, I had an awesomely fun sunny day with Wednesday taking turns to shoot each other in various locations around Cheltenham, happy memories captured.  I also had the opportunity to create those dark, moody shots that so suit Scott Midlane's personas as both Midlane and 3rd Man Phenomenon which again was huge fun, especially watching him try to descend from a tree that hangs out over the lake without falling into the lake!

So, I will continue to take more photos of people in lots of contexts, and build up a more person centred selection.  There'll still be the weird abstracts, close ups of plants, landscapes and many others, but there will definitely be more photos of people doing cool stuff in the mix.  Here is a selection of the people shots taken this year.

Item 14 - 2015 is nearly over and I've done it :)

Item 14 was always a bit of a tricky one, getting to play my material in lots of locations across the UK was always going to have a huge element of luck attached to it.  Happily though, luck was on my side, not least with the November Tour as support act for The Room covering such far flung places as Darlington and Ascot.  Alongside those I played a few acoustic afternoons, an appearance at the Worcester Music Festival and the most memorable gig of the lot - getting to play my favourite venue, Robin 2 with my full band supporting the amazing Cloud Atlas.

Playing with a full band is such a totally different experience from just rocking up with two guitars and singing my heart out.  It requires a different mind set, and it is so much fun!  Having a last minute dep bass player in the shape of my good mate Scott Midlane, who manfully borrowed my 6-String bass and played an absolute blinder was fantastic.

It was so much fun we're doing it all again in April 2016 - Sunday 3rd, get it in your diaries now.

Here are just a few pics from the various gigs through this year:

Here's to a whole lot more music in 2016 - see you on the Road :)

Item 2 Half Marathon trained for and completed!!

After 12 weeks of intensive training, exercising 4 times a week and running further and further each week up until race day I completed the Cheltenham Half Marathon.  It was a wonderful experience to see the whole town out in force cheering the runners on and keeping spirits high despite the ever decreasing energy levels.  I have to give credit to Jonathan Harris who helped me through the early days of my training and gave sound advice.  Credit also needs to go to Helen Hyland of ME Association for providing the T-Shirt and fundraising help and support throughout my training.  I also have to give huge credit to Wednesday who, despite having been away on a body painting adventure drove the long journey home in time to meet me at the finish line and take this picture:

 

Having said to myself, and a few others "I enjoyed it but I probably won't do it again" 24 hours later I found myself registering for 2016's Cheltenham Half and I've also signed up for a 10K in February, so you can expect to see me in shorts and t-shirt for a good while longer.