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.