HAPPY NEW YEAR 2026

he year, with all its sound and fury, has settled into memory, and now we face a new one. What will 2026 bring? It feels like only yesterday we were raising a glass to the new millennium, brimming with dreams we can barely recall now.

But let's anchor ourselves back to the present: Yule is drawing to a close. Before the inevitable return to routine, I want to take a moment to share the quiet observations, the small joys, and the reflections that made up my week before looking at the year ahead.

2401.01 HAPPY NEW YEAR

Another year in the bag. It's time to look at my 3 targets I set for myself and to look at the year ahead. Before we look of that let's look at my Yule experience.

1905.26 MORE ZERO FOR AN AF HERO

Last year I did a post about alcohol free beers. They've come a long way and there are more coming along all the time. I like the odd beer but sometimes it's not appropriate for me to drink alcohol, or sometimes alcohol just doesn't agree with me. Since then I've tried more examples of this emerging craft.

1809.21 TRYING TO BE A HERO WITH A ZERO

Most know that I like a beer occasionally but most of the time I prefer to abstain. I find I have to be in a complete relaxed state to enjoy a glass of ale, a state I'm rarely in if I'm honest. However I do find myself in a pub occasionally and I might not be in a position it partake. I don't need a drink to enjoy myself but there is only so much carbonated soft drinks one can take.