2011 Year End.

I’m not at all sorry to say goodby to 2011, because quite honestly, the year *sucked*. While I’m not discounting the fact that there were good times, the bad times far outweighed them.

Bad:

• The year started on a sad note on Jan 11th, the 20th anniversary of the death of a very good friend who burned to death in a car crash at just 23. On the same day in 2011 Chris Copsey, my favourite radio presenter on my local station collapsed and died suddenly from a heart attack. Radio just isn’t the same without you, Coppo.
• June 18th. My nan was taken into hospital in Kent, where she lived with my uncle and his wife. Mum and I saw her the following day on her 92nd birthday, which was the last time, as she died on Wednesday 22nd June.
• June 25th. Three days after my nan died, I went to a concert (Glee) at the o2 Arena in London. While walking to my seat I ruptured my calf muscle, spent the whole of the following day in two different hospitals, and was threatened with knee to toe plaster for six weeks, and surgery. Thankfully it wasn ‘t as severe as first thought, and only needed two weeks off work.
• A former colleague and family friend for over 30 years died from stomach cancer. We hadn’t even known she was ill.
• In November another former colleague and friend had a stroke at just 53. Initially I’d heard that the outlook was pretty good, but now I’ve found that he is completely paralysed on the left hand side, so will be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life, and his speech is still very slow and slurred. That’s even worse since Kevin lives with his elderly father, who is profoundly deaf, and relies on lip-reading to communicate.
• A good friendship ended, and I still don’t know why. The person concerned just ended all contact. I’m sad about it, but it’s her choice, and I wish her the best. Obviously I wasn’t what she wanted in a friend, so I hope she finds someone who is.
• In December I had my diabetic retinal screening, which showed that the small haemorrhage in one eye that I’ve had for a few years has become multiple haemorrhages in each eye, ironically most likely caused by the fact that I’ve now got better control of my blood sugar, and it’s dropped significantly! I’ve been referred back to Brighton Eye Hospital, where I was a regular patient for my entire childhood, and will probably have to have a course of laser surgery.

Good:

• I made it to Manchester to spend the day with Jill. And we had a lovely day
• There was a huge restructure at work, and my role changed dramatically. Having said that, it’s been stressful, and challenging, but I don’t work with one particular person any longer, and that causes me a lot less stress.
• I made 40 trips to concerts and the theatre, and saw:

1. Snow White and the 7 Dwarves, in Stevenage
2. Wicked in the West End (same day as Snow White)
3. Lance Horne’s “First Things Last” album launch concert in London.
4. Wicked again.
5. Ordinary Days at Trafalgar Studios, followed by
6. Daniel Boys ’10′ cabaret concert, then
7. Ordinary Days again a few weeks later.
8. Boyzone at the Brighton centre on 6th March
9. and Boyzone in Brighton again on 7th March (front row!)
10. Boyzone on 8th March at the O2 Arena, London.
11. I travelled to Aberdeen on (th March to see Boyzone on 10th March
12. and saw them again on 11th March in Aberdeen
13. Shayne Ward at the O2 Shepherds Bush Empire on 16th March
14. Michael Bruce’s “Unwritten Songs” album launch at the Delfont Room London, on 20th March, where I stood next to Stephen Fry but wasn’t brave enough to speak to him!
15. The Script, at the )2 Arena on 26th March
16. Dancing on Ice Live Tour, at Wembley Arena on 24th April.
17. Kylie, at the O2 Arena on April 8th.
18. Kerry Ellis & Brian May in “Anthems: the Concert” at the Royal Albert Hall on 1st May.
19. Avenue Q at the Theatre Royal, Brighton, on 6th May.
20. Richard Marx at the Royal Albert Hall, on 31st May.
21. Spamalot at the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton, on 11th June.
22. Glee Live, at the O2 Arena on 25th June. This was where I hurt my leg, so I missed
23. Julie Atherton’s “no Space For Air” concert at the Apollo Theatre, London, on 26th June.
24. Take That at Wembley Stadium on 4th July
25. The Script at the Brighton Centre, on 17th July
26. ‘Gentle Harry’s Farm’ at the Grange gardens, Lewes, on 31st July.
27. On 23rd July Boyzone’s Shane Lynch was at a charity fun day in Hassocks, where I met him, got a photo, and his book signed.
28. Dress Cuircle Benefit Gala, at Her Majesty’s Theatre, London, on August 7th
29. Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre again, on 20th August.
30. Proms In The Park at Hyde Park, London, on 10th September
31. Rock Of Ages at the Shaftesbury Theatre, London, on 14th September
32. An Audience With Kerry Ellis, at the Shaw Theatre, London, on 21st October
33. Matt Cardle at KOKO, London, on 3rd October
34. Idina Menzel, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, at the Royal Albert Hall on 6th October
35. Mark Evans album launch party at the Kingpin Suite,  London, on 16th October
36. Darren Hayes at the O2 Shepherds Bush Empire on 19th October
37. John Barrowman with Jodie Prenger at the Royal Opera House, Blackpool, on 6th November
38. John Barrowman with Jodie Prenger at the London Palladium on 7th November
39. John Barrowman with Jodie Prenger at the Brighton Centre on 20th November
40. Joe McElderry at the Dome, Brighton, on 26th November
41. Bryan Adams at the Brighton Centre on 7th December
42. Spamalot at the Theatre Royal, Brighton, on 24th December

Wow, I don’t even want to think about adding up the costs involved in travel, tickets, hotels, meals, and merchandise for that lot! It was fun, though, and there were some amazing moments, including meeting various West End stars at stage doors, photos with Shayne Ward, Simon Lipkin, Justin Lee Collins, Mark Evans, John Barrowman and Jodie Prenger, as well as Shane Lynch.It was also lovely to meet Chris Clarkson after Gentle Harry’s farm, since he’d been in Snow White in Stevenage, and I’d not been able to wait for him as I’d needed to get back to London for Wicked. After the performance of Gentle harry’s Farm, during which he performed one entire scene directly to me, he came and chatted for a good ten minutes, signed my programme with a lovely message, and gave me a big hug – and he gives good hugs!

2011 was a year of changes within my friendships. I became closer to some of my ‘online’ friends, made some totally new friends, and lost a good friendship. I realised that some people aren’t meant to be in our lives for ever, that sometimes friendships have an expiry date, and that’s OK. I reconnected with family members and old friends, and discovered that as much as I’m grateful that I now have a social life, and friends who I can share interests with, go to concerts and the theatre etc with, sometimes I’d rather go alone – and that’s perfectly fine too.

Ultimately though, 2011 is over and done with, and I’m more than happy with that.