New Year Shoots

2012 was memorable both professionally and privately; a photo shoot for a national campaign, appearances in national press, a new book and a new son-in-law...

Photo by Exposure Photography

My working year

A happy day

But over Christmas and the New Year, everyone around us seemed to be struck down with illness or, in Ma’s case, by her iron falling off a high shelf on to her back (really, can this woman never tire of finding new and inventive ways of injuring herself?). And on the last day of the old year, there was news of a little death when our distraught next-door neighbour came to the door to ask our help in retrieving the poor worn-out body of the shy stray cat she had fed for three years from her garden. Tom and I always called it The Invisible Cat because it was so wary of human contact, but as we stood over it with our torches in the rain, we were both moved to see that the poor thing had tried, and just failed, to make it back to a place of safety, a basket in our neighbour’s greenhouse.

I felt a little apprehensive as the new year began with worries about parents, children and career (Fifty Shades of Grey may have done wonders for erotica, but has dented sales for writers like me who are interested in heads not tails). There’s some hard work ahead, but some green shoots too. This first week of 2013 has brought a £25 premium bond, busy times for Stepson Two and house-hunting for Lily and Russ. On Thursday Tom and I had a very touching request from Rose’s partner, Si, and Sunday brought one tearfully happy Rose with a big sparkly engagement ring which was brilliant news. Last but not least, Stepson One and his wife are expecting their first baby any day now… so you can imagine how jumpy we are every time the phone rings! 

The shoots in the photo are crocuses from my dear friend Ann, one of my Ace Gang, my beloved Thursday Girls. I’m not known for my green fingers so I was a bit doubtful when she presented us each with a bulb kit back in November – but look, here they are!

WISHING YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR