Thanks to Prof. Dr. Molly Steenson for initiating this habit.
1. What did you do in 2021 that you’d never done before?
Prioritised my finances over how interesting or aligned my work was.
2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
We were in the middle of a lockdown so I’m pretty sure I made none.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
I don’t think so but I could be wrong. It’s become an uphill battle to track people’s children without being on Instagram or meeting them in real life.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes.
5. What countries did you visit?
Scotland for work.
6. What would you like to have in 2022 that you lacked in 2021?
A trip to see my family (who I’ve not seen since 2019)
7. What date from 2021 will remain etched upon your memory?
April 23rd, when M. died.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Running the first residency of the Low Carbon Design Institute
9. What was your biggest failure?
I’m not even going to entertain the notion of failure in a pandemic.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Sprained my calf at tennis. The most white middle class injury ever.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Big earrings.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Women fighting for their right to abortion around the world.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Every institutional anti vaxxer propagand machine, ie. Facebook/Meta.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Visits to 40 Maltby Street who ran a stellar ‘heat at home’ menu and books of course.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Cycling.
16. What song/album will always remind you of 2021?
Kings of Convenience‘s new album
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
In better physical shape. (same answer as 2018)
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Taking holidays. I took less than a week off this year and it showed.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worrying. It’s really impacted my sleep over the last 6 months. Or it’s the peri-menopause that’s kicked in.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Spent Christmas Eve cooking a duck with a friend and Christmas Day in another friend’s garden.
21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
My clients.
22. Did you fall in love in 2021?
The jury is still out on that one.
23. What was your favourite TV programme?
I don’t watch TV series. (same answer for the last 10 years)
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No.
26. What was the best book(s) you read?
Do Nothing was fantastic. I’m also not tracking what I read which is a real mistake. Must do something about that.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Lots of old jazz which I’ve really enjoyed. Max Roach has been a highlight.
28. What did you want and get?
To run the LocDI residency even in a pandemic.
29. What did you want and not get?
A chance to see family and friends in Europe. I miss them.
30. What were your favourite films of this year?
I keep investing in old Holywood and The Last Picture Show (1971) was pretty fantastic as well as the original Ingmar Bergman Scenes from a Marriage (1973).
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
A friend and I went to see Life Between Islands at Tate Britain, took the clippers to Tower Bridge and had a takeaway sandwich from 40 Maltby Street on a park bench while watching people play tennis.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More days off.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2021?
Menopause chic, am fully embracing longer hair, big earrings and cream coloured clothes.
34. What kept you sane?
Conversations with J.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
No time for that. (same answer for the last 10 years)
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The UK government’s handling of everything all the time.
37. Who did you miss?
M. who died.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
A, L, P.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2021.
Everything changes and nothing changes. (same answer as 2018)
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year?
You know what you got to do
You ain’t got nothing but time
And it ain’t got nothing on you