It is now four years since I left the group, and time has flown by so fast.

I have to admit that I has progressed very little with redecorating my flat - but I have got as far as putting up a shower curtain.

The BIG event this year was my partner, Hanka, coming to live with me from Prague. Sadly, she will need to go back at the end of this month, we are planning to be back together next summer (June), this time hopefully for good.

This year I did my first reunion with the 'Crew' for the Johnny Collins memorial concert. My voice was decidedly croaky for the rehearsal having been out of practice for three years, but at least it held up for the concert.

I might try to get out and about a bit more for the next six months, but I am apprehensive about singing or playing anywhere as apart from the 'reunion', I have done nothing outside of my living room. However, work permitting I have put the Capital Folk Club reunion in my diary.

This year, thankfully, my business has got back on its feet again and I have had to stretch my skills in Excel programming for one client. I really need an 'apprentice' who I can delegate work to so I don't have to work through the night so often to meet conflicting deadlines.

if I was to go through an Alan Sugar type process, rather than saying - regrettably, your fired!, being a co-operative, it would be - regrettably, we need to hold a collective meeting to resolve the underlying issues!

Anyway, that's my report for another year - this time next year it will be 5 years not being part of a group.

ps I found out this year that one of the Shanty Crews changed its name, and when I went to my college 30 years reunion and called in to the pub where we used to practice, that they changed their rehearsal night.