Monday 31 December 2012

What will 2013 bring?

As 2012 is about to end, I've taken two steps that I hope will help further improvements in our NHS. I've become a member of my local health trust and will soon be standing for the position of Governor. On top of this I continue at University, now in my third year, but not without problems. Due to a cock up in the admin I was missed out of the students who are allowed access to the main media web site. This meant that I've completed 2 years without key information that was available to all other students in my year group. The enquiry is still ongoing, but it looks like I will be doing a fourth year (fully funded) to complete the media module. I don't mind too much, I love it there and the people are great, so what's another year? 

I'm out with the 'Fix the Fells' team early January, filming the BBC as they film the team at work around Aira Force near Ullswater. Then it's back to the Juniper Project and I have a huge amount of film to edit and still plenty to shoot.

Beverley bought me a massive telescope for Christmas, one of those almost as round as a beer keg that you can see footprints on the moon. I'm busy converting the attic into an observatory, but I haven't told her yet. Just need the clouds to clear, could be a long wait. 

Other plans for 2013 include a trip to Italy and another longer one to India, flying into Calcutta and out of Mumbai, so no chance of getting bored there. There's also the Rugby 6 Nations to look forward to in February/March when Ireland will top the table with England coming a close second…honest!

Happy birthday to my brother Andre on 1st January, it's going to be a fantastic year for him.

I would like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year, and hope to see many of you as we zig zag across the country.

My main message for 2013 as always is this…

If you know a man who you would miss if he wasn't there anymore, please ask him what his PSA is? If he hasn't got a clue what you are talking about, force him to the doctors to have a simple blood test. I know many men this year who were in their early forties and found that they had advanced Prostate Cancer, and had no symptoms to warn them. Had they gone for a PSA test a few years before, they could have been saved. It will never happen to your Dad, brother, cousin, son or friend, will it? Well it does to about 45,000 men in the UK every year, so why shouldn't it!