In the spirit of all things December think of this as your bumper issue and not as me having too much to say.

The Yorkshire snow has been a fantastic aide to productivity, trapped indoors with nothing but a wood burner and a sewing machine for company. This is a good thing as I have so much to get ready for events in 2009, it is too easy to forget about what is coming next!

December saw my first trip to Glasgow for the Christmas art and craft market at the Collins Gallery. Glasgow is a beautiful city and wish that I had been able to see more. I will visit again when I do not have to work!

This leads me to my next point, which is an ode to Scotland. This past year I have been loosing faith in “human kindness”. My recent trip to Glasgow has restored that faith. During the time I spent there I was on the receiving end of so many random acts of kindness. From being given a cotton hankie when I sneezed to multiple rescues from being horribly lost. People were very friendly and offered so much advice and conversation, which is so nice when you are in a new city on your own.  However I have to give a special shout out to my hero John. I was very ill whilst I was in Glasgow with one of those rotten winter bugs. Having to work through it had left me feeling really weak. When I was crossing George Square on Friday evening the exhaustion resulted in me passing out. This is when John came to my rescue he came over picked me up carried me to a taxi which he got in and paid for then carried me all the way to my room in the hotel. He left me with the advice of “get some rest”, and then he left, probably for more superhero activity!

Glasgow At Christmastime!

I bought a fantastic book this month from a jumble sale that I am eager to start using in my future work. The book is called “It Happened Here”, it is a collection of real stories of local events and happenings. This little book feeds into my love of narrative in art and I can’t wait to start developing ideas from it. I know how much I have enjoyed curling up on cold winter nights reading the stories and now I am armed with a sketchbook and a creative mind.