10 of my favourite things from 2023
View from A’Mhaighdean May 2023
To end the year I thought that I would offer up 10 of my favourite things from 2023. If they are new to you I hope that you enjoy them; if they are familiar I hope that they bring back a rewarding memory. Happy New Year!
1. Book: Citizens by Jon Alexander This is not great literature. It is common sense that can seem almost mundane, but there is something profound at the heart of this book. It captures what we need to do to take the right way forward from where we are now: to be active citizens, not to act as dumb consumers or let ourselves be subjects of the powerful.
2. Walk: Fisherfield Wilderness As a munro-bagger I have been lucky enough to go on many great walks in Scotland. This one from May was a cracker. You walk in over the shoulder of An Teallach, arguably the most stunning mountain in Scotland, dropping to the beautiful bothy at Shenaval before picking your way over the rivers at the head of the valley into the ring of 5 (used to be 6) munroes in the Fisherfield circuit. After bagging 2, including the amazing view from the peak of A’Mhaighdean, we camped out before tackling the final 3 peaks the next day. Dallying to chat, it took us until midnight to get back to our car with terrific memories of an amazing weekend. A proper expedition, not an afternoon stroll. If you want that though just do the start up the path to the shoulder of An Teallach – the view is to die for.
3. Film: Past Lives I am not alone in loving this Korean/US story of friendship, immigration and romance. A brilliant movie – it focuses on time and the place where our mind meets our heart.
4. Linkedin: Arish Shah I love the finance & other tips on start-up life from the prolific Arish Shah. He brings energy, knowledge and interest to the subject. I particularly recommend his list of 50 lessons from this year as founder, CFO and CEO: His 3 lists from last year were, if anything, even better:
50 to 100 ; 51 to 75 ; 76 to 100.
5. Book: Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton This novel set on South Africa was written 75 years ago. My parents’ copy had been sitting on my bookshelf for about the last 25 until I picked it up around June this year. I am so pleased that I did and eventually got around to reading it. It is humane. It is emotional. It is nuanced. It is short, (a big plus in any book choice). It is simply one of the best novels that I have ever read.
6. Podcast: Amanda Knox on Resilience You probably all remember “Foxy Knoxy” from a decade ago – the young American who was incorrectly convicted for the tragic murder of her flatmate, Meredith Kerchner. In this series of short podcasts, the “real” Amanda shares the lessons that she has learned that built her own personal resilience and has allowed her to take back some control of her life after what was a scarcely believable set of blunders by the Italian police and justice system. I find her talks sad, insightful and ultimately uplifting. I think that you need to sign up to the Waking Up app to get access – well worth it imo, not just for this but all the other great stuff on there that helps you understand your mind.
7. Restaurant: Rubedo, London N16 I have been out for some great meals in the last year. The one for Callum, my elder son’s birthday was one of the best. Blatant nepotism here as I am plugging the restaurant where Fraser, my younger son, is building his skills as a chef. I would though happily recommend it without the family connection. This local bistro nestling in the heart of Stoke Newington has great food, cool atmosphere and amazing wines.
8. Podcast: On Being – Ecological Hope & Spiritual Evolution I love the optimism and empathy shown in this interview with Christina Figueres. Her positivity and original slant on how to think about changing the way that we live with nature hit new notes for me, giving me hope that the game is not lost in the climate crisis.
9. Music: Winterreise – D.911 No.1, Gute Nacht by Franz Schubert Sadly I had to attend a funeral this year for a good man who was taken too young. This beautiful piece was played at the end of the ceremony. I don’t speak German but the music brings its meaning by floating between the doorway from this life to what follows.
10. Comedy: Seasonal Trimmings from The Unbelievable Truth “A Peanut is not a nut”. Start at 2.05 for intelligent silliness and true lol moments.