Your last Heyday Friday newsletter of the year

Unexpected learnings from 2024, a lot of astonishing Christmas lights, a magnificently magical film recommendation and end of year wise words from a former Beatle in this week's newsletter

Hello!

What with this being the final newsletter - and therefore blog too - of 2024, I was musing, as you do at this time of year, on everything that’s happened over the past 12 months and particularly the new things I’ve learnt from, and during, all the terrific adventures and experiences I’ve been lucky enough to have.

I’ve compiled a selection of them into a random but hopefully interesting and informative list, along with an insight into the place and circumstance which led to each of the learnings.

Included in the list are the significance of the hand positions on a Buddha statue

the shamefully poor planning that led to me knowing the exact size of Oman, the actress who travelled with a very unusual bed, and an exclusive behind the scenes discovery about The Great British Bake Off (told you it was a random collection).

Find out about all of those and what’s on the rest of the list by CLICKING HERE.

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FRIDAY FUNNY

If you’re dashing about in the same frenzy of final preparations as I am, here’s the ever-brilliant Rosie Made A Thing perfectly nailing the aftermath of the festivities.

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WHAT’S MADE ME HAPPY THIS WEEK

I gave a shout out to London’s beautiful Christmas street ornaments in THIS NEWSLETTER, so this week I wanted to share the truly sensational decorations that are gracing the windows and outsides of some of the capital’s shops. Tell me they don’t fill you with joy and wonder just looking at them and I’m afraid we can’t be friends any more.

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THIS WEEK I…..HAVEN’T WATCHED ANYTHING!

Well, not on TV anyway. See aforementioned frenzy, plus various very lovely pre-Christmas gatherings and celebrations as to why.

I did, however, manage to carve out three hours (2 hours and 40 minutes of running time, plus all the pre-film stuff, to be precise) to take my mum to see

And jolly marvellous it was too. If, in both our opinions, unnecessarily long. As someone who’s not a Wicked aficionado, a lot of the music was new to me, but I was aware of the plot - the story of how Elphaba came to be the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz - and familiar with the big hit numbers, The Wizard and I, Popular and, of course, the mega-ballard Defying Gravity.

Mum was even less familiar with it all than me, but like me hugely enjoyed the film’s spectacular production design and cinematography - it’s a glorious, technicolour feast for the eyes from the opening frame - and the perfectly on-point performances of all the actors in the main roles, headed by Ariana Grande as coyingly cute, vain would-be-witch Galinda and Cynthia Erivo as her green, outcast, witch school contemporary Elphaba, both showing their tremendous vocal and acting skills to full effect.

Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey is quite the scene stealer as the hilariously self-absorbed Prince Fiyero, whilst Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum bring their considerable performing chops to their roles as formidable sorcery teacher Madame Morrible and the not-all-he-appears-to-be Wizard of Oz respectively.

Wicked has, of course, been a mammoth hit stage musical - it’s the second-highest-grossing Broadway show of all time - and the big screen version is determined to wring the most out of its appeal. This (I’ll mention again) lengthy adaptation is actually only half the story, ending where the stage show breaks for the interval. The second instalment is due to be in cinemas in almost exactly a year. No word yet on how long that one will be.

You can see Wicked in cinemas (which I do recommend you do to get the full benefit of the spectacular sets) and watch the trailer HERE

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There are three reasons I’m sticking with singing and rounding off with these

WORDS OF WISDOM

from musical maestro Sir Paul McCartney. The first is they come from my mum’s favourite song of his, because she loves to hear my sister and brother singing it in the same (perfect, as it happens) harmony as he did with Stevie Wonder. The second is because it relates (in more ways than one) to one of the learnings in THIS WEEK’S BLOG. And the third is that if feels like a fitting question/mantra for us all to consider as we leave this tumultuous year behind and look ahead to 2025.

That’s it for this week and this year. Before I go, I want to thank you for all your support for These Are The Heydays. For being one of my truly valued readers and subscribers. And a very special thank you to you if you’re a paid subscriber. I can’t tell you how much your generosity means to me.

Thank you, too, for clicking on the like heart, and for the feedback, stories and suggestions you share in the comments. You are the heart of Heydays, and it never fails to fill me with delight (and relief!) that so many of you read my musings each week.

I’d love it if you would end the year by letting me know what your 2024 learnings have been, and with one final click on that little heart.

I wish you the happiest possible Christmas and I hope that the New Year brings you - and all of us - contentment, peace and as much joy as you can handle.

See you again on Jan 10th.

Love