Top Ten Enya Songs

 

Every year, Spotify provides me with a summary of what I have been listening to the previous year providing me with the album I’ve listened to most, the artist that has been most prolific in my sphere of choices and the song I have listened to most. 

If you are a regular reader of this blog you will know that I bang on about progressive rock and heavy metal and so you might be forgiven for predicting that my top songs, albums and artists would be from those genres every year. 

However, I like a lot of music out of those genres and when I was working, I used to listen to music that didn’t break my train of thought or draw me off into a universe surrounded by the music as a soundtrack at the expense of actually doing the work I was supposed to do. I therefore opted for something more soothing, ambient and pleasant and set up a mellow playlist of songs that would accompany on my creative voyage.

And that is why in the years 2023 and 2024 the artist that I listened to most in those years was Enya.

I was surprised to be honest, as might you be, dear reader. 

Was I disappointed? Not at all. I think Enya is a genius and although she is not prolific, the material that is out there is just wonderful. I would be quite happy to sit in a darkened room with a blazing fire in the middle of winter listening to her voice and music for a couple of hours. It is soothing, deep and ethereal and very tuneful. 

My most listened to artist of 2025 was Devin Townsend and that was because I no longer work and can therefore indulge myself. If you haven’t heard of him, the style of music he produces (according to Wikipedia) is heavy metal, extreme metal, progressive metal, alternative metal and hard rock. I would also add progressive rock to that list. But the one word that is missing from that list is ambient because Devin has also produced Enya-style ambient music in his back catalogue. I recall seeing an interview with him and he listed Enya as an influence because of the way she produces music. 

Here’s what he said:

In my life I think I’ve probably bought six copies of that record; I fucking love that record. And in fact, when I first heard ‘Orinoco Flow’ on the radio I remember thinking that it sounded so different from anything else – it’s like a women’s, new age-y choir, and the amount of echo and reverb; I was like, "I want metal that sounds like Enya", and I think I’ve spent most of my career working towards that end! 

I discovered Enya long before I discovered Devin Townsend and perhaps that mutual love of her music and the way she makes it is what drew me towards Devin and what he is trying to achieve. 

Here are my favourite Enya songs and if you haven’t heard her music, I would dive into it and see what you think. The list is biased towards Shepherd Moons (my favourite album by Enya) and Watermark but the later albums are very good too. Let’s dive in:

10. The Longships (from Watermark – 1988)

Longships are Viking warships and they ventured across rough seas to invade the British Isles, including Ireland, in the 8th and 9th centuries. It wasn’t just my country that was invaded; their people ventured further west, east and south as well. I can imagine that if there were drones around all that time ago, this music would have been playing as the drones swooped over a fleet of longships on their way to England.

9. The Memory of Trees (from The Memory of Trees – 1995)

This song has appeared on my playlist as I have walked through a small wood near to where I live and immediately adjusted my mind from its chosen path to focussing on the trees that surrounded me. It was a great little diversion because it was one of those cloudy but sunny days when the suns rays were broken up through the branches. 

8. A Day Without Rain (from A Day Without Rain – 2000)

Manchester has an unfair reputation for being one of the rainiest cities in England, which is good going given that it rains a lot in the UK. In Ireland, where Enya is from, it rains even more and so I imagine a day without rain is as good a day over there as it is here. That said, it isn’t that bad and sometimes a rainy day is quite welcome because it has a beauty of its own. This song provides the perfect soundtrack for a day when the rain has just stopped and the suns rays are glistening from the branches of trees. 

7.  Wild Child (from A Day Without Rain – 2000)

I think if I wrote a song called “Wild Child” it would be a lot heavier and more geared towards the partying days of my youth. Conversely Enya’s song is more uplifting and whenever I’ve heard it on my playlist I’ve thought about being on holiday, i.e. removing myself from the mundane drudgery of work and being free and “wild” in a beautiful place. 

6. Watermark (from Watermark – 1988)

Watermark is the first song on the album of the same name and I think it is absolutely beautiful. Again, like most Enya songs it provides the perfect soundtrack for walking in beautiful countryside on a sunny day. Bliss. 

5. Orinoco Flow (from Watermark – 1988)

This is the song that made both Devin Townsend and me huge fans of Enya. In the UK it rocketed to number 1 and made Enya a huge star. It is probably her most famous song and at the time of its release there had never been anything like it in the charts. I’m glad so many people liked it and it still holds a place in my heart even though it is not my all-time favourite.

 4. Lothlórien (from Shepherd Moons – 1991)

Lothlórien is a beautiful song and I would love to be able to play it on a piano, if I ever get to the point where I’m not hitting the wrong keys. One day I may be able to do it justice. If you want to know, Lothlórien is one of the realms in Middle Earth that is ruled by Elves. I didn’t know that until I looked it up. I assumed it was a Gaelic word. 

3. Shepherd Moons (from Shepherd Moons – 1991)

As I said, Shepherd Moons is my favourite album by Enya and the title track is the opening song. I bought it back in 1991 and when I heard this song it almost moved me to tears. It is another magnificent piano piece but this time accompanied by Enya’s beautiful and haunting voice. I like listening to this song at night if I am on holiday by the sea. I have fond memories of seeing the moon reflecting off a still ocean while listening to this through headphones. Wonderful. 

2. Only Time (from A Day Without Rain – 2000)

I love the sentiment of this song and it always makes me think about how time flies, especially as you get older. In the video Enya is walking slowly through the various seasons as she sings and I can see the seasons slowly drifting by myself. Of course we are in winter now (which I hate) but it won’t be long before time drifts on and summertime is here. That makes me feel content. 

1. Caribbean Blue (from Shepherd Moons – 1991)

This is another song that I play a lot when I am on holiday by the ocean. If I am going for a walk on my own along the promenade, I usually make a special effort to play Caribbean Blue as I look at the blueness of the sky and the ocean, especially if there aren’t many people around. Back in the early 1990’s I made a video of my holiday in Greece and used this song as a soundtrack to a walk that we took and it fitted perfectly. I love this song because it brings back so many good memories of holidays to Europe – oh and also in the Caribbean (when I visited the Bahamas and Barbados). It has a really special place in my heart. 

Quince

Welcome to South Manchester on a bright, sunny but cold day. This time in just over a week, I’ll be on my way to Malaysia where I am informed the temperature is more like 30 °C to 35 °C (86 °F to 95 °F). I can cope with those kinds of temperatures and I’ve been to Singapore a few times (where the climate is roughly the same). 

I’m looking forward to it. 

In the meantime, here is a quick dive into this week’s Sunday Stealing. 

 Three things I love (Remember, these are things, not people):

1. Rock music

I’m going to say “rock” as opposed to the subgenres like progressive rock, heavy metal, psychedelic rock etc. I would add that progressive rock is probably my favourite subgenre but I like most other types of rock music. 

2. Where I live

Manchester is a wonderful city and I am delighted to live here. It is a good base for travelling around the UK, being close to Wales, the Lake District, the Peak District and Yorkshire where the scenery is wonderful. It is easy to get to Birmingham and London by train, a mere two hours to London in fact. My house is also in a good district in the city, about five miles south of the city and within half an hour’s drive of the Cheshire countryside. I also love my house. 

3. Travelling

Travelling is wonderful for the soul and very therapeutic. I have travelled extensively and already have plans to go to Malaysia, Hong Kong and Spain this year, with another destination as yet unplanned in September with a possible university reunion in a European city squeezed in sometime too. 

Three things on my desk:

1. My laptop

2. My printer

3. A mini Groot light. 

Three things I can't do:

1. Play guitar

I would love to be able to play the guitar but sadly it is not to be. I chose to learn the piano because it gives me more options. Until the age of 16 I could play the trombone but I’m not sure that I could now. 

2. Sing

I have a synthesiser and it has a microphone that you can use to add vocals to a song. Last year, I used the synthesiser to produce a very crude version of “Just Can’t Get Enough” by Depeche Mode and record it using a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) on my laptop. It wasn’t good but it did sound like the song if you were being very kind. Really it was just a practice to help me get used to the concept of recording music on a computer so, as bad as it is, the experiment was a success. That is until I tried to sing the lyrics and add it as an extra track. I decided to use my pure vocals rather than adding effects to my voice using the synthesiser. As the words left my mouth they sounded wonderful. They were in tune (according to my ears) and I thought that Dave Gahan, the lead singer of Depeche Mode, might say “Not as good as my voice, Dave, but pretty bloody good”. 

And then I played it back. 

MY VOICE SOUNDED DREADFUL!

The notes were okay but the tone of my voice was so bland, banal and boring that I was absolutely shocked. It didn’t sound like the angelic vocals that came out when I recorded it. 

Note to self. If you are going to make music, Dave, DO NOT SING! 

Make instrumentals or get somebody who CAN sing to do it for you.  

3. Ride a motorbike

I have a friend who loves his motorbike and has often asked me to get on the back of the thing “for a ride around the country roads in Cheshire”. It would terrify me so I have always refused. I never saw the point of riding a motorbike because although, apparently, the experience is “exhilarating” (as he described it), to me at least it just seems dangerous. I am delighted that I can’t ride a motorbike and I will never ever get on one. 

Three things I'm good at:

1. Maths

I always found maths quite easy and I was so good at it that I took my O-Level a year early and acquired an additional “advanced” O-Level before going on to get an A-Level too. When I went to university, I studied Computational and Statistical Science but a large portion of that, at least in the first two years, was maths. I know it is something that a large number of people struggle with but to me it is not that difficult. I am such a geek because I find it absolutely fascinationg.

2. Programming

I wrote loads of computer programs for over forty years and I was told that I was good at it. These programmes ranged from supplying the relevant data to display flight data on monitors in airports to controlling the flow of edible oil through various processing plants; backing up a crucial database without shutting down to routing vital messages from several incoming sources to several outgoing sources. And that’s just off the top of my head. There are lots of airports around the world where you can see the fruits of my software creation. 

I have a logical mind and, as many programmers will tell you, as long as you know and understand the algorithm, you can get most things to work. Sadly, the rise of AI has eluded me and, currently, I have no desire to dive back into the realms of computer science because I want a break from it. That said, I may consider diving back into it as a hobby in future because I am quite interested in exploring the world of AI. 

3. Ranting

I am trying my best to retire from ranting, having been called a “grumpy old man” and a “weird curmudgeon” (amongst other things). At work, people used to push my buttons on purpose because, apparently, I made a lot of people laugh. It was always good natured and I always tried my best to make it slightly humorous. I think it worked. The problem is that these days I start to get angry because the world is devolving. I am planning a (non-ranting) post on this in due course – but trying to do so without actually ranting is proving very difficult, if I’m honest.  

Three things I want to accomplish:

1.  Learn to play the piano 

Playing the piano is a good retirement project that I am currently enjoying. It is really a stepping stone to trying to create and record some digital music and record it on the computer. A retired mate of mine does this now and has released his music on Spotify. I will never be as good as he is but I don’t really care. I am doing it for fun. If you want to look up my mate, his "artist" name is Methyl Orange. 

2. Write a novel

I am currently (and very slowly) writing a novel. I don’t plan to get it published (as I am not a good writer). Nevertheless, to actually finish one and be happy with it would be very satisfying. 

3. Speak a language almost fluently

I am currently trying to learn Spanish, French and German and I am improving at all of them. I know really that I will never be fluent because you really have to immerse yourself by living there for a while. It’s still a goal though and if you don’t have a goal you will just stop. 

I’m getting there – slowly. 

Young Guns

Welcome to a bright but cold winter day in South Manchester. The UK has been battered by a storm called Storm Goretti (named by the French Meteorological Office) which struck the other night bringing 100mph hour winds and tons of snow to various parts of the country. Thankfully it travelled south of Manchester and the only sign that we had here was a slightly breezier day and a little rain. In the UK, we are legendary in our ineptitude at being able to cope with adverse weather conditions. Whenever a storm arrives or we have snow, the whole country comes to a standstill, and such is the case with this new storm. Locally (within about a fifty mile radius) we are okay but the rest of the country is struggling to cope, with power cuts, blocked roads and transport problems. Hopefully things will improve soon. 

This week’s Sunday Stealing takes us back in time to childhood. In my case this is about five decades because I was born in 1962 and grew up, really, in the 1970’s. I guess it will vary from person to person. To be honest, I don’t recall much about the 1960’s apart from England winning the World Cup in 1966 and Neil Armstrong setting foot on the Moon in 1969. I was only three years old when England won but I vaguely recall my dad being ecstatically happy about it. The Moon landing was different because my dad told me that this was an important moment in history and as we watched it on TV he told me that I should remember this - and I do.

By the way. the photo above is me when I was twelve years old. That was over fifty years ago and makes me feel really old

Shall we dive in, anyway? 

1. Tell us about a time when your family got a newfangled invention (your first air conditioner, colour TV, VCR, microwave, computer, etc.).

My dad, like me, was a lover of technology and gadgets. I think if he had had the opportunities and educational chances that I had he may have been the first person in my family to go into further education but instead he had to make do with succumbing to the demands of the working-class principles of the day. He left school at fifteen and immediately got a job in a factory. He was a well- read man though, my old man, and he always had his nose in a book. Whenever he saw something shiny and new advertised on the TV, he would make a mental note to save up his hard-earned money and buy it. 

For this reason, we were one of the first families where I lived to get a colour TV and a VCR when they were released. I remember seeing him walking up the street carrying a box. I ran up to him and, knowing his love of gadgetry, I asked him what he had bought. He smiled and said “Come home and see; we can set it up.”

It was a VCR and I had heard of them but never thought we could afford one. The two of us set it up and worked out the controls and how to record on the timer and then played with it for weeks. We had quite a few tapes and gradually he started building up a library of his favourite shows. My mates wanted to visit just to see it in action. I loved it because you could pause TV programmes and step through them a frame at a time, which made watching football on Match of the Day really interesting. 

2. Is there a particular song that sparks a childhood memory?

There are hundreds of songs that spark childhood memories. Here are a couple:

I loved this song and my dad hated it. I was only about four at the time but I remember hearing it on the radio at Christmas while sitting in front of a coal fire at my Grandad’s house and then jumping up and down singing “She’s giving me Good Vibrations” much to the amusement of my grandparents. I still love the song today. 

This is the first song that I really loved. The Sweet were a British glam rock band who were massive in the UK in the early 1970’s and this song reached number one, which meant that it was played everywhere. My parents and grandparents hated it but we as kids loved it. I have a vivid memory of attempting to dance to it at a school disco with my mates when I was about eight years old. 

Fast forward to 1978 when I was about fifteen years old. I used to do a paper round and had to be up at the crack of dawn. My dad worked shifts in a factory and he would wake me up at about 5:30 am and I would drink coffee while listening to the radio in order to wake myself up. Baker Street was released in the winter and I recall loving it before setting off to wander the streets with a bag full of newspapers in the darkness before the whole of Walsall woke up. I recall loving the tranquillity and peace of dark silent streets as people were gradually waking up to greet the new day. I did briefly consider becoming a postman for that reason and I think if I ever get bored in retirement (as unlikely that this is) I might just think about early morning deliveries. It is very mindful and relaxing. 

3. What is something an older family member taught you to do?

My mum taught me to cook a lot of basic things as well as useful household chores. I am not a fan of cooking now but thanks to my mum I can make a variety of things even without recipes should the need arise. This came in very useful when I left for university. A lot of my mates there were hopeless in the kitchen. In fact, there are lots of mates of mine even today who can’t cook (or maybe that is just an excuse). I certainly encouraged my own lads to cook and now they are both very good. My youngest son's Brownies are delightful (and I have just finished off the batch he made us for Christmas).  

4. Back in the day, what name brands would we have found in your family's kitchen?

A lot of brands have survived from when I was a child and some have fallen by the wayside. We used to have Heinz soup for example.  A few weird things existed though like powdered mashed potato. We had a brand called Smash with the slogan “For mash get Smash”. It had a funny advert though:

Thankfully, we peeled potatoes with our metal knives, boiled them for twenty of our minutes and smashed them all to bits because Smash was horrible in comparison. 

Another disgusting thing that my mum used to buy was condensed milk which came in a can and looked vaguely like normal milk – except that it was thick, sweet, sickly and tasted nothing like milk at all. In fact, there was a Saturday morning kids show called TISWAS (Today Is Saturday Watch and Smile) where they used to take the mickey out of this foul substance by pretending that “condensed milk sandwiches” were a good thing. 

5. As a child, did you collect anything (rocks, shells, stickers, etc.)?

Yes I did. I started off by collecting cigarette cards. My dad was a smoker (as were most people back in the 1960’s and 1970’s) and with each packet of cigarettes you got a little card with a picture on it and you could collect them all and add them to a little booklet. I gave up eventually and started collecting football programmes. My dad was a regular at Walsall football club and every time he went to a game he would buy a programme. I started collecting them in 1973 and I carried on through university and for the first couple of years of work. And then I stopped apart from buying the odd one at more recent games. I actually still have my collection in the loft. I don’t think they are worth anything but certainly the nostalgia factor is still there. I even dug one out for my next door neighbour recently because he knows a former professional footballer who played for Port Vale against my team, Walsall, in the 1970’s and I have a football programme with a photo of him in it and his name on the team sheet. Apparently he was pleased to see his name and face in the programme. 

Here is an example of one of the first programmes I collected:

Top 10 Deep Purple Songs

When I look at the way my musical taste has changed over the decades, there are several bands that have remained and excelled. One of those bands is Deep Purple a band that has gone through many lineup changes but all of them seem to have preserved a certain style of music that I love. Not only that but many bands have been formed from ex-members of Deep Purple that I also love, such as Rainbow, Whitesnake and Gillan. 

Deep Purple, like Black Sabbath, are added to a group of bands who experts say are the founders of heavy metal. While some of their songs can be classed as heavy metal, I would suggest that they also have elements of classic hard rock and progressive rock scattered throughout their huge discography. 

They formed in 1968 and, despite the band splitting up in 1976 for eight years, they are still producing music. The line up changed a lot and the various incarnations have been labelled as Mark I to Mark IX as musicians and singers have come and gone. My favourite line up is the Mark II but all lineups have produced great songs. Most of the current and past members of the band have been my musical heroes since I was a teenager. Here are some of them:

Ian Paice – Current drummer - the only member who has been with all lineups of the band. He also played with Whitesnake when Deep Purple split up until the band reformed in 1984.

Roger Glover – Current Bass Guitar – has played with Rainbow as well and was a member of the Mark II lineup. He left in 1973 to be replaced by Glenn Hughes but rejoined in 1984 when the band reformed. 

Ian Gillan – Current vocalist – formed his own band called Gillan and was a member of the Mark II lineup. He left the band to be replaced by David Coverdale in 1973 and rejoined in 1984 when the band reformed. 

Jon Lord – Keyboards – also played with Whitesnake when the band split up and was part of the Mark II lineup. He was a constant member until he decided to retire in 2002. Sadly he passed away in 2012.

Ritchie Blackmore – Guitar – the legendary guitarist and one of my favourite guitarists of all time. He formed Rainbow and was a member of the Mark II lineup. He left in 1975 but rejoined in 1984 when the band reformed, leaving again in 1993. 

Don Airey – Keyboards – also played with Rainbow and many other bands I like. He replaced Jon Lord when he decided to retire in 2002. 

David Coverdale – Vocalist – joined after Ian Gillan left but formed Whitesnake when the band split up. 

Glenn Hughes – Singer/Bass Guitar player – has had a varied career since Deep Purple split up in 1976 and is still going strong. 

Steve Morse – Guitarist – had big shoes to fill replacing Ritchie Blackmore in 1993 but filled them very well. He left the band in 2022 to look after his wife who was ill. 

Deep Purple were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 and honoured past members as well as the line up at the time. 

It has been difficult to list my top ten songs but I have managed it. If you ask me again this time next week it may be slightly different. 

10. Birds of Prey (from Infinite – 2016)

This is the newest song in the top ten and features the Mark VIII lineup. It is a slow burner, a kind of heavy blues song, a style I like a lot. However, what makes this special is Steve Morse’s guitar playing. The song reaches a crescendo at around the 4 minute mark where Morse takes over plays an amazing outro that lasts almost two minutes and demonstrates perfectly why he was a brilliant replacement for Ritchie Blackmore. 

9. Strange Kind of Woman (from Fireball – 1971)

Moving back in time, we have a song that is great but sounds much better live. This is from the legendary Mark II line up and when performed live features Ian Gillan and Ritchie Blackmore trying to copy each other using the incredible voice of Gillan and Blackmore’s virtuoso guitar playing. You get an idea of what I mean at the 5 minute mark. And also listen to full power of Ian Gillan’s voice at the 8 minute 15 second mark.  I doubt he can do that now. 

8. Smoke on the Water (from Machine Head -1972)

This is the song from the Mark II lineup that everybody knows and loves and I am guessing that there are people asking me why this isn’t number one. It is an iconic and amazing song with a great back story but I have heard it so many times that putting it number one would be boring and a little lazy. I really honestly do prefer those higher in the list and I genuinely love the song. If you have been living under a rock since 1972, here it is in its full glory. 

7. Weirdistan – (from Now What?! – 2012)

This is a song from the Mark VIII line up and once more features Steve Morse on guitar. Like me, this is a little bit of a weird song (you may have guessed from the title). The bass guitar is quite prominent on this song and it also features some great keyboard work from Don Airey. It all comes together in a package that pushes the right buttons for me. 

6. Woman from Tokyo (from Who Do We Think We Are – 1973)

This is another classic from the Mark II lineup. It may seem like a typical Deep Purple song yet there is mellow interlude that makes my spine tingle a little bit and occurs around the 2 minute mark. I just love it.

5. Burn (from Burn – 1973)

This is from the Mark III lineup and I posted it in my favourite David Coverdale songs, where it settled at a lofty Number 2. It’s a great song and, as I said in that post, I love Ritchie Blackmore’s guitarwork. 

4. Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming (from Purpendicular – 1996)

I used to go to site a lot when I worked, which meant taking trips abroad, sometimes alone. And sometimes I was away for three or four weeks and on occasion in the middle of nowhere where there wasn’t much to do other than work hard during the day and return to a hotel in a place where there wasn’t much to do. And sometimes it was quite lonely. 

This song from the Mark VII lineup is a sad but beautiful expression of that lonely frustration. It features superlative guitar playing from Steve Morse who really used this song to state that he was a worthy replacement for Ritchie Blackmore. 

3. Perfect Strangers (from Perfect Strangers – 1984)

In 1984 I was astounded and delighted to learn that Deep Purple were reforming with the classic Mark II line up and the result of that was the album Perfect Strangers. The title track is a perfect example of how I think the Mark II line up would have evolved if they had stayed together. The live version of this song is also very special complete with lasers. 

2. Highway Star (from Machine Head – 1972)

Highway Star from the classic Mark II lineup is a great driving song. I remember driving a car in the US and it was a boring and long journey with not a lot to see when I was stunned to hear this song appear on the radio. And this transformed the journey for me. I suddenly felt really good and the music make the journey far more interesting at least for five minutes. It features great interplay between Jon Lord’s keyboards and Ritchie Blackmore’s amazing guitar, all rounded off with Ian Gillan’s incredible voice. 

1. Child In Time (from In Rock – 1970)

I love progressive rock and to a lot of people that means self-indulgent long songs. To me, a good long prog song is like a mini symphony with varied themes and a story. Child in Time, from the legendary Mark II line up, is, to me at least, a brilliant progressive rock song. Yes, there is a little self-indulgence from Jon Lord and Ritche Blackmore but so what? As for Ian Gillan, he displays his entire vocal range brilliantly on this song and shows what an incredible singer he is. 

Shopping List

Welcome to a sunny but cold South Manchester and also welcome to 2026. 

I’d like to wish you a Happy New Year, dear reader and, if you are interested, you can read my thoughts on 2025 right here:

Goodbye 2025 

Let’s start this year’s nonsense with some silly questions from Sunday Stealing. 

1. What would you rather be doing right now?

I’m quite happy writing this post to be honest, but if I had a choice, I would rather be checking into a hotel in a different country with a plan to explore. Typically for me, January and February are the worst months of the year because here in the UK it is usually dark, cold and miserable. However, since I’ve retired, I can tolerate this time of year because I don’t have the added frustration and bleakness of doing a job that irritated me. Moreover, this year we are off to Malaysia at the end of January for two weeks, visiting Kuala Lumpur and Penang before calling into Hong Kong for a few days on the way back. I am looking forward to it because Malaysia is a country I have yet to visit and also I just love Hong Kong. It will be like visiting an old friend.  

2. What is always on your grocery list?

The single most important thing on the list is cat food for my two bosses.

After that the other items are usually salad, vegetables, fruit, bread, eggs, milk, cheese and other things that we need to replenish on a weekly basis. A lot of people like to do their grocery shopping online but I prefer to go to the actual supermarket because I spot things as I wander around the aisles. The last time we did our grocery shopping online was when both Mrs PM and I had Covid and they messed it up big time. In fact every time I have tried it, they screw something up by forgetting something or “substituting” something you asked for with something that you didn’t. 

I am not a huge fan of going to the supermarket at all but since I am retired and Mrs PM still works, it is one of my many new tasks as her Personal Assistant. And I always get it right. 

3. Have you ever used a fire extinguisher for its intended purpose?

I have never used a fire extinguisher. 

4. How many times did you text yesterday?

I don’t send texts anymore. I use WhatsApp these days. I think I sent a few messages to friends and family wishing them a Happy New Year. 

5. Would you prefer a slow-paced, relaxing vacation or one filled with new sights and experiences? 

I would prefer a mixture of the two. An example of this is our holiday to Malaysia. We are going to explore the bustling city that is Kuala Lumpur for three or four days and then fly to Penang for a relaxing few days by the beach before setting off to Hong Kong where we will once again explore parts of the city we haven’t been to before (there aren’t many such places to be fair but we will have fun searching for them). 

Goodbye 2025

It’s that time of the year, dear reader, where I try to sum up the year that is about to be filed in the annals of history while thinking ahead to the new year. 2025 marks the end of my first full year of retirement and it was special for that reason. I spent the year enjoying not working. Gone are the days when I had to deal with constant deadlines and office politics. 

It is very relaxing and I am much happier for it. 

On the other hand, I promised myself that I would try to keep my mind and body active and I think I have managed to achieve that with a routine that has given me some purpose. That said, I am still thinking about what to do in 2026 and also still learning about what is out there for an old git like me. 

The best way to summarise the year is to be guided by a set of questions that hopefully cover what happened in 2025. 

Here goes. 

1. What did you do in 2025 that you’d never done before?

I gained a daughter-in-law.

My eldest son got married earlier this month in a small ceremony in Manchester with just close family members attending. They are going to have a big celebratory party in 2026 but for the purposes of the wedding they wanted to keep it small and special. 

I also joined Lancashire Cricket Club so that I use my free time in the summer relaxing while watching a peaceful cricket match. I managed to see Lancashire play and also attended a couple of England games, including a very lively and very exciting test match against India. 

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

Yes I did, largely. The routine I set up last year helped me battle against procrastination. Over the day or so I will be looking at extending the routine to perhaps bring in a few more resolutions. One that I particularly want to do is to expand my reading a little by making time to read non-fiction books about subjects that interest me, in particular science subjects. 

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

I know that my new daughter-in-law’s sister gave birth to a son but I’m not 100% sure that is was in 2025 or not. 

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Yes, sadly. 

Mrs PM’s step mother sadly passed away in November at the age of 76. It was a real shock to us because we went for a meal with her a few days before it happened. I will miss her. 

5. What countries did you visit?

We had a great year for travel in 2025. 

In February we visited the Spanish island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. It was my first visit there. 

In May, we took Mrs PM’s mother to Valletta in Malta. 

In June, we visited Nice, which is one of our favourite cities in France and on one day we took the train to what is another country, Monaco. 

Finally, we took a cruise with some close friends of ours and visited Greece and Turkey. I was particularly pleased to have visited Athens for the first time. 

Here are a few holiday snaps. 

Playa Blanca, Lanzarote

Sunset in Playa Blanca

Boats in Valletta, Malta

A Fountain in Valletta

A Dream Theater tribute band in Nice

A nice car in Monaco

Sunset in Greece

Mrs PM, PM and two cruise buddies

6. What would you like to have in 2026 that you lacked in 2025?

For this question last year, I asked for a better summer than usual. I think somebody divine must have read it because we were granted with a really good summer with several heat waves and much less rain. Of course, in typical fashion, the lack of rain meant that some parts of the UK were told to be very careful with their water usage. However, we are in Manchester so there was enough rain to keep the water supplies at the appropriate level. 

For 2026? I am still waiting for that elusive lottery win. 

7. What dates from 2025 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

December 13th is a great date because that’s when I gained a daughter-in-law and officially became a father-in-law. 

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Making an average of 10,000 steps per day in 2025. 

I can say this is done because even if I don't walk tomorrow that target is in the bag. That's an average of 5 miles per day and about 1825 miles walked in the year. Maybe I will aim for 2000 miles in total in 2026 - but we shall see. 

9. What was your biggest failure?

I’m still trying to draw myself away from politics in an attempt to be more positive but it is difficult to do so with the trends that are happening worldwide. When I watch You Tube for example, I find that the “algorithm” is offering me political opinions that I really shouldn’t take any notice of. It is difficult and I really need to have more self-control and not end up following these trails of pain that lead me into territory where I start getting really angry. 

It's a battle that I will no doubt continue to fight in 2026. 

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

I had a couple of colds but nothing more than that.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

The holidays were a great purchase, particularly the Aegean cruise. I also bought a little desk tidy unit that fits snugly next to my desk and makes it much less cluttered. Actually, Mrs PM bought that for me, so not sure whether that counts. 

Oh, and I bought a new smart watch.  

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

As usual, I award Plastic Mancunian Knighthoods to those heroes who dedicate their lives to helping others without wanting the plaudits that many more famous people crave.

I salute you all - you know who you are.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?

Well that is a really easy question to answer. 

Donald Trump continues to turn America into a dangerous place to be and in his second term he is breaking more rules than he did before and making a much bigger mess than he did during his first term. He is a typical malignant narcissist who has created around himself an alternate world where truth doesn’t exist unless it favours him and his views. 

Likewise we have Nigel Farage in the UK who is slowly but surely trying to create a divisive narrative in the UK with Trumpian values that echo what Trump is doing in the US. Sadly, he is gaining in popularity and that is very dangerous for the UK. 

And of course we have other dangerous lunatics in the world, like Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un. 

This is why I am trying to shield myself from politics because my anger is rising as I type. 

Let’s pause while I walk away and take some very deep breaths. 

14. Where did most of your money go?

Definitely holidays this year – as is also the case in other years. 

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

I was excited about my holidays but also I saw some amazing and varied gigs this year. 

Rock gigs I went to were: Zakk Sabbath (an all star tribute to Black Sabbath including Zakk Wilde, Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist), The Wildhearts, The Black Spiders, two tribute festivals and a tribute gig in Manchester, Nine Inch Nails, Ugly Kid Joe, The Eureka Machines, Ricky Warwick, The Stranglers and The Offspring. 

Pop gigs I went to were: Absolute Bowie (a David Bowie tribute band), Massive Attack, Bjorn Again, Heaven 17, Squeeze and Madness.  

16. What song will always remind you of 2025?

I discovered a couple of new bands, the most prominent being an Italian progressive rock band called Kingcrow. I loved their album Hopium (which was released in 2024) and here is a great song from that album:

I am a huge fan of Riverside and the genius behind that band, Mariusz Duda has a side project called Lunatic Soul that released a new album this year. Here is a beautiful song from that album called The Prophecy:

Other great albums released this year that I loved are:

Dream Theater – Parasomnia

The Wildhearts – The Satanic Rites of the Wildhearts

Steven Wilson – The Overview

Nine Inch Nails – Tron: Ares (soundtrack)

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer?

I am happier definitely because it is my first full year of retirement. 

I am about the same in terms of weight – just slightly overweight with a BMI of just over 26. 

I am probably about the same financially too – maybe slightly poorer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

I’m quite happy with what I did last year but maybe I could have been a little more adventurous.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

I am desperately trying to avoid getting drawn into the world of politics because it makes me angry. I tried to step back and ignore it in 2025 and discovered that you can’t really do that unless you ignore the news. I can’t do that and certain “leaders” made me rant when I am trying to become more laid back. At least these days, I try not to talk about politics with other people – and that is helping a little. 

20. How will you spend New Year's Eve?

We are having a small New Year’s party at a mate's house in Sale. 

21. Did you fall in love in 2025?

I was already in love in 2025. 

22. What was your favourite TV program?

I am currently enjoying the second season of Peacemaker and am watching Parks and Recreation for the first time which is fun. I will be watching the final series of Stranger Things next year.

I really enjoyed Daredevil Reborn and Dexter: Resurrection. 

I think I will name the last two as joint winners. 

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

I don’t hate anyone but there are certain people who really really push me to the limit. I mention them all the time so I won’t give them any more airspace this year. 

24. What was the best book you read?

I enjoyed Mr Mercedes by Stephen King which I read for the first time. I will also be watching the series in 2026.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

I would say, Kingcrow as mentioned above. But I also discovered a band called Volbeat who have been around for years and I hadn’t heard of them until I saw a tribute band for them. 

26. What did you want and get?

I wanted to have a few holidays in my first year of retirement – and I got exactly that. 

27. What did you want and not get?

That elusive lottery win that I am still waiting for. 

28. What was your favourite film of this year?

I would say Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning. It was a great way to end a great series of films. 

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

At my time of life, birthdays have virtually no importance. This year I was 63 years old and I was travelling back from a cruise on the Aegean Sea. 

30. What one thing made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

As I said, it was my first full year of retirement and I know that I made exactly the right decision. 

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2025?

My fashion sense was and remains non-existent. Perhaps the only thing I bought this year that makes any difference is a new three piece suit for my son’s wedding. 

32. What kept you sane?

Mrs PM of course. 

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

I don’t really “fancy” celebrities (for many reasons) but I recently saw Kate Beckinsale and Gillian Anderson and they both looked lovely, so I will share the honour between those two ladies. 

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

Where to start without ranting …

See my answer to 13 above. 

35. Who did you miss?

I will miss Mrs PM’s step mother. We got on really well and it is such a shame to have lost her. 

36. Who was the best new person you met?

Nobody leaps to mind.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2025.

My retirement routine works and I plan to tweak it in 2026. 

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

With question 13 in mind …

The righteous rise with burning eyes

Of hatred and ill-will

Madmen fed on fear and lies

To beat, and burn, and kill

They say there are strangers who threaten us

Our immigrants and infidels

They say there is strangeness too dangerous

In our theatres and bookstore shelves

Those who know what's best for us

Must rise and save us from ourselves

Quick to judge, quick to anger

Slow to understand

Ignorance and prejudice

And fear, walk hand in hand

And finally...

I wish everyone who stumbles across this blog post a very happy and fruitful 2026. May all your wishes come true – unless your name is Nigel Farage or Donald Trump. 

Faves

Welcome to a sunny but chilly South Manchester with six days to go until Christmas Day. 

We have a busy Christmas planned this year. We’re visiting friends in Chester tomorrow, then travelling to Blackpool on Tuesday, returning on Christmas Eve, spending the day at our house with my two sons, my new daughter-in-law and my mother-in-law before returning to Blackpool on Boxing Day. I return from Blackpool the day afterwards and am going to a gig in Manchester entitled “Christmas in Valhalla” featuring five heavy metal tribute bands. 

After that I can relax until New Year’s Eve. 

There is just time to answer some silly questions from Sunday Stealing (with the word “favourite” modified throughout to reflect the correct English spelling rather than the favoured American spelling). 

1. Describe your favourite cake.

My favourite cake is Black Forest Gateau but I only have it in restaurants these days if it is available. We don’t have it at home because Mrs PM is allergic to eggs and if she eats it, it makes her feel queasy. We discovered this about four years ago, when she brought a huge one for Christmas during the pandemic. We were locked down and she decided not to have any more, which left me trying to scoff it before the “use by” date expired. I absolutely loved the cake but it was tough eating so much of it. 

I dread to think how many pounds I added to my body weight. 

2. Think of the best party you've ever attended. Were you a host or a guest?

I’ve been to a lot of parties and all of them have been fun so it is difficult to recall which one was the best. I was almost certainly a guest because I find hosting a party quite stressful, which means that I don’t enjoy them as much. 

3. When you choose a greeting card, do you pay more attention to the words or the pictures?

I usually choose a card that has a funny picture because I much prefer them to boring cards. The last one I bought was for my son’s wedding and etiquette demands that such cards are boring and, in my opinion, a little stuffy. That was a one off and I paid more attention to the words. For birthday cards I always choose a card with a funny image – even for Mrs PM – because such cards are more fun. 

I don't send Chrsitmas cards anymore. 

4. What's your favourite holiday?

Okay – I am assuming that this is what American’s mean by “holiday” rather than the British version. 

In the UK a “holiday” means a trip somewhere, i.e. the equivalent of an American “vacation”. Correct me if I am wrong but an American “holiday” is something like Christmas or Thanksgiving. In the UK we don’t have Thanksgiving but we definitely have Christmas and that, dear reader, is my favourite. The reason stems from the recent days when I used to work because I always chose to have two weeks off to join in the festivities and forget about the daily grind for a fortnight. Now I am retired, I still love Christmas because everyone is happy, there are lots of get-togethers and we see people we haven’t seen for a while. 

5. Who is your favourite character on your favourite TV show?

It’s difficult to choose my favourite TV show so I will list a couple that I am watching at the moment. 

The first is an American sitcom called “Parks and Recreation”. I had heard that it is really funny, so Mrs PM and I decided to watch it during her lunch breaks (she is still working and works from home). We are currently up to series 3. My favourite character is probably Ron Swanson, the boss. 

I’m also watching season 2 of The Peacemaker and, of course, the best character is Peacemaker himself. Be aware that the clip below contains bad language.

Finally, I’m watching a Scottish sitcom called Still Game from the early 2000s that I hadn’t seen before until a friend of mine pointed it out. The two old men who are the main characters are both brilliant. Here’s a clip but again beware, there is some fruity language in it (if you can understand the accents, that is). 

And finally …

I would like to wish everyone who stumbles upon this a post a Merry Christmas. I hope you have a great and relaxing time snuggled up against the fire. Of course, if you are Australian, you can pop out and enjoy the summer sun – and please take pity on me and don’t mention the cricket.