Looking back ... and moving forward

The last day of the year seems to be an ideal time to look at what I have managed to achieve over the last twelve months ... and to put down some markers as to what I am going to do or want to do during 2019.

2018

Blogging and writing

• My blog reached the 3,000,000-page views threshold
• I have written 343 blog entries (including this one)
• I have written and/or compiled and published four books (THE MADASAHATTA CAMPAIGN, GRIDDED NAVAL WARGAMES, HEXBLITZ, and MASTERS AT WAR VOLUME 1: UP TO 1920) and have a fifth (THE PORTABLE NAPOLEONIC WARGAME) awaiting publication.

Wargaming conferences and special events

• I have attended the Conference of Wargamers 2018 at Knuston Hall in July
• I have attended CONNECTIONS UK 2018 at King's College, London, in September
• I took part in the Second Battle of Jutland event staged by the US Naval War College at the National Maritime Museum in November

Cruises

• Sue and I visited Spain, France, Italy, and Gibraltar in March
• Sue and I visited Guernsey, Spain, and France in July
• Sue and I visited Spain, France, Italy, and Gibraltar in October
• Sue and I visited Gibraltar, Spain, and Portugal in December

2019

Blogging and writing

• I am going to try to blog as regularly as I have done in the past
• I hope to write at least three more books (MASTERS AT WAR VOLUME 2: 1920 to 1945, THE CENTENARY HISTORY OF THE HERTFORDSHIRE MASTERS' LODGE No.4090, and THE PORTABLE COLONIAL WARGAME) [N.B. The research has already been done for the first of these books, and the second is already 80% complete; the last – however – is currently in the very, very early stages of planning, and may not appear until much later in the year.]

Wargaming conferences and special events

• I have booked a place at the Conference of Wargamers 2019 at Knuston Hall in July
• I will be unable to attend CONNECTIONS UK 2018 at King's College, London, in September

Cruises

• Sue and I have booked a cruise to Spain, Portugal, and Gibraltar
• Sue and I have booked a cruise to Madeira, the Canary Islands, and Spain
• Sue and I have booked a cruise to Norway, Denmark, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, and Germany
• Sue and I have booked a cruise to Madeira, the Canary Island, and Portugal
• [We have also booked a round Britain cruise for 2020!]

In addition to the above, I would like to get my Napoleonic project finished so that I can properly organise my collection and begin to use it on a regular basis. Likewise, I'd like to start work on my Eastern Front/Great Patriotic War project ... but I suspect that it might be one project too far for 2019 and may well end up as my main project for 2020.