A lot of things happened in 2014, which seems a bit contradictory when I consider that I didn’t feel all that busy – rather the opposite, in fact. For much of the year I had more time on my hands than I have done for years. There’s probably a lesson to be learned in there somewhere.

Truth be told, I’m not a great fan of self-congratulatory posts beginning ‘this year I…’, even when the achievements are eminently worthy of celebration (which most of mine weren’t particularly). And yet narcissism is the writer’s failing, and I can’t resist glancing back at a year before moving onto the next one.

So I’m going to list some of my favourite blog posts of 2014, along with the ones that other people seemed to like best:

A video of a glorious month walking St Olav’s Way

The spooky story of the Saltersgate Inn

Fifty Shades of Grey, in statistics (including thirteen sex scenes and one cuddle)

26.2 miles round London (completed by the skin of my teeth)

The adventures of a different Braime back in the 1920s

Anonymous cartoons in the office

Discovering hidden ruins and secluded viewpoints in Newtondale

Getting stuck in a wood full of bluebells.

Anyway, happy New Year to both of my readers, and I hope you get whatever you’re hoping to out of 2015.