Looking Back At 2025
- arthurpeterchappell
- Jan 3
- 5 min read
Updated: Feb 10
The highs and lows of 205 for me were many. Overall it was a very good year.
I started off January 25 rather unwell, with the tail end of the stoma(ch) upset and vomiting that had wiped out my Xmas and new year activities for 24. My mid-month I felt fine again.
There were various check-up trips to the doctors and a throat camera scan, to check my guts out which proved things were OK. My friend Elaine had to come with me as I was not supposed to be alone in the hours following the scan.
In February I went to Manchester to meet up with lovely friends for my 63rd birthday, with a tapas meal and beer.
Preston, where I reside, got a shiny new multiplex cinema, opened in some ceremony by Nic (Wallace & Gromit) Park who would also later re-open the renovated Harris Centre gallery, museum and library after its five year closure for renovation. Nick also unveiled a statue of the Wallace & Gromit character, Feathers McGraw in conjunction with the cinema opening. I am very grateful we have a city centre movie house as it was a much longer journey to see films at the Riverside Odeon one.
I had two visits to Wigan, first for the annual beer festival, and later, the annual Wigan Diggers Arts festival.
I was privileged to have six of my local photos displayed in a free open air exhibition in Preston’s Winkley Square park over Easter, though sadly five of them were inexplicably lost by being thrown out as rubbish – most other artists lost work in the same way. I still have the one blown up, framed image of mine that survived.
Easter also saw me travel to Belfast for the Eastercon science fiction festival, my first overseas flight since 2003 (when I visited Toronto). This was an exceptional expedition and convention, reviewed here.
I took pub sign search expeditions to Blackpool, Chester, York and Liverpool over the year, in which I got my commission to run with my next pub signs book, on signs related to the animal kingdom, due out in late 27 / early 28.
I also got to Liverpool as a poet, to play at the 14th anniversary of the re-opening of The Cavern Pub, a companion bar to the Cavern Club (neither being the exact Cavern the Beatles played as that was demolished). It was one of the biggest gigs I ever took part in, and we had a great audience.
There were two bus to the pub trips this year, the first to Burscough, and the second to Penwortham and Bamber Bridge. Both were excellent events.
I went to the annual Inn Sign Society AGM in Bedford, Bedfordshire, which was another fabulous weekend away.
I went to Whitstable in Kent for a Peter Cushing themed weekend convention that was simply wonderful as was the town., I extended my stay there to also visit Herne Bay, Canterbury and Faversham.
My trip to Derby was a more sombre affair, as I was there to attend the funeral of a dear family friend Harold Wainwright. I did take time to explore the city too, as well as not too distant Nottingham.
A major highlight was the first staging of two episodes of my multi-episode play, Deity Of The Day, at Preston’s Ferret bar, with support in roles by staff from another important bar in my social life, The Vinyl Tap, as Sean Keefe & Millie angel played gods from world mythology being interviewed by myself, as a TV chat show host. The play was very well received and there are plans for further activity with it soon.
I performed in several open mic and special occasion events at Vinyl Tap, including monthly shows hosted by the staff, their Halloween Special, and open mics compered by Fee & Regan Saich and their family.
Big disappointment came with my plans to travel to Seattle for the Worldcon, when the airline inexplicably cancelled my flights and offered to sell me seats on much more expensive ones as an alternative. I simply cancelled my plans to go and recovered most of the monies paid for the trip.
I attended some great entertainments including a battle of the bands show hosted by The Orchard & Guild Ale House bars (they share the same owners), and a busking event to raise money for The Samaritans. The biggest gig was the pre-Christmas watching of The Lancashire Hotpots at Preston’s 53 Degrees venue.
The Festival Of Fantastic Films ran as ever in Manchester, ending with a poignant commemorative tribute to the event’s late founder, Tony Edwards.
I went to the annual Xmas party hosted by my Manchester friends Mark & Elaine, which I missed in 24 due to the illness that spilled into the start of 25. It was great to see everyone again. This year marked a sense of improvement in my health as I passed the five year mark in my bowel cancer remission (a date for cancer patients that means the cancer is unlikely to return), and four days later marked the day I had my stoma applied as the initial surgery had left me with internal injuries that needed follow up patching.
I had a few poems and photos published over the year, and took part in a two hour podcast too.
So, a few losses and times of remembrance but overall 25 was good for me. My thanks to everyone who helped to make it all happen. Here’s to 2026.
Photos taken by myself unless otherwise stated.
Links
My Belfast adventures https://arthurchappell.wordpress.com/2025/04/29/belfast-touring-and-eastercon-april-2025-index-and-links/
My Festival Of Fantastic Films 2025 Review https://arthurchappell.wordpress.com/2025/10/29/index-of-links-to-my-review-pages-for-the-2025-festival-of-fantastic-films-weekend/
My trip to Bedford https://arthurchappell.wordpress.com/2025/06/23/weekend-in-bedford-bedfordshire-june-20th-to-22nd-2025/
Songs by artistes I saw perform this year.
Lancashire Hotpots - Chippy Tea https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOsYykqvghY&list=RDwOsYykqvghY&start_radio=1
Merry Hell - Love The Skin You're In https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yb88KAJG2GU&list=RDYb88KAJG2GU&start_radio=1
Not seen live by me, but linked to Peter Cushing and his home town, Whitstable - The Jellybottys - Peter Cushing Lives In Whitstable https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deTGYinacYg&list=RDdeTGYinacYg&start_radio=1
If you like my writings and you would like to see more, you can help fund my activity with a modest donation or two to my new Buymeacoffee Donations Page https://buymeacoffee.com/arthurchappell?new=1
Arthur Chappell
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