50 Things to do Before I'm 50

At the start of my year of challenges, one of the things I was keen to do was share experiences with as many friends, family  members and acquaintances as possible. I wanted to re-connect with people I  hadn't seen in ages. The kind of people who, when you get to my age, you only get to catch up with at funerals. I was truly delighted when my cousin volunteered to join me at the ballet and we managed to set a date. We were never really close as children; victims of overly competitive grandparents, we were foisted on each other at family events, never really given the opportunity to find common ground. Since adulthood, we've had polite conversations at the aforementioned funerals and a couple of other events but never have we gotten to know each other properly. I think we were both nervous meeting up, I certainly was! I really wasn't sure whether we would be able to find anything to talk about although food is always a great ice breaker! As it turned out, we

It seemed to me that the perfect way to recover from the rigours of Tough Mudder would be a cheeky trip to Morrocco. Hell yes and another tick on my list!! I figured that I'd give it a little time for the bruises to fade and then we were off. C joined me for a bit of R&R at the beautiful Eden Andalou Aquapark and Spa just outside Marrakesh. It was a bit isolated stuck out in the middle of nowhere but lush and sumptuous and very luxurious. I love the colourful mosaics and sumptuous fabrics. Absolutely stunning! Probably one of the best all inclusive hotels I've stayed in to be honest. Eating the rainbow A half and half rum and coke  We were only there 4 days which was a great short break. I think the isolated location of the hotel would have made us a little stir crazy if we had stayed longer. Sadly I forgot my phone charger so I only have a handful of photos...... Good excuse for a return trip though!

Tough Mudder. This was one of the first things to go on my list when I originally came up with the idea to do the fifty things I've never done before. I'm not going to lie, I lost sleep over this one. 10 miles and more than 20 obstacles.... What the hell was I thinking? I couldn't even run 5k without feeling like I was going to die. How on earth was I going to manage more than double the distance  with all the truly daunting challenges along the way? I did train for it, I worked hard at the gym trying to get into shape and be strong enough to take on the obstacles. In spite of that, I was terrified I was going to let everyone down, be an embarrassment to myself and all the people around me especially as the oldest one on the team. There were many times when I nearly bottled it. BUT... this list of mine was never going to be an easy cruise, many of the things on it I've never done because I've been too scared. Time to start facing down those fears! Waitin

A firewalk? What on earth made you think of that? Are you out of your mind? Just some of the comments made when I said I wanted to do it. I booked myself to do it as part of a fundraiser for St Josephs Hospice in Hackney fully expecting to go solo. I mentioned it in passing to my friend, JB a week or so before and casually invited her to join me fully expecting rolling eyes and a chuckle followed by a decisive You've GOT to be joking! Imagine my surprise when she  jumped at the chance and agreed to do it immediately. What a joy! The firestarters Nearly ready Although I'm happy to do things on my list alone, its way more fun to share the experience with someone else. Willing conspirators are always welcome!  Nervous anticipation! We had a briefing beforehand and then it was down to business...... Sadly, the photos are blurred but you can see what we got up to. There are no special ef

The opera has always seemed rather highbrow. Elegant ladies, men in full penguin attire. Extortionate ticket prices. I'm thinking of the scene in Pretty Woman, designer evening dress and borrowed diamonds. Certainly not really intended for the likes of me! Ticket prices ARE extortionate, especially in London. I went for something a little more provincial at The Ipswich Regent. Still a professional production with a full orchestra without such a hefty price tag. I sound like a mean old skinflint but in truth, if you don't know whether your'e going to love it or hate it the price has to be a consideration. Poor old C volunteered to join me (he can't even bear to pause channel hopping on a musical let alone an opera!)  We saw Madame Butterfly. Thanks to Malcolm McLaren, I was a little familiar with the story and music. Ironic that the king of punk has made me familiar with the works of Puccini! The production was a feast for the eyes, the sets and costumes were o

Amsterdam has been on my wish list to visit for a long long time. The laid back atmosphere of the place appealed to me and I wanted to see the quirky, wonky architecture for myself. Not to mention an opportunity to tick several things off my list! I had a fantastic few days with great friends who were up for the adventure. The weather was unbelievably cold and windy (thanks beast from the east part two!) we did our best not to let it hamper us. Dam Square  First tick came with a tram ride. How is it that practically every country I've ever visited has brilliant public transport? Its cheap, well run, simple to navigate, clean, regular.... I could go on. I know this is asked all the time but what is their secret and why can't we copy it over here? To be honest the tram ride was a bit of a non event, it was just like a bus really only quiet. The quietness of the trams actually nearly caught us out a few times when trying to cross the road. Betw