So, we rapidly approach the end of 2014. What sort of year has it been?

It has been a year of struggle at times, especially on the personal front, for reasons that I won’t go into great detail here. Suffice to say, what happens in my family will stay firmly within my family (I will never understand why some people choose to air everything online).

My daughter finished her year at nursery and in September started school, in reception. I really can’t believe how big she’s gotten – she now babbles away excitedly, and continues to make tremendous progress – being with other kids her age, and with some loving encouragement from mummy and daddy, she is astounding me.

She has had a busy year. in June she went on holiday abroad with mummy and daddy, nanny and grandad, her uncle and aunt. We went to Ibiza, to the very same resort that I went to with my mum, dad and brother back in the late 1990s.

It was weird – the place was familiar in many respects, yet obviously, with the passage of time, it had improved and changed. At one stage we were sitting in the lobby, and I could vividly recall sitting there, playing card games, the first time around. The pool looked exactly the same, the weather was gorgeous, and the hotel food was very good for what it was. After what had been something of an exhausting spell at work, the holiday was very much needed!

My daughter loved it – she was babbling away for ages about how she went on a plane, and how she went swimming every day, and how she danced every night. It was wonderful for her, and I hope to one day repeat that holiday – it would be great, when she is older, to revisit that same resort.

Work has been, at times, a real headache. Again, I will not go into all the details, but suffice to say at one stage I felt stretched to breaking point. There was a spell, in July, that tested me greatly, but, I dare say, it was the making of me. Since then, I have felt stronger as a manager, and whilst I know I still have work to do, I have taken some great strides forward.

As far as my beloved Liverpool FC is concerned, they came agonisingly close to winning the league title, but for heart-breaking results in the final few games – and sadly, this season is proving to be a disaster! Still, seeing the scum that is Man Utd flounder last season as a joy to watch!

Watching Lewis Hamilton win the 2014 F1 championship was also pretty special – after the troubles he’d had earlier in the year, it was nice to see him get the glory – he deserved it!

Finally, the World Cup provided some amazing entertainment – not for England mind (I watched one England game on holiday, and wish I could reclaim that time), but watching the hosts Brazil capitulate horribly against Germany in the semi-final is something I won’t forget in a hurry. That wasn’t the only memorable moment – but it was certainly the most memorable!

As one, last footnote – 2014 is the year this website began!

What does 2015 hold? I have no idea. What I want it to hold is good health and happiness for my loved ones and myself. Anything else is a bonus.