It's that time of year when we look back and reflect on what has been and what we hope might come to pass.

It's been a testing year for me. My health has continued to deteriorate, and even now I'm not sure I've "bottomed out." Movement is more difficult now than at any time in the past, and I spend much of my time in pain, with no effective means of combating it other than drugs. I won't have that, so instead I used mind over matter to fight it. And I'm nothing if not stubborn, pig-headed and determined.

The good news is that, thanks to idiotic rules designed to save the country money so that politicians and corporate fat cats can bag even more of it, I'm not so disabled that I qualify for any kind of assistance to  run a car (necessary because the nearest bus stop is so far away I'd never make it). I have such a wonderful quality of life that I can walk fifty yards with only a stick to aid me, and I even paid for the stick out of my own pocket.

2011 was also my first full year of retirement, and what changes that has reaped. I'm more bored now than when I worked for a living. To those who ask, how do you achieve such a high turnover of written work, I say, try it when you have nothing else to fill the waking hours and it becomes easy.

It's been a year of marked austerity on many fronts, and as usual, the politicians are making a total hash of the job. To the likes of Cameron and his cronies on both sides of the House, my New Year message is simple: You keep telling us we're all in this together, but some of us are more in it than others, and since I didn't create the it that we're all part of, I fail to see why I'm being billed for it. Why don't you talk to the greedy buggers who dropped us in it in the first place? But you won't do that, because you're a part of them, aren't you?

The world has seen its share of disasters. From floods in Queensland, to the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan, an earthquake in New Zealand, famine on the Horn of Africa, and floods in Pakistan and the Phillipines. Curiously enough, the UK is the biggest contributor to the Central Emergency Response Fund, yet I still see Little Englanders whining on the BBC that we should be keeping the money to ourselves. What utter nonsense. The £94 million that we have contributed costs about £1.50 for every person living in the UK and pales at the side of the billions we're prepared to give to the banks to support their greed. There are times when I despair of the selfishness of people in the developed world.

Closer to home, two very dear friends, suffered personal horrors towards the end of the year, and I am thankful to whatever gods watch over them, that they didn't become tragedies. These events brought home to me my inadequacy. To both these people, I say, I am always here, I am a shoulder you can cry on, but I'm afraid I can offer only platitudes.

I had a good year sportswise, with United collecting their 19th League title, and even if they did suffer a 6-1 drubbing from City in October, as we reached the close of the years, Sir Alex and his boys have closed the gap again and are breathing down our noisy neighbours' necks.

On the writing front, it's been a good year. Having discovered the Kindle early on, I made full use of it and now have 15 titles available. In addition, Collca have published another title from me, and I'm currently developing a submission package for a new publisher, and I'll hopefully have more news on that front in the New Year.

As ever, my work has attracted some applause and some criticism. I've made new friends all over the world, and reaffirmed and strengthened old, valued friendships. Particular thanks must go Maureen Vincent-Northam who has edited every piece I put out, as well as offering opinions and advice on video trailers and podcasts linked to the work. I'd also like to thank the beta readers who worked through my titles and came back with constructive feedback on them.

It's not been all gloom and doom, of course. Through out the years, I've had my share of chuckles and managed to raise a few smiles with my politically incorrect, 1960s view of the absurdities in this world.

And for next year?

Priority goes to putting together the aforementioned submission, but beyond it I'll continue to turn out work in my most successful series, and I will (hopefully) be launching a sci-fi serial on blogger early in January. I look forward to making new friends, gathering new readers as I go along. I'll also be gathering a little sunshine in Tenerife in January, assuming the Euro doesn't collapse between now and then.

For now, I'll sign off 2011 and say to all of you, friends, foes, readers, surfers, those of you who enjoy reading my drivel and those who don't particularly like me, a heartfelt thank you for livening up my life over the past twelve months.

I'd also like to wish you the very best for 2012. May all your dreams be big ones and may they all come true.