Sometimes in life things happen out of the blue – when you’re not looking, yet somehow the timing feels right.

With lots of talk about getting more women represented on company Boards of Directors – the latest figure is still a pretty poor 25.5%  of FTSE 350 companies – the chance to join the Board of a west Cornwall radio station, (Coast FM), seemed to land at a pivotal time.

It all began after I did a number of interviews for the station and in the course of one conversation, the idea of getting more involved came up. With a well established national TV production/journalism background, my broadcasting experience and industry contacts can be put to good use locally – while (yeah!!) adding to the growing number of women represented on company boards.

It’s early days. and I still haven’t met everyone connected with the station, but plan to do so over the coming months – and at a Coast FM festive party at the end of December. (Squeezed in nicely between Christmas and New Year). There are lots of ideas about how the station can go forward and grow, and it’s great to be a part of that.

So watch this space!

This latest move has been a good thing in an otherwise difficult 2018 for our family, something which I have touched upon in the previous blog. Occasionally there is a year where you just want to it to be over, and in many ways it will be a relief to draw a line under this one.

Despite this, 2018 has also seen  happier times, including reconnecting with some old friends and work colleagues . Recently, I met up with a former Central TV colleague, Tony Biggs, when he was visiting Looe wth some friends. Even though we hadn’t seen each other since the 1990s – yes, the last century! – we picked up as if twenty plus years hadn’t whizzed by. This is one of the great things about living in Cornwall, and having a steady stream of visitors. The perfect excuse to hook up with friends from all over the country and to show off those beautiful locations.

So with only a short time to go before we leave 2018, with all the political turmoil both here and abroad, let’s hope 2019 is a better year all round.

And that’s the thing about New Year celebrations, isn’t it? Optimism for the future with the prospect of positive change.

Happy Christmas everyone and here’s to the things that really matter – friends, family, community – oh, and not being afraid to grab new opportunities when they present themselves. Also to all those people who are facing their first Christmas after losing a close family member, when happy memories will be tinged with sadness that they are no longer here. Although it will still be a poignant time, try to make those good memories the dominant ones, to talk about them and celebrate their part in your life.

As the Irish greeting goes, Slainte!

Now over to Bonnie the very Cornish cockapoo for her 2018 message…

‘Hi folks 

A short and sweet message from little ol’ me this time. Just enjoy yourselves because to quote someone called Noddy Holder (who’s he?) it’s C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S!’

And to all my fellow mutts out there, steer well clear of those chocs, nuts and raisins lurking around, as they aren’t good for us pooches – nobody wants to be stuck at the vets over the Christmas period, least of all the two legged lot. (Lol).

That’s it – off now for a romp on the beach because I ‘m a Cornish gal and I can.

Woof and out…’