New Thing #52 – Write a book

And so to the post that I can’t quite believe I’m writing. Just over a year to the day since I launched the 52 New Things project I find myself on the final post, bringing to a close a year of fun, frights and firsts. I’ve just read back over the first few blogs I wrote and it is funny to see the nervousness between the lines now with the luxury of hindsight. That opening post came in at a bite-sized 341 words; the longest I wrote was in excess of 1800. Progress, or just wanton self indulgence I wonder?

This last year has been an epic journey through a maze of experiences that I never thought I’d be part of. From the humble beginnings of vowing to not eat crisps for the year (something I am proud to say I more or less stuck to) through past trying Viagra, having my portrait painted, walking an alpaca, trying African dance, having that wax and ending with a flurry by walking over broken glass and then releasing a Christmas single. Sometimes I cannot believe that chap in the pictures was me, having his most intimate hair ripped out or his shoulder tattooed with the blog logo.

Highlights of the year were the occasions when I decided to do something that I really didn’t want to do. The dance class was close to my idea of hell but turned out to be one of the best experiences of the project. Walking home from work should have been hard and boring but turned out to be fascinating (and a bit drunken). Viagra seemed foolish but for one reason or another (taking it before a dinner party) it became a highlight. The Arabic lesson reignited my passion for languages while driving from Land’s End to John O’Groats fulfilled a lifelong dream. Having a pedicure performed by little fish was just weird while fasting for just weekend became the hardest challenge of the entire project.

Of course there was the odd misfire, there always would be with 52 activities to find over the whole year. Spinning wool, for example, was a mistake while “using a bidet” was just a plain cop out. On hindsight I probably shouldn’t have allowed a PR to corral me into a pizza-making lesson at Dominos and the cocktail-making course was really more a piss up with some friends. And the less said about “making some chutney” the better I think.

Throughout this project I have been overwhelmed by the support, generosity and acceptance of everyone I’ve come into contact with. I have met a wonderfully bizarre assortment of people over the year, from Peta and Bruce who took me Alpaca walking to the lovely Caroline Wade who painted my portrait, Simon the woodwork teacher who helped me carve something useful out of wood and Jim who taught me graffiti. Everyone has been patient, open and interested and without them I couldn’t have done half the things I did. Short of thanking them all again individually, I hope this goes some way to portraying my gratitude.

I’d also like to thank every single person who made a suggestion for a New Thing to try. There was somewhere around 500 in total, both off and online, and many of them led to actual New Things. The inventiveness of some people who I am likely to never meet is staggering and I’d like to say thank you to you all for your participation (accept Alan B – what the hell is wrong with you man? That’s illegal even in Holland…).

I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who donated money to the project’s chosen charity – the Alzheimer’s Society. I never wanted to profit financially from this venture and I have been truly amazed at the generosity of some readers. I’ve raised the target constantly throughout the project and now stand only a few pounds from the final target of £752. The page will close on 31 January so if anyone would like to donate please do. No hard sell from me though, marathon season approaches after all and we’ll all be penniless again before long.

A special thank you needs to go out to everyone involved with the 52 New Things Christmas Single. Probably a personal highlight of the project for many reasons, I absolutely couldn’t have done it without the help, support and talents of Lizzy Spit, Joe Lee, Declan Daly, the engineers at Sound Savers, my brother Simon Thorpe who made the video, Debbie Attwood for her creative (and PR) input and, of course, everyone who bought the single. I have no idea where the song came or how much we raised (although sadly we missed the No. 52 spot) but I do know that “Christmas Day TV” will be out there in internet land available to buy for ever, with all profits going to the Alzheimer’s Society.

I couldn’t go without saying a special thank you to Mrs NT, my long-suffering, deeply-patient, incredibly supportive and utterly beautiful other half. In a year of great personal sadness for her she found the inner strength to allow me to take on and complete this foolish enterprise, even managing to accompany me to a pottery lesson at a time when most others would be rendered house-bound. Her suggestions and support have been invaluable and if I haven’t always shown it, I say now that I couldn’t have done it without her.

And so that’s it. 52 weeks, 52 new things. The 52^nd? Well…I thought I’d have a crack at writing this thing up into a book. Gotta be worth a go, surely? Stephen King seems to bang one out every six months so how hard can it be? I’ll post the odd update as I go and maybe stick up a few more pictures as they come through of the portrait and whatnot.

All that remains then is to say thank you to you, the reader, for sharing this often hilarious, sometimes painful but always fulfilling journey with me. It has been a blast.

In the unlikely event it ever gets published, please buy my book. I owe Mrs NT a very large new handbag.

Nick Thorpe
7 Jan 2011
London, UK