It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life

... and I'm feeling good.

The end of 2011 saw me dancing with a good friend in the latest swanky restaurant in Hitchin - Hermitage Road. I bumped into two old friends, one of whom I haven't seen for nearly 20 years. It was very strange and lovely.

The start of 2012 saw me eating the fabulous spread laid on by another great friend and it made me realise that I have known my three closest friends for 40, 35 and 29 years. I have new friends, too, who I may just know in another 40 years. The longevity of my friendships may appear boring to some, but it adds stability to my life: I don't need to explain anything to these three women.

A balance between the old and the new is just one of the elements of a healthy lifestyle, I should have thought.