At least until the General Election exit poll was released at 10 pm, spirits were high at our seasonal celebration and review of the year
Once again we were gathered at Planet India in Hove to enjoy curry, and stimulating discourse, including the result of our end of year poll
Nick was the big winner on the night - scooping best book, best music, and best unifying theme
Once more, our game was upped and the choices were generally praised to the hilt
Here’s to more of the same in 2020
1. Best HBG book
Never Mind (1992) by Edward St Aubyn (Nick) - 9
Jernigan (1991) by David Gates (Keith) - 8
A Kestrel For a Knave (1968) by Barry Hines (Nigel) - 6
My Year of Rest and Relaxation (2018) by Ottessa Moshfegh (Keith) - 5
The End of the Affair (1951) by Graham Greene (Nick) - 4
The Humans (2013) by Matt Haig (Robin) - 4
Sourdough (2017) by Robin Sloan (Tristan) (+ 1 point as not read by Robin) - 1
The Golden Gate (1986) by Vikram Seth (Tristan)
Stranger Weather in Tokyo (2014) by Hiromi Kawakami (Nigel)
Mythago Wood (1984) by Robert Holdstock (Roland)
2. Best HBG music
Blood on the Tracks (1975) by Bob Dylan (Nick) - 9
Roxy Music - Avalon (1982) (Nick) - 7
Reproduction (1979) by The Human League (Robin) - 5
Pulp - Different Class (1995) (Nigel) - 5
OK Computer (1997) by Radiohead (Tristan) - 5
Luminous (2014) by The Horrors (Roland) - 3
This Year's Model by Elvis Costello / The Golden Year by Ou Est Le Swimming Pool (Keith) - 1
Turning Japanese….I think I'm Turning Japanese I really think so (Spotify playlist) (Nigel) - 1
Big Brother and the Holding Company - Cheap Thrills (1968) (Tristan)
Rid of Me (1993) by PJ Harvey (Keith)
3. Best HBG watch
Bullitt (1968) directed by Peter Yates (Tristan) - 8
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966) directed by Mike Nicholls (Keith) - 8
One Cut Of The Dead (2017) directed by Shinichiro Ueda (Nigel) - 5
Happy Valley series 1 (2014) - ep 1 & 2 (Netflix) (Nigel) - 5
High Rise (2015) directed by Ben Wheatley (Nick) - 4
Life is Beautiful (1997) directed by Roberto Benigni (Robin) - 3
Silver Linings Playbook (2012) directed by David O. Russell (Nick) - 2
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) directed by Edgar Wright (Tristan) (+ 1 point as not reviewed by Robin) - 1
The Year My Parents Went on Vacation (2006) directed by Cao Hamburger (Keith) - 1
Errementari (2017) directed by Paul Urkijo Alijo (Roland)
4. Best HBG unifying theme
English Upper Class Debauchery (Nick) - 15
Summat or Nowt? - Searching for Yorkshire’s Dark (He)art (Nigel) - 4
Three Takes on 'Frisco (Tristan) - 4
The End of the Affair (Nick) - 3
Turning Japanese (Nigel) - 3
Emotional Scorch (Keith) - 3
We’re Only Humans (Robin) - 2
Natural Horrors (Roland) - 1
Lighthearted Nerdiness (Tristan) - 1
"Year" themed choices (Keith)
5. Best book we read this year (could be a Book Group choice or something else)
Nick - Kestrel for a Knave
Nigel - Fiction: Milkman by Anna Burn / Non-fiction: Hitler by Ian Kershaw
Robin - Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane by Andrew Graham Dixon / Audio Book: Diary of Samuel Pepys (BBC adaptation)
Roland - Never Mind
6. Memorable HBG moments from 2019
Nick - The guy who told terrible, adult jokes and wouldn’t stop
Nigel - the joke teller and the cycle ride
Robin - cycle to Devils Dyke on electric bike
Roland - The Japanese slasher movie (aka One Cut Of The Dead directed by Shinichiro Ueda)
Keith - Another damn fine year - with Robin failing to read the slim novel over the Summer
7. Best thing about Book Group in 2019
Nick - Some fine selections - and some terrible ones - which is what it’s all about
Nigel - the ease between us and the continuity
Robin - camaraderie and indulgence
Roland - Always diverse and stimulating perspectives
8. What defined 2019 (news item, something personal etc.)
Nick - Becoming the father of an adult - quite profound for me - and visiting lots of universities and being a tad jealous
Nigel - Nothing comes to mind but it has been, personally, a rather lovely year despite the ongoing political meltdown
Robin - Being part of buying a rainforest, kayaking across lake como, Corbyn's radical manifesto, spirit of young people in the face of the establishment (Greta Thunberg, Friday strikes, ER) and climbing Mt Etna!
Roland - Ongoing Brexshit and climate change emergency
Keith - Hopefully election night (Nothing can possibly go wrong)
9. How do we make Book Group even better?
Nick - I say it every year - no more music
Nigel - why gild the lily?
Robin - Just keep going and enjoy the ride!
Roland - Almost impossible, maybe a new member to replace Hamish but no biggie
Keith - Reinstate question 5 in the end of year poll
10. What else do you want to say?
Robin - We just invented a word at work 'Creambling' = creative rambling!
Nigel - Brouhaha
OPTIONAL EXTRAS
ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
Nick - Michael Kiwanuka?
Nigel - Snapped Ankles - Stunning Luxury
SONGS OF THE YEAR
GIGS OF THE YEAR
Primal Scream at the Dome
Robin - Best Gig, Frank Turner at Bournemouth Centre and Wickham Festival (+ Holy Moly and the Crackers at Wickham Festival, Kathryn Joseph at End of the Road, Joan Baez at the Dome & predicting Slaves will also be great on 7th December at the Dome)
CULTURAL HAPPENINGS OF THE YEAR (best of the rest - books, TV, films, festivals etc)
Nick - some great podcasts
Nigel - reconnecting with the Lake District
Robin - Wickham Festival, and Portsmouth beating Sunderland in the Check a Trade trophy final
After the meal we retreated to Old Albion to digest the aforementioned exit poll and drown our post-election sorrows.
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