Blink, And It’s 2020 [+ RA Pocket Shrine 211/?]

/ December 31, 2019

The last day of the year always deserves a post. Rather than getting all self-referential with a “best of 2019” post *yawn*, I decided to end the year with a RAPS. Because that is something that I look back on in 2019 with pleasure – my renewed crafting and rapsing mojo. And when the final push came via Die Pö’s and Herba’s ongoing Mach was community creativity project, I thought this would be ideal.

Blink – and it’s 2020. No need to change these tins. I always like them the way they are.

For the day that’s in it, let’s celebrate! With a bit of classy bubbly. As classy as Claude? He’s certainly licking his lips.

And finally the stipulated clover makes its entrance, wishing us good luck and a hopeful and prosperous new year. Thank you, Rich 😘. (It only occurs to me now that from this perspective, it looks as if RA is carrying the champagne bottle in his hand. Lovely. You can serve me Moet any time, Richard!)

So, altogether the shrine reads: Celebrate a hopeful and prosperous new year. Those are my wishes for you, of course! Incidentally – did you notice how this is RAPS #202? Just in time for 2020? Only a zero missing… I’d like to raffle this little RAPS away in order to start one of my fellow fans’ year with a smile. So, just leave me a comment, and you are in the draw. Even a short “happy new year” will suffice. I am not choosy 😉. But be quick, I’ll draw the winner tomorrow, New Year’s Day, at 10pm GMT. Good luck 🍀.

And now some messages

I don’t really want to waffle too much this year. I’ve become far too wordy for my own good. However I’d like to say thank you to all of you, my readers, friends, and fellow fans, for your continuing support. This year has been tough for me, fandom-wise, in some respect, but as I look back, it has also been another rewarding, wonderful year with you in this corner of the internet. It has been a pleasure to conduct the various auctions for charity and for RAnet together with you, and even without waffle, I do think you need to be reminded that you raised over €4,500 this year thanks to your donations, your participation, your tweets and comments and general good-will! The latter is underlying seam that runs through this fandom, even across divides. I don’t really believe that we are in a “bubble” at all, but that we are outward-looking, active participants in our real lives as well as in our (mostly online-based) hobby, and our combined efforts this year have proven that once again. For 2020 my hope is that we can let go of ill-feeling and prejudice that holds us back from achieving our potential – both on the world stage and in our individual lives. I’m excited to start a new year, and to hopefully bump into many of you at the handily provided meet-up opportunity in London. Happy New Year!

As tradition demands, I always close the New Year’s Eve post with an “unsent letter to RA”. Here goes.

Dear Richard!

It is seven-and-a-half years into my fan journey. Not quite the end of a decade – which we are celebrating today – but three quarters there. And it has been an “itchy” year. I’ll be honest, there were a few little irritations in it for me when you did things that I had not expected you’d ever do. But never mind *my* irritations; it just proves that you are (still) full of surprises – such as your first attendance at a con, the eye-catching purple suit in Toronto, or the secretive quick-job-with-non-secret-fan-reception in Korea. A surprise for me personally was really getting into audio books – thanks to your prolific output. Not a surprise but welcome all the same, was hearing first-hand from someone who has personally met you, how genuine and good-guy-nice you are in real life. It validates my continuing interest in you and your career. I don’t hold out that long for *everybody*, you know! 😉

While it was a bit sparse for your fans in terms of actually seeing the work you so devotedly dedicate yourself to – no wide releases for The Lodge or My Zoe yet, and an end for Daniel Miller in BS so ignominious it made me wince – it seems as if the best is only yet to come. Your performance as the lead in The Stranger is highly anticipated, not least due to your own warm words about your colleagues and the work you have created together. But even more than for The Stranger, I can’t wait for your return to the London stage in Uncle Vanya. I hope that working in live theatre – although surely draining and exhausting night after night – will replenish your creative energy and give you the jolt of excitement and gratification that turns acting into art.

Thank you for sharing your projects with us, for attempting to challenge, prompt and provoke us with your work, and for allowing us a tiny glimpse into your life via your social media communications. May 2020 bring you recognition for all your artistic endeavours, wonderful encounters with new people and old friends, and the ability to look back in a year’s time to say “yes, I *have* done enough”.

With love,

Guylty ❤️

 

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51 thoughts on “Blink, And It’s 2020 [+ RA Pocket Shrine 211/?]”

  4. Oh man, now I’m sitting here wiping away a tear. Wonderful words, my friend. Thank you for 2019 and all the best for 2020. I hope it’ll be a great year for us personally and in fangirling. I’ll be right beside you—gladly. 😘

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  7. Happy New Year! All the best for 2020 and I hope it will be less bumpy for you, to use The Queen’s comment about her 2019!

    Lovely shrine as ever – lip smacking Claude is lovely to look at despite being a cad and bounder 😊

    Looking forward to seeing you at Uncle Vanya! 😘

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    • Oh yes, could’ve done without the bumps, so here’s hoping for a smooth 2020.
      Let’s fanfictionalise Claude into a misunderstood guy who just needs *us* to make him the dream man…
      UV – here we come!!!

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  11. Happy New Year, let’s hope for positive stuff for 2020. Think it”ll be a good year for RA though, i talk to patients about him (more so since booking my UV tickets) and alot of people don’t recall him too well-but i think The Stranger will help put him back on the UK map (as well as all the other countries netflix streams in).
    Was surprised that a BBC article today about what to watch in the theatre in 2020 didn’t have UV….
    btw don;t put me in the draw-i’d rather other people have a chance 🙂

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  12. Lovely and warm words, wonderful and warmhearted for the end of a rather turbulent year… May the coming year be a better one… Frohes Neues Jahr!

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  16. Guylty you have done so much this year for the fandom, the fun, discussions, projects, creativity (and what a perfect RAPS FOR 2020 but better leave me out of the draw too – I suppose!) instigating auctions to raise money and lastly being our knight in shining RAmour (sorry) galloping in to rescue the invaluable richardarmitage.net. Happy new year Guylty and to everybody here xx

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    • Hehe, knight in RAmour – love it. I’ll take that adage but include everyone else in that army of knights. We’re doing it together! Happy new year, J – and just to add that I am so glad you texted me your stripy arm at RDC! xx

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      • Oh yes, that was nearly a year ago, such fun and excitement Funny that the Stranger will air at nearly the same time so, with Vanya, still RA treats to look forward to this new year too.

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  17. Not a comment! 😂. Wishing you and your family a very happy and prosperous New Year.

    Thank you for all your posts throughout the year – the roundups, the RAPS reveals and just general fannish chitchat. I’ve so enjoyed your dialogues with all the other lovely people on here. And of course a very happy New Year to them as well.

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  18. Happy New Year, G! 🎉🎉🎉 A lovely letter- I found myself nodding in agreement with many of your sentiments. Wishing you all the best in 2020. So sorry I will miss you in London for UV. Hopefully there will be another chance someday. Thank you for making your blog such a wonderfully welcoming and comfy corner for the fandom to hang out in…and always such fun! x Happy New Year everyone! ❤️

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  19. Happy New Year Guylty, and to all here, may 2020 be all that you hope for. Thankyou for everything, this is such a lovely little corner of the RAuniverse. xx

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  20. Wow! What a perfect way to celebrate this new decade. You always amaze me with the little stories that you put together with your pocket shrines. I hope you have a wonderful New Year and this new decade is filled with wonderful adventures.

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  21. 🙂 Bonne année que vos projets aboutissent et que vous continuiez à partager équitablement votre temps entre famille, travail et fangirling…
    Two things seem difficult to me now.
    – Find a clear way to express myself when, every day, my work requires only methodical analysis, control, direction and execution (knowing that I cheerfully exceed the 50 hours of effective presence at the pharmacy, that my students occupy the little free time that I have left and I am not talking about the stewardship necessary for everyday life).
    – To come to understand all the ideas that are jostling in my brain, in order to find the main lines of directions, to get out of it a reasoning worthy of being read by a third person.
    Too many subjects for reflection assail me, I must take time to untangle the different balls of multicolored wool.
    Chiharu Shiota weaves infinite stories in her site-specific ..
    https://www.mori.art.museum/en/exhibitions/shiotachiharu/04/index.html
    Intriguing yarn installations by Chiharu Shiota
    Chiharu Shiota | Butterfly Art News
    So I stay at a distance, because it supports the analysis. Expressing myself just to occupy space and time is futile.
    (U.K. Supreme Court Justice Brenda Hale should retire, I will miss her, but I hope to be retired before I’m 75 years old)

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  22. A very happy new year to you, dear lady! Here’s hoping that we all find 2020 to be a year filled with happiness, good health, exciting challenges and lots of RA!

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  23. Happy New Year! People were setting off fireworks in the street at midnight here! Thought I would come out of hibernation to leave a little comment — I do love a man in a tux! All the best to you.

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  24. May I add my wishes for a Happy and Peaceful 2020 , 2019 was better for my family, 2018 was our bumpy year.
    I am looking forward to the theatre very much.
    I hope to see RA fans at The Harold Pinter but when the time comes I shall probably be too shy to say hello, if anyone is going on 18th January in the evening do let me know!

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  25. Ooh, lovely contribution for the Mach’ Was challenge. 🙂 Thanks for all you have been doing, Guylty, and for what is yet to come (like the new RAnet site)! Lovely message for RA too.
    Happy New Year to you too! xo

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