It’s only taken six months to finally inform the world about this year’s monthly challenge…

2025’s monthly challenge follows last year’s monthly cinema trip and 2023’s gig a month, both very successful experiences.

So the pressure was on to find something that would work. Early thoughts were going down the sport route. Different sport every month? Liked this idea, but thought it probably needed considerable planning, maybe it will become 2026’s challenge. So, we settled on: monthly theatre visit. With the added challenge of attempting to visit 12 different theatres.

Initially, the plan was to do a short little blog of each visit, but of course, that didn’t happen. Hence the six month catch-up.

January

Production: An Inspector Calls

Venue: Theatre Royal, Norwich

Review: Professional West End production, top-notch theatre and great show.

February

Production: Dracula

Venue: Playhouse Theatre, Norwich

Review: Professional touring company production, mid-size lovely theatre and really good show.

March

Production: 1984

Venue: Public Hall, Beccles

Review: Local amateur dramatic group, multi-use public hall, the show was alright.

April

Production: Metamorphosis

Venue: Maddermarket Theatre, Norwich

Review: Low-budget small local group production, not the main space of the venue, small intimate room, slightly disappointed.

May

Production: Edgeland

Venue: Sweet Briar Marsh

Review: Low-budget outside immersive experience, not for us.

June

Production: The Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged

Venue: Seagull Theatre, Lowestoft

Review: Local comedy amateur dramatic group, nice small independent theatre, it was alright.

That brings us up-to-date. Going forward there will be slightly more detail and might even include a few photos. Very exciting! There will also be a current chart of favourites. Even more exciting!

‘Kiss of Death’ by Malcolm Rose

It’s another teenage fiction. I saw it in the book cupboard at school, it’s only 190 pages, so thought I’d have a read.

A school trip to the village of Eyam ends up with Seth, his twin sister Kim, and his best friend Wes, fighting the dreaded Black Death.

Past and present collide in this exciting thriller.

‘Down and Across’ by Arvin Ahmadi

Teenage fiction. Scott Ferdowski doesn’t know what he wants to do with his life; he can’t commit to anything. But he has a plan: to run away to Washington and talk to a famous college lecturer about grit.

On his travels, he meets Fiora who is into crossword puzzles and causing havoc.

It’s a coming-of-age story that’s pretty good. I liked it.

‘Ghosted’ by Rosie Mullender

This was alright; nice easy read.

Emily’s ex returns as a ghost and asks for her help in discovering how he died. As they spend more time together, Emily realises exactly how good he was for her, and how the New Emily she has become is maybe not what she wants.

‘A Case of Mice and Murder’ by Sally Smith

Smith’s debut novel, given to me as a present by one of my students, they said ‘it’s got lots of good reviews’.

I liked this novel: I gave it 4 stars.

Set in 1901 in London, it follows barrister Gabriel Ward who is given the unenviable job of investigating the murder of the Lord Chief Justice.

As well as a murder to investigate, he is also defending a publisher in a disputed authorship of a best-selling children’s book Millie the Temple Church Mouse.

I’m not saying anything else. Well worth a read.

‘The Race Against Time’ by Richard Askwith

Yes, I know, it’s another running book! I like reading running books!

Although, this one, less so.

This book explores the science behind running into old age, together with stories from athletes running through their 60s and into, in some cases, their 100s.

There was a lot of stories from athletes who have achieved incredible times running later in life. Of course, these athletes all have different ‘secrets’ as to why they can do what they do. Some only do very short intense sessions, some long and slow, some focus on strength, some stretching.

If you want the ‘secret’ of running into old age, this book won’t tell you.

There was one piece of advice that I’ll be taking on board, from Mahatma Ghandi:

Work as if you are going to live for ever, but live as if you were going to die tomorrow.