I really don't like New Year's resolutions. I'm also not a fan of treating this time of year as the beginning of anything. A commenter on this blog once mentioned that he does his ‘New Year' adjustments in April- when life is returning. It struck me as very sensible. This is the middle of winter, everything is at a low ebb, we are deep in the Yin phase, and it's a time for husbanding resources, not dashing out to the gym for the first time since last January. For an absolute miracle, there is something that the UK does well: the financial year runs from April 6th to April 5th each year. I don't know why they do that: the idea of the New Year beginning in January dates back to Julius Caesar deciding it should be so (and look what happened to him!), but it makes all sorts of sense when you think about it.

So I have no New Year's resolutions to share with you. But by the end of this financial year, I should have two more books out for you: The Theory and Practice of Historical Martial Arts, and The Art of Swordfighting in Earnest (my new translation of Philippo Vadi's De Arte Gladiatoria Dimicandi). Theory and Practice is in layout right now- I expect to have the ebook up in a couple of weeks, and release the hardback in February. I might push the Vadi book back a bit to perhaps May, but all in all, getting these two books out will tie up the old year nicely.

As for new starts, in May I'll be walking the  Isle of Wight Challenge, which I'll be writing more about later on.

None of this bah-humbug prevents me from wishing you the best of luck with your own resolutions if you have them, and indeed a very happy 2018.