Way back in February 2020 as I reached my 59th birthday, at the suggestion of the Bestie, I made a list of things I would like to do or see before I reached my 60th birthday. At the time I only managed a list of 30 things, which I thought would be achievable in 12 months.

Little did any of us know that the World would come to an abrupt halt a month later and all our plans would be put on hold for the next 18 months. As we have eased our way back to normality with opportunities opening up again, I have been rethinking my wish list.

Some restrictions remain in place and International travel is still unpredictable, so I have been thinking longer term. Having already passed my 60th birthday, and subsequently celebrated my Hubby’s 60th, I have expanded my original list to 65 experiences/travel and to do list, and (although they are not aware yet) with a little help from the Hubby, the Besties, family and friends, I am hoping to achieve them all before I reach 65.

I was fortunate to experience a couple before the initial lockdown, some of them in between lockdowns and since the UK reopened for business, we have firmly placed our feet on the accelerator.

I am sharing the new list with you today, with the clock already counting down. The ones I have already been lucky enough to achieve, are highlighted in green and if I have blogged about the experience, you can read the tale (if you so wish) by clicking on the link in blue.

Be prepared for updates each year on my birthday, but I will update the list as I go and you can keep an eye on my progress by clicking the Countdown to 65 page at the top of my home page.

Wish me luck

          Experiences

1. Skinny dipping (Besties idea ) – I’m not sure this one will happen (unless its in a private pool under cover of darkness)
2. Tour of Amazon’s warehouse – currently unavailable due to Covid
3. Go to an opera – Madama Butterfly
4. Tickets for Carmen – Having enjoyed the opera, it has been recommended that we see a performance of Carmen
5. Go to a ballet – Our booking at the local theatre was cancelled and since reopening no ballets have been scheduled.
6. Attend a masked ball – Fat Tuesday Masked Ball
7. Watch a cricket match at the Oval – We have taken a tour of the ground – Capital Day  & look forward to attending a match
8. Visit the War of the Worlds Experience – Martian Landing
9. Experience an Ashes tour –
10. Visit the Postal Museum – London daytrip
11. Have a home movie night with my siblings (dig out our late parents cine films and slides of us as kids) – booked for tomorrow
12. Visit the Underground Railway Museum – London daytrip
13. Visit the Cheese Bar – Pick & Cheese
14. Visit the Sky garden in London – Six in the City
15. Ragdale Hall Spa Experience – A recommendation from a close friend
16. Try sushi
17. Musical Six – Six in the City
18. Curry in Brick Lane – 60’s Club heads up to town
19. Run 5k race for life – Run of my life
20. Visit the Globe – More London
21. Tickets for Witness for the Prosecution – Capital Day
22. Bletchley Park – Milton Keynes
23. Purton hulks – Gloucester
24. Minack theatre – Cornwall
25. Eden project – Cornwall
26. Lost gardens of heligan – Cornwall
27. Fingals cave – Scotland
28. The Kelpies – Scotland
29. Gobbins Cliff Path – Scotland
30. Experience the Edinburgh Festival
31. Whitby abbey – Yorkshire
32. Portmeirion village – Wales
33. Have an Oggi in St David’s – Wales
34. Beatrix potter garden – Lake District
35. Giant causeway – Northern Ireland
36. Titanic experience – Belfast
37. Walk at least part of Hadrians Wall
    

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    Uk Travel

38. Discover the West Country
39. Revisit Warwickshire
40. Explore the Jurassic Coast
41. Find Gretna green
42. Take another tour of Wales
43. Explore Yorkshire
44. Visit the Peak District
45. Enjoy the delights of bonnie Scotland
    

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    Tasks at Home

46. Sort out years of photos both printed and digital
47. Get out on our bikes
48. Learn some makaton
49. Have the odd date night (can’t remember last time we went out just the two of us)
50. Make a memory box (too many tickets, brochures, & maps scattered around the house)
51. Drink less
52. Walk more. (since leaving work my daily steps have plummeted)
53. Set myself a monthly clothes budget & try no spend months
54. Take control of our garden (I’m a bit of a fair weather gardener)
55. New hairstyle – I did this just before & just after lockdown, but have reverted to the old one for the time being
56. Read more
57. Learn to use chopsticks
    

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    Overseas Travel

58. Visit Berlin
59. Visit Auschwitz
60. Plan road trip(s) in Kenneth (would love to take the Castle Road through Germany amongst others
61. Attend Oktoberfest in Germany
62. See Vesuvius & find Pompeii
63. Visit Ypres
64. Visit Copenhagen
65. Explore the Norwegian Fjords