The Last Post. Gulp.

FINAL BLUES [apologies ter that Auden mon]

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,

Everything else seems drowned in fog

Because Fiskyoomon's ending her blog

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead

Scribbling on the sky that her blog is Dead,

Put crepe bows round the clock on the market hall

As Darwin and Clive mourn with us all.

Fiskin North, and South, and East and West,

Full working week and no Sunday rest,

Pauline's "my tonight in Shrewsbury" became my song;

I hoped that it 'ould last forever: I was wrong.

Salopians are not wanted, she's spoke ter every'un

Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;

Unplug yer computer,yer know that yer shud;

For nothing now can ever come to any good.

This was how my day began, thank you Shroppiemon, legendary Shropshire Tweeter, whom I've only ever met virtually but you've kept me smiling all year long.  Gulp.  My Tonight From Shrewsbury's final day, down to the Shrewsbury Coffeehouse to write its final post.   Instead of writing though, I drank more coffee than was good for me and talked to friends - which is why I'm writing now instead, crouched over my desk whilst everybody else is out around the town, in the pubs  having New Year's Eve  fun.  

It's been quite a day.  After the Coffeehouse, I went off to Castlefields to watch parents and children engaging in the annual launching of paper boats to float downriver to the weir, spluttering with candlelight and in some cases fireworks.  All those shining faces, those little Shrewsbury people growing up  - what will the future bring for them?  And what will they remember  of 2013?

I'll remember a year the likes of which I don't expect to have again.  Twelve months ago, I started out on this blog not knowing what I'd find except that I'd no doubt it would be interesting.  And interesting it's certainly been! Thank you everyone who's been interviewed for this blog, followed it, retweeted it, 'liked' it on Facebook and encouraged me to keep it going through the year [this especially includes you, Dave].  There have been moments when I've been exhausted, but even then there has always been something about our wonderful town that has kept me going.  

Shrewsbury is a place like no other. I feel privileged to live in it. It's given more to me than I could ever give back, no matter how many My Tonight From Shrewsburys I wrote. Next year it'll be back to my 'day job' [writing novels]. I'll be tapestry-weaving as well for a joint exhibition I have lined up at Nuneaton City Art Gallery in June.  If you want to read more blogs by me, the place to go is the 'Blog' section of my Pauline Fisk website where I post occasionally on all sorts of subjects, sometimes even  Shrewsbury.

And then of course there's the book. Yes, you heard right. The My Tonight From Shrewsbury book. It may not, of course, come off [I've been an author long enough not to hold my breath] but talks are underway with a publisher, and something may appear next autumn.  If it does, you'll be the first to know.   

Whatever happens though, My Tonight From Shrewsbury will stay online.  We live in a glorious town, one that deserves being shouted about from the rooftops.  And that's what I hope this blog will continue to do.   

This is the bit where I say goodbye and play the Last Post. Except that I don't want to end the year on a mournful note, so with an eye to the brand new day which is 2014, with all its wonderful new opportunities, I'm playing a Reveille instead: