Dear Friends and supporters,
December is a wonderful time of the year when I can wish you all the very best for Christmas, Bodhi Day, Return of the Wandering Goddess, Id al-Fitr, Winter Solstice, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yuletide & Saturnalia and a healthy, loving, peaceful and prosperous year 2021.
Please note and see at the bottom of this email my websites and email addresses.
What a year it has been, 2020 was marked by Covid-19 and its implications: health and wealth have taken a huge blow, we lost some dear friends and family members, businesses closed and some will never reopen, we spent a huge time at home, stopped travelling, visiting friends and family and Zoom happened!
Yes, we have many mode of communications and Zoom seem to have taken over the world. WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, SMS, Telephone and more were also used profusely and as Vaccines are being prepared we look forward to seeing each other again once this Pandemic end.
Our professional and social life took a hit and this has plunged most of us in various researches and readings. For myself I did quite a bit on genealogical research and furthering my family tree till the dawn of time, or nearly.
Also reading my diaries were, to paraphrase Oscar Wilde, sensational. Here is his original quote: “I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.”
I still paint occasionally but as I am running of space, let me know if you want to purchase any so that I can produce more.
The Gay Professional Network met as usual this year although from March it was on Zoom and sometimes with a limited physical audience at the Civil Service Club, our speakers included Matthew Hodson CEO of AidsMap, Pliny Sooccormanee and Peta Cooper of Gaysians Faces, Dr Lori Bisbey talking about sex, Peter Tatchell, Dan Nouveau of Museum Pride, Mark Bunyan about his music and dance and being a bouncing magistrate, Steven McIntyre CEO of Stonewall Housing, Dr Ian Dodds about his bisexuality, Craig Jones MBE, Caroline Paige and Patrick Lyster-Todd about Fighting with Pride, Gary Youssef about financial education and Dr David Clive Price about Hidden demons, his latest book. The Network welcomed Cedric Torossian about Proptech, Dexter Moscow about "Stand Up and Sell", HRH Prince Frederick von Lauenberg and Franz von Habsburg about Margery Booth, Tony Selimi about "Living my illusions". Some speakers preferred to wait to the end of the Pandemic when we can meet in person again and we met regularly through zoom, sometimes weekly.
As Hon. Secretary of the Whitefriars Club, there were fewer events this year and yes there was some combination of zoom and limited physical audience there too. We welcomed Richard Stokes on English Song, Enrico Franceschini on "Living to write - Writing for a living" and Sir Vince Cable on "Has Centrist Politics disappeared" and had a last zoom fest in December. I decided that waking up at 3am to go the studios or on location filming had to come to an end this year but you can still see some of the body of work on http://www.imdb.com/list/ls038032236/ and will update this whenever all other films are in the cinemas or your television, it was fun. As an event organiser and as a catering consultant, the businesses stopped completely this year so when we are back to normal and we all received our vaccine, please think about me to organise any of your events or feel that you want to start a new business. I have 40 years of experience at your service. Good advice saves you pounds and to further paraphrase L'Oreal this time: "because I'm worth it".
On a positive note, 2020 got some of us closer than ever together, they were trying times but what we have ensured that we can grow together.
Season's Greetings!
It remains to me to wish you and your family a wonderful end of year's festivities and all the very best for 2021, it can only get better! (Yes, another paraphrase, enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwWfE4DAyao) Yours ever,
Jean-François.
Please note websites and emails addresses:
