2025-WHAT A YEAR.

2025 has been an extraordinary year.

A year of opportunity, and new friendships. I welcomed those wholeheartedly, while feeling profoundly grateful for the familiar old ones that wrap around me like a comfortable dressing gown — the friendships where there’s no need to pretend, where you’re accepted exactly as you are. We share so much history, and even though we don’t see each other every day, these friendships prevail through everything.

I am blessed with our large, chaotic, much-loved family. When we’re together, the gaps are still painfully obvious — the missing never goes away — but this Christmas it was clear that our family continues to grow and evolve. With two weddings lined up for 2026, there is so much to look forward to.

Last spring I returned from a Thailand adventure to a life-enhancing invitation: to appear as Katie Piper’s guest of honour on ITV Weekend Escapes. I loved every second of it — including the makeover and hairdo by Michael Douglas, who told me to “embrace the curl.”

That moment brought a surprising life change. Not just letting my big, unruly hair be natural and do its thing, but realising that when I allow things — and myself — to be as they are, they are genuine. They are me. I’ve carried that lesson into everything else in my life, allowing my authentic self to exist free from anyone else’s expectations or rules. I’m too old for all that now… and honestly it’s now or never.

Anyway…… I kid you not, that SAME week in May — I was awarded my first major book prize. I was beyond honoured to be named the winner of The People’s Book Prize – Beryl Bainbridge Award for Non-Fiction for The Future is Rosie. An extraordinary accolade. Rosie would have been so proud.

Two weeks later we staged another huge gala for Rosie’s Rainbow Fund, raising £27,000 for the charity. A very special night..

Then I was invited to speak at Henley Literary Festival — a true privilege. Giving an author talk at such a renowned venue and sharing a green room (and a chat) with Michael Morpurgo, was the icing on the cake.

Alongside all of this, Redroofs has been busy as usual, culminating in December with a major show at the Shaw Theatre in London.

As an author and speaker, its been a year of recordings, radio appearances, podcasts, magazine interviews, and countless charity talks. I’ve discovered how much I love and need to keep telling my story — to any audience — and I’ve made the decision to step fully into professional speaking from 2026. It feels like a massive leap out of my comfort zone… but an exciting one, and I’m ready.

There are also other charity-related opportunities taking shape — watch this space.

Rosie’s Rainbow Fund continues to shine, despite ongoing financial challenges. I’ve invested a great deal of personal time and energy this year to ensure Rosie’s legacy continues, and I’m deeply grateful to the generous, wonderful people who keep stepping up. The support is there, the funds are coming in, and we are okay.

All of this has unfolded alongside Dom’s golfing adventures. I’ve spent many hours as golf mum/taxi service sitting in golf club car parks, hotels, and clubhouses, watching his entirely self-motivated ambitions grow. I support from the sidelines with admiration — and by footing some very large bills — until he wins the Masters.

I’m also currently enjoying having Ellie and my beautiful grandchildren Tabitha and Max here as their life settles into a new rhythm. Watching this next chapter take shape is full of hope and promise.

As always, life has been a rollercoaster. There has been turbulence too.

In July we finally closed the door on Mum’s family home at Littlewick. It wasn’t an easy ending, but it was the right one. Sam and I emerged from a two-year house clear emotionally and physically exhausted, leaving behind many broken things — and reminding ourselves that it was just a building. Full of memories, yes. Some wonderful. Many just too painful to hold onto.

I miss Mum more than words can express. But I don’t miss the holes in the roof or the water damage.

That chapter closed with a moment of immense pride, seeing our mum honoured in the In Memoriam section of the 2025 ITV Olivier Awards.

So — into 2026 we go.

No time for procrastination. I’m ready and so almost is my next book!

 New plans are afoot and will be announced soon.

Happy New Year everyone

Carolyn xxx