It occurred to me that if the internet fell out of the sky and went dark, I wouldn’t actually own any of the films or TV episodes that I love. Not really. No box sets. No favourites. No comfort rewatches. Just a very expensive television and a lot of empty apps asking me to reconnect. The same goes for music too.

The slightly heart wrenching reality as I watch these 4 precious people is that their relationship together cannot span a lifetime, whilst their great grandparents have lived most of their years now and are full of memories, experience and wisdom my boys have barely started on the journey through their lives with so much ahead of them in their future. It is perhaps these polar opposite of situations that make the time they spend together so precious and remarkable.

Sitting at my computer, thinking about pieces I would like to write for my blog, phone to the side of me as I ask my smart speaker to set me a timer, I do begin to wonder if I am living an analogue life. I wonder if I am actually just a walking charade. If this is just another trendy term that I have created to feel relevant or renegade.

Each of those tiny pieces of ornamental glass hold a place in my heart and so when it is time to gently pack them all away for the next year I feel a liminal mix of sadness and excitement. Sad that I have to pack them away and anticipated excitement knowing how I will feel when I get to unpack them again.

As we gathered ourselves over the final weekend, searching for school ties and going to one last pantomime, I could not even consider starting to derig the house. Christmas for me has always been a time of comfort. There is stillness in the lie ins, a warmth in the glow of a thousand tiny lights, a soothing nostalgia in the same ornaments. I couldn’t even contemplate whipping that out from underneath everyone as well as packing them all back off to reality.

One photo per day to capture the best moment that happened or to seal a feeling into a memory. One photo, no take backs, even if it was dreadful. That was the deal. We were going back to the 90s, full analogue, no socials, no tags, just me, the camera and the moment.