Andy Murray Winning Wimbledon
After years of watching Andy Murray, admittedly only really at the closing stages of Grand Slams, seeing him go so far at Wimbledon was a real delight. I watched his US Open win the year before, staying up until 3 in the morning to do so, and wondered if he’d ever win the tournament every Brit really wanted him to.
It was the ease at which he won Wimbledon, in the end, which made it so good. He beat Novak Djokovic, perhaps the world’s best player over the year before Wimbledon, in straight sets. No drama. No heartbreak. Just happiness tinged with a sense of relief. Scotland’s sporting son of a generation had finally made the history that he craved.
Sadly injury put paid to Murray’s season shortly after Wimbledon, but with two grand slams and an Olympic title in the bag now – who knows what he could manage in 2014?
I somehow think, though, that nothing will trump Murray’s Wimbledon win for a long time in British tennis, maybe even British sport, and that witnessing the first British winner of Wimbledon in 77 years was definitely a noteworthy point of the year.
Belladrum
Always a shoe-in as a contender for best weekend of the year: my fourth Belladrum, and third in a row, could well have been my favourite. Although the weather wasn’t as typically kind as it usually is, the usual gathering of friends for a drink in a field was definitely as good as it always is.
This year I saw fewer bands than I ever have before, due to a line-up that was rather weak and apathy towards leaving the campsite and our drinks behind.
I saw Dire Straits, reformed without Mark Knopfler as The Straits, and they were good. There were a few songs I was looking forward to, that were dutifully done very well, but I also realised that they had more songs that I recognised but never attributed to them and that made me appreciate them even more.
By far the better of the two acts I saw, though, was Seasick Steve. His own brand of three-string trance music, as he calls it, captivated the entire audience with folksy, bluesy tunes that were as summery as you could find. It was a delight to watch him play, and there more than a few good songs that I added to my iPod after the festival.
Runrig Party on the Moor
Runrig are one of my favourite bands by far and luckily, because they are Scottish, it means that I regularly get the chance to see them. This time was special though, being the 40th anniversary of the band and being just six miles from my home, with the concert held in Muir of Ord.
Over the years Runrig have perfected their craft of playing to the masses. I was there at what some consider to be their best concert ever at Beat the Drum in 2007, and that night made me a fan for life. They are just as good live, with lead singer Bruce Guthro leading a great performance, as they are on record. Runrig concerts are a guaranteed delight.
However, for the 40th anniversary, original singer and band founder Donnie Munro returned for three songs. The atmosphere when he appeared on stage was electric, as fans saw their band fully reunited for the first time in almost fifteen years. It was a magical moment.
Personally, the best thing about the concert was hearing a few of the older Runrig songs that I’d only heard on CD/cassette before now. Being the 40th anniversary, and covering songs from nearly all their albums, I heard my first live renditions of older hits such as “Dance Called America” and “The Cutter”, two of my absolute favourite songs.
I doubt that Party on the Moor will have the same long-term effect on my musical taste as Beat the Drum did, but I don’t doubt that it was the best Runrig concert I’ve been to.
And to top the night off, I was able to go to a party as my alter ego Carlsberg Man afterwards, which was a highlight in itself.
England v Scotland game
The last time Scotland played England, I was only five years old – so I’ve never really had the opportunity to experience a national team game where I felt the same passion and tension as a derby game. This year’s match with Auld Enemy was perhaps one of my favourite football games I’ve seen in a long time.
Scotland played like a team that really wanted to win. Aside from qualifiers, which generally meant disappointment and despair, Scotland hadn’t really played in a game where winning meant anything at all since that hope-crushing defeat at Hampden against Italy in 2007. This was a game of similar tension, and it was “just” a friendly.
Taking the lead twice definitely helped raise the tension. The pub where I watched the game was packed, and when Scotland scored, the place erupted (aside from a few out-of-place England fans). It was disappointing when England equalised, and eventually took the lead to win the game – but Scotland always seemed a threat against a side which was far better on paper. It was also nice to see Kenny Miller score; the player that scored the first goal I ever saw at Hampden against Germany in 2003, in what became his last international appearance for his country.
I’d love to see another England v Scotland game again soon, and assuming it’d be at Hampden; hopefully I’d be able to be there in person as well.
GTA V being released
GTA IV was my favourite game of all time, and I’d waited almost two years since the first trailer was released announcing the next Grand Theft Auto. This year I finally got what I’d waited for.
In short, I love GTA V. It’s a bigger, better and much improved version of the game that I’d considered my favourite before. Since my review, the online part of the game has been greatly improved, with new functions like the race creator adding new reasons to play. Whether I’m as nostalgic about V in a few years as I am about IV, I don’t know, but one thing is for certain – that I’ll be playing around in GTA V until the next one comes out.