- Shake hands with someone less than 100th in line to the throne.

I hope 2016 has not, so far, turned out to be a disappointment to everyone. Going well for me so far.

I spent New Year with friends in a cottage. As a way of killing time before the old year ended, I ran a quiz inspired by Curio's annual Cottage ones (the only question I stole was the Matt Damon one).

After midnight, we all wrote a challenge on a bit of paper and put it into a pot. Everyone then drew a slip of paper, returning it and re-drawing if they got their own. The idea is that all of us would complete our randomly-drawn challenge and report back on 31 December 2016. Bonus points will be given for creative approaches to the task.

I drew an easy one: read something on the Booker shortlist. The other challenges my pards drew were:

- Visit every country in the UK.
- Visit 26 places, one for each letter of the alphabet
- Recreate a historical event or journey (this one contained small print - 'if Kern draws this, the American Civil War is excluded')
- Take up a new hobby.
- Visit a new (to you) country.
- To take a photo of a street name beginning with each letter.
- Shake hands with someone less than 100th in line to the throne.
- Recommend your favourite book to a stranger in a bookshop. Bonus points if they buy it.
- Learn enough of a new language to have a conversation.
- Take a photograph of a place beginning with the letter Z.

I like the idea of a year-long game, and will be interested if others complete their assignments.

Sounds like you have a cool group of (other) friends.