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New Year... New Hobby?


If you fancy using your mind more than your body, you could learn a new language in preparation for a foreign holiday perhaps. Or build on an existing interest by joining a photography class or book group.


Music can reduce stress and improve your mood, so why not dust off that instrument you haven’t touched for years and join an amateur orchestra? Choirs are increasingly popular and you’re sure to fi nd a range of musical styles available.


Eat healthily, start exercising, get more Crafts have had a real boost lately, with knitting and sewing groups setting up all


sleep… As you list your usual New Year once? January is the perfect time to lift your


resolutions, why not add in something fun for over the country. Jewellery and card-making are also satisfying. You can get started quite


spirits out of a winter slump by starting a new hobby, and there have never been so many activities to try.


To narrow down your choice, think about what you’d like to add your life. Do you want to meet more people? Be more active? Learn a skill? Get creative? You may want to develop something that you are already interested in, or try something completely new.


Look around to fi nd out what’s going on. Your adult education centre and library will be able to help, and you’ll fi nd information in cafés, newsagents, community centres and local magazines.


If you were inspired by the 2012 Olympics, you could try a new sport or exercise class, but getting fi t doesn’t have to mean sport. Why not follow the Strictly contestants and sample the benefi ts of ballroom dancing or Zumba, or simply aim to get out more and enjoy the countryside?


Geocaching is an exciting new outdoor activity that the whole family can enjoy. It’s essentially a high-tech treasure hunt. Another new trend is roller derby – a fast-paced contact sport where teams race to lap the opposition as they skate around the track.


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cheaply and pick up the basics quickly. The bonus is that you get to keep the end result, or give it as a gift. You also have the potential to earn money by selling your creations.


Increased access to computers means that we can get involved in a whole host of new communities without even leaving the house. Many of us enjoy researching our family trees and fi nding the facts behind our memories. It’s also easy to use social networks to track down old school friends and colleagues that we’ve lost touch with.


And if none of these is for you, how about foraging, meditation, wine-tasting, line- dancing, magic tricks, bee-keeping, historical re-enactments, home baking…the list really is endless!


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