Notes

My street now has a community WhatsApp group. Just a small sign perhaps, that some good will come of all this.

I deleted my LinkedIn account almost 9 years ago. But times change, and now seems like a good time to reconnect.

Shared a virtual beer with @bensauer, something I probably wouldn’t have done had it been a normal Friday evening. Here’s to silver linings! 🍻

Something, something, long-drawn-out sigh.

Getting the band back together!

Lovely evening spent catching up with @adactio and @wordridden – with a special shoutout to Basil the dog who briefly joined our table.

Was expecting a lecture about post-war architecture, but instead heard a story of corruption and impropriety within Harold Wilson’s Labour government, notably around the development of Centre Point. Fascinating talk, @EwanMHarrison!

Was lovely bumping into @scruffymongrel on the train this morning. Been too long!

Not long now until my friend @qwertykate can claim to be a published novelist! So, “mark it on your dance cards”, for the Purple People will be arriving in June. 😈

This week I renewed my business insurance with Ashley @_withjack. Personal, informative and helpful customer service, and policies that are competitive and comprehensive. What’s not to love!?

2am. Still singing karaoke.

Spent much of today aboard trains going in the wrong direction, i.e. headed towards home. But! I get to spend all day tomorrow here in Cologne, which makes me very happy (as does the Kölsch).

Taking advantage of the flexibility of my Interrail pass, and spending an extra day in Oslo. High probability I may never leave at all.

After a week of grey, horrid weather, the clouds lift and blue skies finally appear over Stockholm. In this part of Europe at least, all is bright and well.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the photos of Europe I’ve been sharing over the past month. Consider this exercise a drawn out howl of despair at the needless situation Britain today finds itself in. I’ve collected them all here.

The @eurostar team at St. Pancras are genuine heroes. First, given disruption on the Brighton Main Line, they happily rebooked me on to the next train to Brussels. Later, having returned to the departure gates too late, they helped rush me through check-in and passport control.

Like all great train journeys, this one starts with a cancellation.

Not entirely sure how this ended up with the conclusion it did. More a reflection on the start of this year than the last one, perhaps. Anyway, I think it means I need to write more.

I just backed Lucid, a short film written by @loobylu. Currently in production, it needs a little extra funding to get it ready for it’s premiere at next year’s Short Circuit Film Festival. Can’t wait to see it!

Every time you shop at Amazon, a business dies.

I can’t watch.

Fuck.

Watching the election night coverage on ITV.

That’s a first.

Go vote! Tactically.

Surely a rite of passage for designers of government services, spent the day with the friendly @DACcessibility folk in Neath. Not only did their knowledge and insights deepen my appreciation of inclusive design, but it underscored the undeniable necessity of this approach.

Played 5-a-side for the first time in many, many years. Scored a hat-trick.

Liquid football.

Who’d have thought there’d be a common theme between the film I watched last weekend, Pitch Perfect, and tonight’s feature, Knives Out.

And who’d have thought that theme would be projectile vomiting. 🤮

Stop,… carry on!

Arrive home in Brighton after a late night in London. Several steps from the station, and my shoes are already sodden. Half way home, encounter an entirely flooded footpath.

This is not normal.

A fire alarm, power cut and forced evacuation of the building didn’t stop us from shipping; ‘Apply for teacher training’ is officially – live! And it’s all down to everyone in the amazing team I’ve worked with over the last 8 months.

This is just the beginning. Onwards!

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me.

I can’t believe it’s come to this, but here we are: I no longer trust the BBC.

Watched all three Pitch Perfect movies, and not going to lie, they had me in stitches. Aca-scuse me? You better aca-believe it!

Back in the gym after a 6-month hiatus. My form hasn’t diminished, but my strength certainly has. End-of-year goal will be to try and regain it.

Is it possible to disable @SlackHQ’s new God-awful WYSIWYG message editor?

Series 3 of The Crown continues with its inch-perfect recreation of the modern Elizabethan age, yet I find it hard to believe The Guardian ever occupied an office so spacious and stylish as that depicted in episode 4.