weeknotes Weeknotes 2022.2 Somehow—I’m not sure how—I have managed to avoid getting COVID. I did get worried after a coughing bout on Friday (when air pollution in London was appalling) but my PCR came back negative. I’ve reduced the amount of time my computer(s) allow me to use
weeknotes Weeknotes 2022.1 The amaryllis started to fall over. The first stem (let’s call it Stem A) to rise bloomed very happily, but in an effort to make the second bloom (Stem B) as successful as the first, I was probably a bit zealous in watering and feeding it. (Floppiness is supposedly
weeknotes Weeknotes 2022.0 I figured I needed an incentive to get blogging regularly again, so inspired by others here’s what I’ve been thinking about this week: My NaNoWriMo project for last year (let’s call it ‘project P’) was an incomplete mess (long story short: work and life got in the
photo My best photos in 2021 I took my Instagram private a while ago, but thought I'd share my favourite 9 photos of 2021 here too. Please enjoy. One Thousand Springs by 塩田千春 Chiharu ShiotaOur local celebrity in E20.Boxing day feast.
reviews Things I have enjoyed in 2021 I haven’t been especially active blogging in 2021 (as if that’s anything new) so I thought I’d list some of the things I’ve enjoyed reading, watching etc. this year. Good LGBT Representation is Boring (and why that's a problem), by Verity Ritchie: this video essay touches
politics Hobson’s choice Our poll cards for the May elections came in the post last week. Because we live in Newham, in addition to the mayoral elections, we have a referendum on how the council should be run. The current Mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz, campaigned on allowing this referendum to take place—after ousting
ramble Inspecting my own little role in the consent manufacturing machine Sometime between 2012 and 2013, I wrote a short story called Random Access. This was a Black Mirror-a-like drama in which a person attached to an EEG could ‘re-live’ their memories, rendered in a video game. The other day, I removed the story from public view on this
ramble Must it be like this? I had a breakdown on my bike today. I was out recording cycle routes for people going to the Nightingale Hospital for their COVID shot (this one a route from Barking) and got a puncture for my trouble. As I stopped and seethed on the waterfront of Royal Albert Dock,
ramble A view of the blogging landscape, March 2021 WordPress: feels like operating a laser printer. I mean, it works, but you can easily spend an hour fighting with it or spilling toner over yourself. Keep coming back to it out of familiarity even though it feels like a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Tumblr: fun to
travel Cycling through water and trees In a lull between a hectic period at work and the frenetic chaos of NaNoWriMo, I took my bike on the ferry to the Netherlands in late October last year—mainly so I could decompress by being forced to do nothing but concentrate on the road. This time I went
travel Impressions of Paris I’ve passed through Paris a few times en route to somewhere else. All I’ve had the chance to explore has been in the context of a cramped RER train, a missed alarm and a dash to Gare de l’Est to catch an early morning ICE to Germany,
reviews The Raven Tower, by Ann Leckie I adore Ann Leckie’s sci-fi stories. Her new novel, The Raven Tower, is a departure into fantasy, and it is quite simply remarkable in its ambition and its voice. The Raven Tower is presented as a single, continuous narrative, with a narrator who’s present in the story.
cycling The Dun Run I am not a sports cyclist at all. I am slow. Most days I ride a Gazelle (a Dutch granny bike with a massive crate on the front) to work, at an average speed of around 13km/hr. That’s fine. But I’m also someone who likes doing stupid
travel The Balearics or Bust: London to Mallorca without flying Every year, my company downs tools for a week and decamps to a hotel for a week of training and an internal conference. Usually, if it’s in mainland Europe, that involves flying. I try to avoid it. I hate the rigmarole of flying. Partly because airports are awful places
brexit Good Riddance, not good enough Theresa May will resign in two weeks, on 7th June. This means we shall soon have a new Prime Minister, chosen by the insular and geriatric Conservative Party membership rather than the public at large. All the while, the clock ticks down to the October Article 50 deadline (at the
Eurovision 2019: let’s talk about spreadsheets I love Eurovision. I enjoyed last night’s show (the music, Australia’s bendy-poles staging, the drama when Hatari staged a mini-protest against the oppression of the Palestinian people.) I wasn’t surprised the UK came last (a song that would’ve done well twenty years
photo Impressions of Manchester I’ve spent a few days in Manchester for a conference. It’s been rainy (normal for Manchester) and I haven’t ventured beyond the city centre—I didn’t have my bike with me, and everywhere I was going was within the city centre, so it didn’t seem
reviews The Power, by Naomi Alderman I’ve finished listening to the audiobook of The Power, narrated by Adjoa Andoh. I could write thousands of words about how she’s one of my favourite actors and narrators, one of the most exciting British creative voices working today, but I’ll just say she’s phenomenal and
cycling Impressions of Brighton I took a train to Brighton on Easter Monday. The weather was kind. It didn’t rain. It was quite windy. And my new touring bike developed a fault with the dynamo lighting system. But I had fun! And I got some good photos… I strapped my tripod to the
