Journal

Winter miles for summer smiles

Sunday April 19th 2026

When I got my Giant Trance back in September 2025, I wasn’t expecting the mountain biking bug to bite quite as hard as it did. With each ride, my fitness gradually crept up and with it the fun factor that comes with being up in the hills on a mountain bike. I quickly became obsessed with the sport again, watching countless videos on YouTube and buying Mountain Biking UK for the first time in over a decade.

Reading the magazine again was like catching up with an old friend and it brought back so many memories of my escapades on the bike back in the 90s.

Continue Reading
, ,
Leave a comment
Journal

London’s Burnsing!

Saturday February 3rd 2024
A boat on the river Thames, taken from Blackfriars Bridge facing westward. In the background are the south bank buildings and the sky is blue.

In the olden days (mid-2010s) I’d make the annual trip down to stay with Cousin Iain & Nicola to attend a Burns Supper and Scottish themed quiz night that Iain hosted. I’ve usually done The Address to the Haggis (once in my kilt) and even Crazy Uncle John attended in the past, bringing his passionate recitals of the bigger numbers into play.

As with many other things, it all fell away during the pandemic and I hadn’t been down for it for years. However, Iain extended the invite well in advance for 2024 and I got flights booked early enough that they weren’t too expensive if I came down a couple of days early.

Continue Reading
, , ,