York, Capital of the North

We took our first day trip to York in two years and spent time at the food festival and walked around some of the wall.

What I’ve Learned About Blogging Daily

I’ve just been informed by the WordPress app that I have published a post on this blog 14 times on the trot! That is far more than I expected when I started this experiment. I’ve been really pleased with how many people have read my inane ramblings, which has certainly encouraged me. So,…

16th Wedding Anniversary!

I doubt this event will earn a dedicated post for another four years, but this time around my wedding anniversary is a bit special. Married 16 years ago today. For the first time tonight (thanks to various problems such as dates, closure, and just making other plans) Ceri and I are going to…

Let’s Talk About Retro Gaming

Last year, I launched a new website, Gaming Retro UK (I call it GRUK), dedicated to handmade pasta retro gaming. Over the course of the past 12 months it’s enjoyed constant, but modest growth, but I haven’t been able to afford as much time to it as I would like. Why start a…

The 10 Bands I’ve Seen Live (No. 6 Will Shock You)

Compared with friends and other people of my age, I haven’t seen many bands live outside of pubs and clubs. Basically, I find it either too noisy or too quiet, and definitely way too crowded. And then there are the merchandise prices. However, I have seen a few bands, a bit more than…

Taking My Daily Ukulele Up Roseberry Topping

Daily exercise is recommended for a long and healthy life. Similarly, you should always practice your instrument of choice on a daily basis to learn it. Today, I combined the two, taking a walk up a hill with a ukulele. My target, as you’ll learn from the video above, was Roseberry Topping. This…

Dorman Long Tower Demolished: Here’s Why It Had to Go

I was shocked into consciousness at 2am on Sunday morning by a “boom and crunch” sound. Assuming an industrial incident and expecting to be kept up by sirens, I turned over to grab as much sleep as I could… …and woke at 6am as planned (son had a championship to attend). The boom…

A Life in the Day of a Tech Writer

You probably know the format. It’s a description of a typical day, famously occupying the back page of the Sunday Times Colour Supplement ( I believe they call it a “magazine” these days) with a focus on the notable in culture and society. The Tom Baker one is a scream. It’s also a…

RIP #Newsjack, But I Was Over You Years Ago

As someone who aspires to write comedy, I’ve spent a whole lot of time over the past 12 years attempting to get material on Newsjack. But hearing of its demise yesterday has left me… somewhat relieved, actually. Personally I don't feel it was the same after Romesh Ranganathan left, but that's quite a…

Why Is Twitter Always Better on a Friday?

There is something strange going on in the world of social media. Twitter – that badly calibrated barometer of far left insanity – is always miles more fun on a Friday. Every other day of the week (save the football-heavy Saturdays, which comes with its own mix of moods and madness and armchair…