1912.25 THE CAPTAIN'S YULETIDE MESSAGE

As I usual I like to take an opportunity to look back at my year as it disappears in the 'rear view mirror'. The post is published at the same time as the Queen gives her speech, and as she does I've prepared it beforehand, I'm guessing at the moment it goes up I'll be tucking into our seasonal feast.

1912.16 FESTIVE TV ROUNDUP

As always I like to check out the television offerings. As always I've armed myself with the festive double issue of the Radio Times and a highlighter pen. Last year was a bit poor - hope it's better this year...

1911.12 A CHRISTMAS ELECTION

It's been almost 100 years since the UK saw a December general election. But that's not the only thing different about this election.

1912.08 IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE...

The first full weekend in December is usually when we put up our festive decorations. The trouble this year is that I've been at work for one of those days.

1912.06 WHO IS FATHER CHRISTMAS?

It's a strange time. It's the festive season but we've got a general election going on which is distracting everyone from the fun that is supposed to be this time of year. But I want to take a moment to leave the crap to one side and look at something that really interests me (and captures the season).

1911.22 DONE DEAL

I know that this cartoon isn't funny. It's far from that as you can get but it's not meant to be. The purpose of this drawing is therapeutic.

1911.10 THE GREAT SHEFFIELD FLOOD... AGAIN

The Sheffield Floods of 2007 were supposed to be a once in a lifetime event yet here we are 12 years later. A month's rain fell in a day on already saturated ground on Friday.

1911.01 INKTOBER 2019

I've been back in the drawing game for a number of years now. I've seen "Inktober" on social media now for a number of years but I've always believed that I wasn't good enough to participate.

1910.13 BATTERY CRITICALLY LOW - PLEASE RECHARGE

Friday was Mental Health Awareness Day. Over the last few months I've been increasingly aware that my own mental health has been slipping. There's a lot going on and I realise I might not be handling it very well. One thing I thought might be beneficial to take a bit of time out.

1910.04 DUN PARENTING... RAGS IS 18

My youngest daughter is 18 years old today. I've managed to deliver my two daughters to adulthood without killing them or them killing anyone else.

1909.30 WEBCOMIC: LET'S GO BIKING and more...

I've done a few more cartoon strips since I last published on here.

1909.27 WRAP UP AND CARRY ON RIDING

Autumn is here, and the nights are drawing in. Soon it will be getting colder and the commute on the bike will become more challenging... but never impossible.

1909.10 BREX-SHIT... WITHOUT A PADDLE?

I don't normally do political comment on my blog, save for a couple of posts in the past I try and avoid it.

1908.31 DRAWING AND THAT

When I was a kid my dream was to draw cartoons for the Beano, I used to copy characters from the comics of the time then I started to develop my own.

1908.20 I WISH MY BRAIN HAD A RELEASE VALUE

Things haven't been great recently. There are certain facets of life that have conspired to fuck with my head. I get that life isn't straightforward but sometimes the shit keeps on coming.

1908.10 FOOTBALL?

It's no secret that I don't like the so called "beautiful game". I really don't get the appeal... and that's fine.

1908.06 WEBCOMIC: INNUENDO CLUB

Don't talk about innuendo club.

1907.26 RIDING TO FIND MY CYCLING MOJO

I've been a cyclist for many years, in fact I'd say I was cycling before it became popular (but I have no figures to back that up). Last year I rode out on an extremely hot day - it was a stupid thing to do, I almost collapsed on my way home. I had never felt so bad. I made it home but I didn't get back on the bike for almost a year.

1907.17 WEBCOMIC: HOT

It's been very hot and clammy recently.

1907.14 GOODBYE ST NEOTS

For many years now I've been a regular visitor to St. Neots in Cambridgeshire. It's been the home of Morticia's mother and if I'm honest I've become quite fond of the place.

1907.05 POSTCARD FROM CEI NEWYDD

This week we have been in my favourite place in the world, New Quay / Cei Newydd in Ceredigion Wales. It's the first holiday in years (and maybe even the last) with all my family. As we prepare to move on to a new chapter in our lives we have had the opportunity to remember the past these last few days.

1907.03 TWENTY YEARS MARRIED

Twenty years ago this very day Morticia became my bride, we were married. Today we celebrate that day and the journey that has brought us to this day.

1907.01 WAY OUT WEST

It's a little early in the year to be contemplating a trip west to Wales but here we are preparing for just that. Why so early in the year? Well we are going for a very special occassion.

1906.27 WEBCOMIC: TURTLES

Its been a while since I did a comic strip. I've always struggled with the gags. I've been collecting a few over the months so hopefully I'll have a few more up my sleeve.

1906.19 RECHARGE

Relaxing is just as important as exercise, the down time is as important and the up. But just how do you relax effectively? It's not just about putting your feet up it's just as important to relax the mind too.

1906.06 FIRE!

There are some sounds that everyone loves…  Shoes on gravel, crackling of fire, sizzling sausages, cats purring. But you can't beat an open fire out in the garden. Usually my 'bright ideas' don't usually pan out exactly as I planned. Nobody was as surprised as me when this panned out.

1906.03 JUST A LINE ON A SPREADSHEET

Back in February I wrote about a review at work. Well today it has entered the next phase. We attended a meeting where the big bosses explained (via Skype) the outline of our future. It's not good, neither is it clear.

1905.26 MORE ZERO FOR AN AF HERO

Last year I did a post about alcohol free beers. They've come a long way and there are more coming along all the time. I like the odd beer but sometimes it's not appropriate for me to drink alcohol, or sometimes alcohol just doesn't agree with me. Since then I've tried more examples of this emerging craft.

1905.20 WOULD THE ROUNDHEADS LIKE COFFEE?

I've always taken an interest in history, especially local history. My family have been in the area I live in for generations. Another interest I have in in the supernatural. Quite often these interests collide in wonderful ways. There are stories all around us, one such story is in a building I pass every day on my way to work, and it's about to embark on a new and controversial chapter.

1905.07 BIKE MOJO - A RIDE TO PARIS

I've been cycling a long time. Last year after a disastrous ride I stopped, that is apart from commuting. My leisure cycling just stopped. Until the other weekend.

1905.05 ANOTHER YEAR

I'm not going to make a fuss today, it's my birthday and whilst age brings a certain comfort within your own self it also becomes less relevant. I'll enjoy and be thankful for my family around me and hopefully get a beer at some point. 

1904.28 SNOOKER LOOPY

Every year since 1977 the grand specticle that is the World Snooker Championship rolls into my town. I love the snooker but not as much as Morticia does.

1904.23 NEW FACES

Like Doctor Who we are different people throughout our lives and just like the timelord we wear different faces too. I like to reflect this in my cartoon alter ego.

1904.15 ADDED DIMENSIONS

I haven't been to the pictures in quite a while. It's an activity I used to enjoy, I even had a Cineworld 'Unlimited' card (which meant I could visit the cinema as many times as I wanted for a fixed fee). I'd love to go more but I don't seem to have the time (the main reason I stopped having the card). A couple of weeks ago I went back to one of my favourite pastimes. 

1903.31 MOTHERS

It's Mother's Day and the time to show appreciation for the women that have given us so much for so long. The sacrifices they make and the love they give, and despite the mistakes we make or the mistakes they make they're still there for you.

1903.25 C***

Before I start I have to say that I'm not a prude and words don't offend me. I've chosen to write about this word now because I think it's offensiveness is perhaps on the wain. I used to be a bus driver way back when and those guys really know how to swear. It was like being with a bunch of sailors.

1903.11 NEW PHONE DAY

In years gone by, the early days of the mobile phone, it was an exciting prospect to get a new device. The new features, exciting new interface and I used to love the labourious task of retyping all your contacts into the new phone book.

1903.05 BREATH OF FREYA

When I initially planned this post I thought that the forecast storm was going to be a lot more than what it was. The reason it got my attention was of course that they had named it after a Norse god and I have been doing quite a bit of reading about Norse mythology recently. Vikings have always interested me since I was a child but over the last few years I've been drawn towards the culture and art of what is one of the most intriguing periods of history.

1902.25 TONY GOT A FLYPAST

On Friday there was a substantial event in my home city of Sheffield. If you've following it on the news (particularly BBC Breakfast) it's the story of a man who tends to a memorial in a local park that came to light when on of the Breakfast presenters came across him whilst he was walking his dog. The man wanted a flypast to commemorate the 75th anniversary of a USAF aeroplane that crashed there. We couldn't make the flypast that morning but we still thought it important to pay our respects.

1902.08 ICE

I don't like winter, I've gradually grown tired of the season as I've gotten older. The cold is uncomfortable and unpredictable, it disrupts and causes chaos.

1902.04 THE REVIEW CON

I rarely discuss work online. There's a reason for that, mainly that it's frowned upon by the bigwigs in the ivory tower. Austerity and government cuts have had a huge impact on my work life. Recent events however have a distinct flavour of history repeating itself. 

1901.23 BREXI-McBREXFACE

I'm a passionate remainer. I make no apology for it, I believe that the path this country is on is wrong. Problem is I'm surrounded by "Brexiteers", it's difficult to have a decent conversation.

1901.16 FIRE IN MY CHEST

I'm not ill very often so when do get ill I do it properly.

1901.01 TWO-K NINETEEN

So 2018 is gone. Disappearing into the distance as we move ahead with 2019, the final year of yet another decade. Was 2018 so bad (personally speakiing)?