HAPPY NEW YEAR 2026

he year, with all its sound and fury, has settled into memory, and now we face a new one. What will 2026 bring? It feels like only yesterday we were raising a glass to the new millennium, brimming with dreams we can barely recall now.

But let's anchor ourselves back to the present: Yule is drawing to a close. Before the inevitable return to routine, I want to take a moment to share the quiet observations, the small joys, and the reflections that made up my week before looking at the year ahead.

THE WILL TO RETURN: TRADING TWO WHEELS FOR THE BUS

fter three weeks of forced rest following my accident, I had determined that getting back to work had to happen, even if I was nowhere near 100%. Making the leap back to routine was less a sprint and more of a tentative hobble. On Thursday (27th), my bike—still out of action after the RTC—was replaced. I traded two wheels for a slightly daunting ride on public transport.

TEACHING US TO SUCK EGGS

y career has involved countless training courses, with their utility varying wildly between the truly beneficial and the utterly pointless. What has become a consistent and peculiar trend, however, is the escalating requirement for mandatory retraining on the entirety of our role. Just two years ago, this mandate required three days away from daily business; now, I find myself committed to a five-day programme.

GOOD NEWS AND A LEAP OF FAITH

arely do I have good news to share. For me, the daily struggle and the mundane routine are the norm, especially this year, which has been a particularly challenging one so far. So to be able to say this gives me immense pleasure...

​Last week, my youngest daughter, Rags, passed her driving test!

THE FIVE-YEAR SHIFT

ive years. Five long years. That's how long we've endured a shift pattern designed not for efficiency, not for our well-being, and certainly not for the people we serve, but for one thing: cost-cutting. Remember the promises? The whispers of change? Well, after half a decade of empty air and hollow rumours, a new rota has finally landed on our desks.

And, as with most things in life, it's a mixed bag.

2310.22 TIME FOR JUMPERS

It's been unseasonably warm this season which is currently in the process of change. Weather isn't always a cyclist's friend, the cold and wet together with wind and ice sometimes make the rides dangerous or just plain unpleasant. As I write this Storm Babet is battering the country (it's safe to say I didn't cycle to work today - Friday).

2309.23 CATCHUP TIME

It's been a while since I did a blog post,  So I'll attempt to go over a few of the thing that have happened recently, it's difficult because bugger all has really happened. 

2212.25 THE CAPTAIN'S YULETIDE MESSAGE

If we thought 2021 was bad 2022 said "hold my beer". Covid is reduced to a background issue now, we are in the midst of a cost of living crisis with prices and inflation flying upwards. Then there's the energy prices which are scarily high and are having to be capped (slightly) with government intervention. Life in 2022 is so much more expensive. This has lead to strikes and hardships across the land. 

2209.02 TWENTY YEARS

Milestones are something you come across more and more as you get older. This month I'm hitting two major ones, one of which involves breaking (temporarily) one of my rules of disclosure.

I considered two separate posts but decided to stick to a post with two sections. Both milestones are for 20 years and both sit in different facets of my life.

2208.19 LIFE IS LIKE...

Life at the moment feels like a juggling act, or as I've illustrated it in my drawing - and as anyone will tell you, men are no good at multi-tasking (because of course we like to do a job properly!). This is especially true at work at the moment.

2204.26 THE WAITING

What a dreadful time we are living through, the world is in a sorry state with climate change not being addressed and war in Europe for the first time. Closer to home, we have a cost of living crisis, and of course, the pandemic is still bubbling under the headlines.

2203.22 IT'S BEEN A LONG DARK TIME

I haven't posted a blog for quite some time and there's a reason for that. We are living through dark times and it's difficult to get the motivation to write. But I know writing is theraputic so I really must.

So what's going down in my life at the moment?

2112.16 IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME

It's been a few months since I did a post and there's good reason...

2108.29 PUPDATES AND EXHAUSTION

I think I underestimated the effect getting a puppy would have on our household. Magnus has turned our lives upside down.

2101.01 THE DAY AFTER THE DARKEST YEAR

I'd say most of us will be glad to see the back of 2020. I called it last year as a shit year but obviously didn't forsee the pandemic and the associated blight to all our lives. 

2011.17 GOING NUTS

I'm so tired. I've been struggling recently, both physically and mentally.

2011.08 LOCKDOWN 2.0

So from last Thursday the UK is back in a full lockdown which means we can only leave our homes for essential journeys. All non-essential shops and hospitality have been closed.

2004.26 PROJECT SHED IS ON

The day I've strived for and saved for for many many years is finally in front of me. I've ordered my shed. Some may scoff and roll their eyes - a shed? After all a shed is just a garden building for storage isn't it. Well I hope not. For years I've wanted a space I can look after my bikes, do little DIY jobs and maybe even escape too when life gets a bit too much.

2004.20 WORK IS A ROLLERCOASTER

Some time ago I wrote about the review on my role at work and how it'd been pushed through resulting in a nasty pay cut. 

2004.06 KEY WORK

So I've been back at work now for a week (6 days actually) and things are slowly returning to normal. Except its not. The new normal is different - the world has changed overnight and everything has become almost like a bad apocalypse movie.