Author: martinjamesphd
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A Practical Man and his Backstage
It took me several years to turn my old house into a masterclass in backstage management. The theory is simple: you can’t have an opulent and uncluttered front stage without a well-managed backstage. All those practical tools and instruments need a home. Organisation is liberation, whereas a lack of organisation leads to procrastination and inefficiency.…
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A new garden
It won’t happen overnight but I’ve made meaningful steps towards an Alice in Wonderland-style back garden. It won’t be boringly manicured to death, it will be a wild haven where all are welcome (except other humans – unless they’re invited!) It’s a wild flower rather than grass garden which suits me fine, I can leave…
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Home Sweet Home
It’s been almost 3 months since I moved into my new house in Rugby, central England. Given that I’ve worked full-time (and barely taken a day’s leave) since I completed purchase on 13th December, it’s remarkable that I’ve managed to put my stamp on the place. Don’t get me wrong there’s years of work to…
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Experiencing the Bliss of Spring in London
I don’t always feel lucky to work in central London—especially when my alarm jolts me awake at 05:20 for the 06:27 train. In the depths of winter, those early starts feel anything but fortunate. But this week, I’ve felt like I’m in the winner’s circle. Biking through central London on a warm spring day is…
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Looking back on Belgrade, Serbia
Summer in Serbia does not exactly sound like paradise but it was a great experience. It’s been a political hotbed for decades; they have a penchant for overthrowing governments and it was the command centre for the Yugoslav war. I expected an austere militaristic vibe in Belgrade, but I found a relaxed café culture and…
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Looking back on the Amalfi Coast, Italy
It’s a variety of perfection and its reputation is entirely deserved. I stayed in Maiori but got to know the whole coast, including Positano and mythical, mysterious Capri. My favourite memory was a walk from Maiori to Ravello along the Lemon Trail through the hills. Those hills were steep, the staircases were exhausting and I…
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Looking back on Lisbon, Portugal
When I was in Brazil in ’22 the locals couldn’t believe I hadn’t been to Portugal. They had a point, it’s a cheap 2 hour flight and I was 4 decades old at the time. For many Brazilians it’s the only place they have been outside Brazil so they were baffled. My parents were obsessed…
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Looking Back to Bosnia & Herzegovina
The siege of Sarajevo is carved into my memory, apparently it was the longest siege of a modern city since WWII. For years snipers watched the streets, and for years people in Sarajevo had to run from building to building to avoid snipers’ bullets. Can you imagine? Before the civil war Serbs, Muslims and Croats…
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The town
It’s taken 2 months of living in Rugby before I’ve managed to get feet on the ground in the town centre. Like most UK town centres, Rugby’s is somewhat past its peak. A very large out-of-town retail complex – when combined with the impact of online – has left the high street sad and strange…
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Remember summer 2024?
Summer 2024 was a funny old vintage. Like with many summers, I had too much on to really stop and smell the flowers – so to speak. Towards the backend though we did have a succession of weekends with nice weather and I was able to get to the coast to enjoy it. Here are…
Dr Martin James 