Category: AWAY FROM THE DESK
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Christmas in London, 2021
I’ve never done London in Christmas week and perversely it felt like the perfect time. I expected the city to be empty of international tourists and office workers and I was right. It was so quiet, central London was like a peaceful festive village (well, by London standards). Absolutely amazing time! Monday 20th December: Chelsea,…
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Finally visited the Black Country Living Museum (Sunday 19th December 2021)
It was so good: men dressed up as rats intent on ruining Christmas for passers by. What more could you want!? Felt so Christmassy in a Dickens-esque way. The smell of burning coal and Peaky Blinders vibe (note: it’s a location for a lot of the filming) made for an extraordinary experience. There was also…
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A little London trip
I was in London for less than 48 hours and walked over 30 miles. 🏃 Best cardio I’ve had in years! 🙂 My tourist walking London Marathon was better than the real thing (which I’ve done so I know! 😀). Amongst other places I explored Hyde park, Kensington and Holland park, shopped in Mayfair and…
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A casual stroll to Lord Byron’s place
We make plans for the Gods’ amusement. I drove an hour for a special Sunday/holiday bike ride, only for my left cleat (the thing that clips into the peddle) to completely fail. I didn’t have spares to hand and I couldn’t buy a new set due to Sunday trading hours. 🙄 Rather than curse my…
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Berry Season
When I have been out on bike rides I have been keeping an eye on the growth of nature’s bounty. It comes earlier or later depending upon weather conditions. It’s been drought-like here in the last month and it hasn’t been especially sunny. It’s not the best crop I’ve seen and it’s come later than…
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Malvern Exhaustathon
The mini heat wave in England ends today so I wanted to get outdoors. I took it to the extreme by taking a 10+ mile hike across the peaks at Malvern. These were the hills where Tolkien used to walk so it’s no coincidence that it looks Hobbiton-esque. It’s also “Elgar country,” and as coincidence…
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Annual Gloucester trip
I love the Quay so a yearly trip is well on its way to becoming a new tradition. There’s always a bargain to be had, on this occasion two pairs of chinos and two T-shirts. The former were from GAP, a store I never had much time for in its heyday but I still feel…
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Leaving home
I managed to get away from my local patch for the first time since November this week. I had a short but great stay in London before an equally wonderful couple of days in the Peak District.
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Festive season
Christmas day is a black box (of pleasure) so here are a few pics from before and after, Christmas Eve at Malvern and Boxing Day at Broadway.
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Xmas shopping in Cheltenham
I got today’s exercise walking around Cheltenham for 4 hours. Nice little place, I went there for a few dates back in the day but have never been there for shopping. Picked up a nice lampshade and a few final bits for Christmas 🎄☃️ I’m pretty much set now…🎉
Dr Martin James 