Category: REFLECTIONS
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Long in the works
Over the course of a month (which speaks to how slow moving and bureaucratic my life is) I have purchased, picked up, figured out and attached roof bars and a bike rack to my car. I love active breaks: biking, trekking, kayaking (note: I have owned my own kayak for 2 years and have not…
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Birthday number forty something: a treat or two
It’s good to look back on a solid year of progress between birthdays. In 2020 I took a big step backwards, my health and quality of life declining greatly. The situation was bad in itself and the time and effort required to escape it only made things worse. I’m now in better shape than I…
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BUIRA & the return of conference season
For numerous reasons including the most obvious (Covid-19), I have not attended an in-person external work event since 2018. This changed when I had a minor role as part of the delivery team for the British Universities Industrial Relations Association (“BUIRA”) conference at the end of June 2022. I cannot overstate how enjoyable it was…
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Munch was more than just a scream
I took a trip to London (24th – 26th June 2022) with the original objective being to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers (see: https://martinjamesphd.com/2022/07/17/red-hot-chili-peppers/). As I was already there I thought I would squeeze in some culture of a very different type: I went to see “Masterpieces of Bergen,” a Edvard Munch exhibition at…
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A little treat – well, two little treats
A few years ago footwear emerged as a hobby. I keep telling myself I only need X or Y to complete my collection, but then I stumbled across some new must haves and my definition of completeness is tweaked somewhat. The latest “musts” was a couple of pairs of limited edition Air Force 1s. AF1s…
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Mid-week ride
Normal ride, normal pace, it’s just important to get out there. 40 is a milestone that makes you think about your own mortality that bit more than in years prior. Statistically it’s about the half way point; in socioeconomic terms it’s summer but physiologically, it feels like early autumn. You’ve got to cling onto summer…
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Not all news is bad news
When the history books are written on late capitalism and/or the decline of Western civilization, Simon Cowell’s commercial vehicles will surely deserve a section. This nightmare lasted 17 years, over 1/3 of my life. I’m not a cultural snob but it was hard to miss how X Factor was little more than a polished up…
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365 hindsight
1 year ago today I finally turned up to collect my PhD certificate in the usual ceremonial fashion. I deferred for a while (they only hold two a year) and pondered skipping the ceremonial event (and just getting it posted), but was ultimately convinced (I’m trying to avoid saying “nagged”) into attending an event, in…
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A cold strange day in Worcester
Yesterday I had to deal with the annual unpleasantness of my vehicle MOT. Because nothing was open I couldn’t head to a cafe and carry on working as I normally would. Instead, I dressed for the cold and hit the streets for some exercise. Worcester was like the set of 28 Days Later, eerily quiet…
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A bit more snow, a few more outings
The winter freeze has been a treat and I have ventured out as much as possible. Back to work tomorrow, I’m prepared for the worst and hoping for the best.
Dr Martin James 