Category: THINGS I LOVE
-
New wheels
Very happy to have my first decent off-road bike and my first Specialized. As with Cannondale and BMC it’s no ordinary bike manufacturer, they build machines with personality and soul. The Status 140 is already a cult item, referred to as “the most fun you can have on two wheels” in one review. I feel…
-
Christmas weather (in March)
Always better late than never. Proper snow has been rare in central England in the last few years. Here’s a few pics from the only exception of the 22-23 winter season. It only lasted 24 hours sadly, if even that. Gave me one beautiful arrival at work though.
-
Hats
Never something I’ve been especially interested in but I have always appreciated a good hat, albeit from afar. As is typically of me, I tend not to like the popular varieties (eg., baseball caps and beanies), preferring fedoras, cow boy hats, trilbies and panamas. I’ve received two additions to my fledgling collection and have two…
-
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…
-
Christmas 2022
In the spirit of the festive period I add this post with a blanket on my lap, a cat on the blanket and my feet up on the desk surrounded by seasonal lights and scents (see pics for further indication). It has been a genuinely great Christmas, my best for years. The main difference is…
-
Annual wine rummage
Christmas is the only time I have the time, energy and patience to dig deep into my wine stash. Given that I only do it once a year I forget what’s there, meaning that I get a bunch of pleasant surprises cyclically. My oldest wines are between 15-20 years old, most being bought about 10-12…
-
Lodge improvement: the work office
My campus office was a depressing sight when I first moved in. I’ve done what I can to add heart and soul on a very modest budget. Much of the artwork is from charity shops so they are not the product of a free hand, although I’m genuinely happy with what I’ve got for a…
-
Montrachet
In the weird and wonderful world of wine incongruous buying opportunities endlessly present themselves. For example, a friend of mine bought a Bollinger Grande Annee at a local corner shop where they mispriced it as a standard bottle of Bollinger. The price difference is about £70. I too have had my victories over “the man,”…
-
Le Grand Collection
Throughout summer 2022 my footwear collection has continued to expand. We all know about the brutal return of double digit inflation but as far as I can tell, bargains can still be found in certain product categories. Fortunately for me, footwear is one such example. Expansion has led to re-arrangement of my storage spaces. I…
-
Office Life
In my new job I have been very lucky in my office allocation, occupying the effortlessly cool BBS Lodge. I’ve invested a modest sum adding a few bits to personalise the space. I’m really happy there, makes me look forward to going to work!
Dr Martin James 