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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…
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“CABS”, Celtic Manor & Wales
A wonderful coming together of things: returning to south Wales (where I have considerable history), 3 days at a 5* resort (which I’ve driven past countless times but never been to) and presenting at a major conference. The icing on the cake was being there with great colleagues and beautiful weather. What a treat! My…
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New furniture, new garden look (May 2023)
A new parasol and seat cushions can and does add real freshness to a garden, as can be seen. In recent years the garden has taken a backseat, but I’m hoping next year will be a major garden year. I’ll do a proper re-seed and enjoy some quality grass. In the meantime, a few small…
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The Lodge
It’s ever evolving, and it’s hard to put a value on the Lodge and how much joy it brings me. Very few people get to work in a place like this. Not only is my office beautiful it’s got an amazing location – right in the heart of the UoB campus, which is itself the…
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Trip home: Leamington (30/04/23)
First time back in Leamington since 2020. It’s bizarre how such a meaningful place can be less than an hour away and yet I haven’t visited for 3 years. Such are the times, and such is my point in life. Great to get back there; I’m fairly confident there will be more such visits before…
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ILPC Glasgow (11-17 April 2023)
I finally got up to Glasgow, it’s been on the list for decades but there’s fierce competition for time and resources. Over the course of life though, the right moment and reason eventually emerges and this was the case: the International Labour Process Conference was hosted by Strathclyde University in 2023. I therefore spent a…
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Getting about Spring 2023
I’ve never really had much of a fixed pattern, I go through phases where I rarely leave the house and others where I’m rarely there. Spring 2023 has been a period of getting around for various reasons. Here’s pics from a few of my stops including King’s Lynn, Oxford, Bedford and Bewdley (also Glasgow and…
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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.
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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…
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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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Dr Martin James 