Nice memento to take home from the Isle of Wight. One to save for a dreary October evening, when work is piling up, and a Benedictine ale will bring blessed relief.

A hand is holding a bottle of Quarr Abbey Ale with a park and the Abbey visible in the background.

The Needles

A red and white lighthouse stands among two large white rock formations jutting out of the blue sea, with a small boat creating a wake in the water nearby.

I think my daughter’s painting is pretty much at my standard already. She’ll surpass me soon enough.

Two intricately painted Warhammer 40k Space Marine miniatures are positioned on a detailed, dystopian battlefield terrain with ruined structures and fiery background.

.just when I thought I couldn’t love Strange New Worlds any more…

Two puppets dressed in Star Trek uniforms stand in a futuristic setting with one in a red shirt and the other in a yellow shirt.

Wow. The UK Government just used the phone alert system to warn about the risk of wildfires.

#climatecrisis

A severe alert from the UK Government warns of a very high risk of wildfires and advises residents and visitors to avoid any activities that could cause fire, urging them to follow official updates and report fires immediately.

Chilling at my brother’s gaff.

A person is swimming in a rectangular outdoor pool surrounded by a stone patio with greenery and trees in the background.A stone well with a wooden roof stands in front of a traditional stone house under a bright blue sky.

My old home office in the process of becoming my younger daughter’s bedroom…

A nearly empty room with white walls and ceiling has yellow painter's tape along the edges, a small window with a roller blind, and a step ladder positioned in the center.

A treasured possession from a long time ago…

A person is holding a paperback copy of the book Doctor Who and the Sontaran Experiment by Ian Marter, featuring a cover illustration of the Fourth Doctor and a Sontaran.A signed inscription by Tom Baker in a copy of Doctor Who and the Sontaran Experiment is addressed to Adam and dated 1979.

As I load the shelves on my new home office, I am being rather forcefully reminder of the old adage that buying books and reading books are two separate, and only loosely connected, hobbies.

A bookshelf containing a variety of books, including titles about nature, wildlife, and environmental subjects.A bookshelf filled with a variety of books arranged both horizontally and vertically, covering topics from history and nature to personal growth and literature.

Morning brew.

A close-up view of coffee brewing in an aeropress in the inverted position.