I’m back in Bristol for a couple of days this week and next working with our agency team.
It’s funny, I’ve been here dozens of times now on my own and just twice with my wife, but it feels more like one of our places than a solo destination. Which I rather like.
It’s been a fairly quiet week, but one where lunches have paid a prominent part.
On Tuesday I met my good friend Andrew F for lunch, he’s working with a client in Milton Keynes at the moment which is giving us extra opportunities to catch up, which is always a good thing.
Thursday I’d been due to meet Christian H for breakfast, but it seems by planning breakfast we upset the Lunch Gods and he was taken ill. Next time we’ll meet for lunch…
Then on Friday I caught up with Mark W, we had intended to meet at Canal St coffee but upon getting there first I found it utterly rammed with not a single table free. So sadly we had to relocate to Out of Office, which is the second class option these days. Milton Keynes needs more coffee shops…
The lunch highlight of the week was Saturday’s lunch at the Ivy Brasserie in Cambridge. My wife had spotted an excellent fixed price menu with two courses for £19.17 marking the year the Ivy opened, so we thought we’d take advantage of such a tasty offer.
However, with my typical erm enthusiasm I turned what should have been a bit of a bargain in to a three digit lunch, although to be honest it was still excellent value.
The food was delicious, the service was perfect and delivered with both personality and care and the surroundings were suitably ‘Deco’ feeling for a 1917 menu.
Adding to the food centric week we’ve had, on Friday we popped along to Eat St. MK, a local street food event.
My son took his camera along and captured some superb images.
Tonight I dined alone, but I dined at Cargo Cantina on Wapping Wharf so I dined well. The loaded nachos were amazing as was this elderflower and jalapeño margarita.
I was in the office on Tuesday and Wednesday and had my first social event with my peers and teammates on Tuesday evening. Going in I didn’t really know what to expect, most of them have worked together for 10 – 12 years, but it turned into rather a good night. When I went out I did not expect to be getting in at 2:30am the next morning.
Wednesday morning confirmed that after 30-plus years of not getting hangovers, I do indeed now get hangovers.
I had to head back after lunch as I had an MRI scan later in the day. My last MRI scan had been at the local NHS hospital which turned into an unnerving experience; the scan was of my head so it had to be held still in a, for want of a better term, cage. My nose touched the cage and then my shoulders touched the inside of the MRI unit which freaked me out.
I’ve never been claustrophobic so this was a surprise and not a good one. The operators removed some padding from the cage so my nose no longer touched it and I managed to get through the scan.
It occurred to me that our outer extremities, like our nose and shoulders, must work in a similar manner to a cat’s whiskers – if my nose and shoulders are touching something then my monkey brain is telling me that this space is too small.
The MRI on Wednesday was very different being held at a private hospital and being a scan of my wrist so only my arm needed to go inside the MRI unit. Although I would have been happy to be inside this one as it must have been twice the size of the one at the NHS hospital.
Thursday morning I met my friend Christian for breakfast and caught up on his exciting news and imminent life changes. I must admit to being a tiny bit envious of his impending digital nomad status.
We had a relatively quiet weekend with nothing particular planned which has proved the wisdom of my shift to the Apple Watch. After a relaxed morning yesterday, it was clear that the chance of closing my rings was unlikely unless I got up and got out, so I went for a walk and did the same again today.
The Snoopy watch faces released in WatchOS 10 are great fun, not what I want as my everyday watch face as I like a very minimal watch face, but I’m enjoying what I’ve christened Snoopy Sundays and using them for a change on the weekend.
Last weekend I was about to post some photos from a frosty forest walk onto Instagram and paused as I was pondering the best tags to add to ‘drive engagement’.
I remembered a commitment I’d made to myself over Christmas – to consume mindfully, to create more and to own the content I create. I stopped uploading the pictures and removed Instagram from my phone once again.
I’ve often spoken about missing the heyday of personal blogs, before social media became peoples primary outlet online. I’ve been meaning to dust of this blog for months and was genuinely surprised to see my last post was published 9 months ago.
I’ve been inspired to do so but what feels like a mini blogging renaissance amongst my friends with veritable flood of posts from Al, Andrew and Christian.
I’m looking forward to once again sharing thoughts, photos and ‘found things’ via my personal site. Good to see you again.
After a six year hiatus the fabulous New Adventures conference made a welcome return to Nottingham’s beautiful Albert Hall.
Six years, felt so much longer whilst we waited for a new adventure, but melted away as we arrived in Nottingham to meet with friends and faces from adventures past.
New Adventures has always been more about concepts than code, and 2019 was another perfectly curated collection of thought provoking talks. Highlights for me were Jeremy Keith’s opening talk which called on us to examine the building blocks and layers within the experiences we create. Helen Joy brought to life the importance of user and customer research, and I hope encouraged the audience to seriously and deeply consider and understand the end-users of their products and services. Ethan Marcotte closed the event with a rousing call to arms for web workers.
New Adventures 2019 felt like conferences used to feel – significant.
An occasion, a gathering, a happening where new ideas, big ideas, important ideas are shared.
Ideas that invigorate, enthuse and inspire us to new adventures – wherever they may take us.
This is me on my first bicycle, a fourth birthday present and probably the last time I’ll get away with wearing a yellow jersey, not to mention those rather fabulous trousers.
I remember a number of other bikes from my childhood: a second hand bike that my Grandfather restored and hand painted blue and white, a Raleigh Commando from my Mum’s Kays catalogue and a series of bikes from now defunct UK manufacturer Viscount Cycles.
Two bikes of note from my Viscount era were a BMX manufactured by Shimano, yes that Shimano, and my first proper ‘racer’: a bright red, 10 speed, steel framed beauty. I remember thinking the rubber hoods on the brake leavers were the coolest thing ever — nobody else in the village had those. A quick rummage around the internet suggests it was probably a Grand Prix or Gran Sport.
As a child and a teenager we rode our bikes all the time. We’d get in from school, go straight out, come back for tea, go out again and then only come back in when we absolutely had to. In the summer holidays we rode so much I had calluses on my hands.
But I grew up and put away childish things, or so I thought, and moved onto what I then considered were ‘real bikes’: ones with engines. I learnt to ride on a Kawasaki KMX 125, then progressed to a Yamaha RD 350 YPVS F2, a Yamaha TDR 250 and finally a Honda CBR 600. Sadly a motor biking friend had a very nasty accident, I gave into family pressure, sold my bike and bought a car.
Obviously I was still feeling the need for two wheeled action, and the future Mrs Hughes and I both bought mountain bikes. I had a pearlescent white Diamond Back Topanga which I rode often, both on and off-road. We then started a family and for a reason I cannot remember the Topanga went to my Step-Father who still has it to this day.
A few years passed and it was time for a new bike so I could take my daughter out for rides, get fit and lose some weight. I bought a Specialized Rockhopper, I took my daughter out for rides, but I didn’t seem to get fit or lose weight. I’ve since learnt you have to actually ride your bike for that to happen.
Our garage was broken into and my Rockhopper went to the big car boot sale in the sky. Our insurance company sent me a Specialized Hardrock as a replacement. I thought the first bike was too big so exchanged it for the next size down — this was a mistake. I didn’t find the bike comfortable, I didn’t like the disc brakes I had thought were so cool, and so I rode it no more than a few times for a few miles with the kids.
As I’m sure you’ve noticed cycling has grown in popularity in recent years. Cycling is the new golf we’re told and a new species has been created — the MAMiL. I have a number of friends who are very keen cyclists and they naturally took to chatting about cycling on Twitter and elsewhere. Even with this peer group influence, I still didn’t get cycling, I didn’t understand their passion and obsession, and may have grumbled and muttered to that effect on occasion. Ahem.
Then came 2013.
Being tall and leading a ‘sedentary life style’ I have always had back trouble, and in February 2013 my luck ran out and I ruptured two discs in my lower spine. I’ve not experienced pain like it, and the weeks that followed were pretty tough.
The ruptured discs were pressing on nerves which initially gave me excruciating sciatica followed by issues with strength and sensation in my right lower leg and foot. Not being able to feel my foot or able to lift my toes was rather scary. Of course not being able to move my toes made walking very difficult so my meagre level fitness slipped further.
I saw a specialist who thought I’d need surgery but that we should start with a guided nerve root block, which is an x-ray guided injection into the affected nerves. I didn’t want needles or blades anywhere near my spine so I continued with extensive physiotherapy which luckily began to work well for me.
I knew following this that I had to get fitter, and discussed the best exercise with my Doctor and Physio – they both recommended cycling. There was no escape.
With my mountain bike being too small I was worried about aggravating the damaged discs again, so I purchased a correctly fitted and more road oriented hybrid Trek FX 7.4.
I thought about buying a true road bike, or racer as we used to call them, but was concerned that my back would not cope with the drop bar riding position. Given that I bought a full on road bike just a few months later some might question my decision, but I don’t think I’d have felt as comfortable in every sense on a road bike.
I remember the first proper ride on the Trek; it was the height of summer, sunny and in the mid 30s and my lack of fitness was brought home to me in no uncertain terms.
But I loved it – I finally got cycling.
I began to understand the obsessive nature of cyclists or so I thought – little did I know that I was just scraping the surface. I have always wanted a hobby that involved ‘gear’ but I had no idea quite how much ‘gear’ you need for cycling in the varied weather patterns of the UK – more of which in the future.
I slowly increased my mileage, determined not to overdo it and so put myself off. I quickly learnt why lycra and ‘padded pants’ are so important, and made the move to proper cycling clothing. At the same I took the plunge and went for cycling shoes and clipless pedals, which are fabulous and scary in equal measure – still.
As I went further I started struggling with numb hands and aching wrists, one of which I had broken in one of many motor cycle accidents, and wished for the multiple positions that drop bars would afford.
Then I received an email from my local bike shop Corley Cycles announcing their end of season sale, maybe here was a chance to pick up a bargain road bike. I went to look at a Specialized Secteur with 58cm frame and I found that I need a 61cm. The only bike they had in that size was a Specialized Roubaix, a carbon framed road bike, which I decided I’d try out just for size.
As the chap wheeled it outI knew I was in trouble – it was matte black with refreshingly minimal graphics. I rode it and loved it.
Being a 2014 specification model it wasn’t in the sale, but a quick deal was done and the order was placed.
The Roubaix has transformed my cycling; it’s faster, and more comfortable than the Trek – it’s a joy to ride. Last weekend I completed my longest ride so far, at just over 25 miles. I realise to most cyclists this is nothing, but given I was having trouble walking in the first half of the year I was rather proud.
Whilst I intend to cycle as much as I can through the winter, I long for spring and summer, and for the warmer, lighter days they will bring.
Last weekend I was about to post some photos from a frosty forest walk onto Instagram and paused as I was pondering the best tags to add to ‘drive engagement’.
