Category: Personal

Yet more distinctly average eclipse photos in your feed

So last night I played cricket. I did my usual – hung around for a bit and scored fuck all – but it was during the biggest solar eclipse since 1999.

I was fortunate in seeing the Solar Eclipse back then. We were about 20 miles away from totality at the time (on holiday in Weymouth) and seeing it go so dark was surreal. This photo was taken at around 10am!

Last night was still impressive. I thought I tried getting a few photos, but it seems I got lucky with a few reflections in my phone camera.

I may have fried the lens (though to be honest I’m never great at taking photos, and it feels like I got away with it), but rather fry my lens in a once in a lifetime moment than my eyes.

50 Before I’m 50 – Visit the Lemmings Statue

As part of my Scottish road trip I mentioned on the Now page, I headed to Dundee as my partner had one thing she wanted to do (The V&A Museum) and I had one thing I wanted to do.

To see the Lemmings Statue.

The Lemmings Statue is a statue in a park close to the site of the home of DMA Design (now Rockstar North) and depicts three Lemmings climbing up one of the columns on the entry to the park.

Lemmings was probably the first computer game I ever really loved. I yearned for the Cartoon Classics Commodore Amiga box set, and I used to draw them on all my school notebooks. I even fancy dressed as one for a school Summer Fate.

Sadly the Commodore 64 version came rather late on, so I never got to play it much growing up, but eventually when my Grandparents inherited a Atari ST, one of the games was Lemmings – the box you see in the photos.

DMA Design – the programmers of Lemmings – eventually became Rockstar North and launched the whole Grand Theft Auto series. The rest is history.

Anyway, it is a very cool art installation in Dundee if you are ever in the area. We also had an amazing meal in Eastfield so recommend booking there if you go.

Another off my 50 before I’m 50 list!

50 before I’m 50 – Watch the Foo Fighters play live

It’s incredibly boring to talk about a music concert in text form, but yesterday I watched the Foo Fighters play live in Anfield, Liverpool as part of the Take Cover 2026 tour.

The first hour and a half was incredible, with me grinning throughout. I’m not afraid to say that during Learn to Fly I got a bit emotional and cried a bit. That song felt so fresh and so new, when we finally got a satellite subscription at the turn of the millennium and it was played all the time on MTV, and my go to song in the jukebox in The Marine after (and before, oopsie) I turned 18.

I didn’t appreciate the comments Dave Grohl made about playing an “Old School” song and it was off the Foo’s third album, and there were two songs I know they didn’t play that I loved (Next Year and Walking after You – I wasn’t sure they played Everlong but the set list said it did?), but overall a top gig. Would definitely dad rock again.

Also, I reckon given a few weeks practice I could solve a Rubik’s Cube faster than Dave Grohl’s daughter’s boyfriend. Just saying.

Also, before the gig I had some amazing sushi at Hibiki in Liverpool. Bit of a hidden gem, recommend going.

On Makerfield

In the end, it wasn’t even close.

I rarely talk about politics here. Not real reason – I believe we should talk more about politics and how things affect us: a blanket “no politics” rule kills a safe space for marginalised communities, but for whatever reason I feel like the permanent nature of blogs and the temporary nature of public opinion means it may bite you in the bum at a later date1.

Nevertheless – I do wear my political opinions on my sleeve (which is ally, left wing and think that Brexit is the stupidest thing we have done as a nation), and I was happy waking up to read Andy Burnham – the mayor of Manchester – won the Makerfield by election and therefore has a definitive path to become prime minister.

There has been genuine change in Manchester: the busses are now yellow to match the trams and have clear branding promoting £2 bus fares, and homelessness is at the very least a lot less visible and at most almost eradicated. The city has transformed over the past 10 years, and Andy Burnham spearheaded it. Between that, the work he did for the Hillsborough Justice Campaign and how visible he was during COVID and in the aftermath of the Ariana Grande concert bombing, he feels like a genuine change and a genuine bloke.

I was worried about this election. To drive from mine to my partner’s house drives straight through Makerfield, and the last few weeks I’ve seen so many Reform signs out. I saw one Restore sign, and about 3 Vote Andy placards. Sunday I was tailing a Reform bus in the off teal colours for about a mile on Sunday, and I felt like it was inevitable for a shock. A lot of the places I drive through is one of those places that have England flags everywhere, and not just for the World Cup.

I’m sympathetic to the resident’s plight – as I live in a similar area that has been forgotten, and people are crying out for change. It’s just depressing that the void in these places has been taken advantage by racist populists, who believe the country is full, taxes are too high and anybody who doesn’t scale a lampost to hang a Union Jack is unpatriotic. Last night felt like a bit of genuine hope.

I’d never vote for Reform or any far right party (or indeed center right at the moment), and their candidate seemed like the sort of person I wouldn’t get on with. For them to be licking their wounds after being told resoundly to go fuck themselves made me smile.

Anyway, good luck Andy, hopefully you are the change that people desperately need.

  1. I had a football blog once where I praised an individual for a classy gesture, who later turned out to be a wrongun. ↩︎

Chester Zoo’s Zookeeper Experience at The Reserve

Seemingly because it’s now a thing, a few weeks back I stayed a night at The Reserve: luxury accommodation within the walls of Chester Zoo.

It was located in the Heart of Africa, so you were surrounded by animals that you tend to see in Africa, with the huts overlooking the enclosure with the giraffes and animals we call “Antelopes”1. You also got an evening meal, breakfast, access to the Heart of Africa exhibit before the zoo opens and after it closes, but the main thing was the accommodation. Waking up to a full vista of the antelopes playing and the giraffes was an experience like no other. It’s like being in the opening of The Lion King.

Of course, as well as a great night sleep in a fantastic location, we also got two day access to the Zoo, so just being able to explore that as a leisurely pace was also excellent. Chester Zoo is massive so being able to explore it over 2 days was great. Meant we could lunch without feeling rushed.

I loved the lemurs (I do love lemurs), the vibrant flamingos as the big animals like the rhinos and the elephants. 10/10 would go to Chester Zoo again.

  1. They weren’t, but I forget what they were. ↩︎