bikes and things

A few photos found on Flickr recently from a variety of sources. Lots of great inspiration and a variety of styles. Click through and add some to your faves.

Not what usually gets said to me when a car window winds down but made my day yesterday after cycling back towards Bellenden Road. I replied with “yeah sorry mate I was trying not to undertake you“, his response and that light is brilliant “It’s like the police behind me“. I said I was cycling to try and keep in shape, his response “keep off the carbs mate“… and on that note we departed.

Anyway, faith in humanity restored and a great ride back on the Condor. It’s off for a service in a few days and will then be used for the rest of the summer. Great riding geared again, you can get some real speed up on the roads. Love it.

Only one go mind.

A superb series of photos as seen on The Boston Globe Big Picture showing the 1,000-mile race across the Alaskan wilderness. Dogs a plenty!

Images © Marc Lester/Anchorage Daily News

Via @lawrencebrown

Quick stroll around the local area and took the camera for a change. Rather than filling my Instagram feed up I thought I’d fill up Flickr with a few bits and bobs instead.

I love it when my sister visits my Grandma’s house – she always finds the photo albums and then grabs a few snaps to add to Instagram. A lot of them I don’t remember seeing. The idea of memory or a family album is something that fascinates me, I wonder if we’ll still have that with all our digital photos in the future?

Me and Liz – Story time maybe?

Grandma working a switchboard during the war. You can’t see her amazing ginger hair which I obviously inheritted.

Just back from collecting Emma from her Mum’s place near Cambridge. Great to catch a few rays in the sunshine today as well as a nice trip into town to do some shopping. Of course always good to spend some time with snoopy the collie. Shame we have to come back and go to work but never mind.

Two hilarious videos involving Drum and Bass. Enjoy. Almost crying with laughter.

I started my current job almost four years ago. I was fortunate to find the job just before the recession hit in early 2008, which seemed to strike almost overnight. I left my last job in a bit of a hurry, an interim step between two great employers if you like. When I started I was even luckier to be able to run two phases of a planning application. The first went in smoothly and was consented surprisingly easily after 3 months, the second less so and took another few years of negotiations and hard work to get sorted. Finally it did get consent, including planning, listed building and various other statutory approvals, but then nothing, there was no money to take the scheme forward. I enjoyed both parts of the job which were interspersed with other projects in the office. The best thing about working on these jobs was dealing day to day with a client, understanding their needs, relating to them, engaging with them and speaking to them almost daily at times, guiding them forward and reassuring them and aiming to achieve more than they ever thought possible. At many times you’re abstracted from that process of engagement but here I was seeing how it all worked and thriving on it. It really flicked a light on in me and made me want me realise why I had trained to be an Architect – I was made for it if you like.

Fast forward to last Monday and I find out that one of the phases is going ahead – with me as project Architect. Words cannot express how happy I am to be able to realise a project that I designed (with the input and guidance of my boss of course). There’s something so good about seeing something from start to finish and, fingers crossed, seeing a beautiful building and happy client at the end of that process. I’m so looking forward to solving some really tricky detailing problems and spending some time on site engaging with all the parties that go into making a brilliant building happen. That should keep me busy for the next few years.

Well I didn’t but my fabulous lady friend did. It’s the name of one of the many playlists she has made over the years, some specifically for me. One of the reasons we got together many years ago was a shared love of music (and standing outside of pubs talking). I thought I knew a lot and was a little obsessive about it but was literally scratching the surface compared to her. I was promptly smacked down but then thoroughly educated and my brain enlarged to all sorts of possibilities. From hip hop to electronica to folk and back. It doesn’t matter what it is so long as it’s good, good music.

I remember hearing someone saying that they liked music in front of my mate Nick. His reply “You don’t like music like Emma likes music”. Probably the best thing that’s ever left his mouth.

Anyway, all of the playlists are superb and help while away the days of detailing and writing emails at work or driving many miles on the M4. The one I’ve been listening today is I made this when it wasn’t raining. You should too and listen to the genius within.

Other classic playlists include:

Heartquakes

Sometimes you have to pee in the sink.

Listen and learn.