Little Time Machine

Journal

  • First 6k of 2025

    First 6k of 2025

    A cold, feels like -2, run this morning. Tide was far out so we ran round the back of the lighthouse. Great sunrise.

    A solitary lighthouse stands on a beach under a dramatic sky filled with dark clouds, illuminated by a warm glow of sunset on the horizon. The scene conveys a sense of calm yet foreboding, as the lighthouse watches over the shore, with distant city lights twinkling beyond the breakwater.
    A blurred nighttime image of two people near a body of water, with city lights shimmering in the background. The atmosphere appears moody and dark, with a faint glow illuminating the horizon. One person is in the foreground, partially obscured, while the other stands slightly behind.
    A solitary figure walks along a dark shoreline, partially obscured and blurred, with soft, atmospheric clouds and distant lights reflecting on the water's surface. The scene conveys a sense of calm solitude, illuminated faintly by the lights in the background.
    A captivating view of a city skyline at sunset, with silhouetted buildings reflecting warm hues of orange and purple in the sky. The foreground features a sandy beach with dark rocks, while the distant horizon is dotted with birds flying in the sunset-lit sky.
    A map displaying a highlighted route of a morning run that covers 6.0 kilometers along the coastline, with an average pace of 7:59 per kilometer. The route is outlined in orange and includes areas around New Brighton and Marine Lake, with the distance and time taken for the run shown at the bottom.

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  • Foggy swim

    Foggy swim

    A dimly lit street shrouded in thick fog, with a row of houses lining the sides. The street appears wet, reflecting the light from a streetlamp and the faint glow of a red vehicle in the distance. The atmosphere is eerie and quiet, with only a few parked cars visible along the pavement.
    A person in a green raincoat walks along a rocky shoreline, surrounded by fog. The scene is characterized by a muted, dreary atmosphere, with visibility limited due to the misty conditions. The individual appears focused on their path, navigating carefully over the uneven terrain.
    A solitary figure walks along a foggy path beside a dimly lit road, with shadows cast by trees lining the way. Benches are positioned along the path, partially illuminated by streetlights that pierce through the thick mist, creating a serene and atmospheric scene.
    Two individuals walk along a sandy beach towards the water, surrounded by a dense fog. In the background, several people are seen entering the water, appearing as silhouettes against the misty backdrop. The scene conveys a sense of calm and tranquility, with muted colors blending into the hazy atmosphere.
    A foggy beach scene with a sandy shore and a rocky jetty extending into the misty waters. The visibility is low, creating a serene and slightly mysterious atmosphere, while a faint outline of a structure is visible at the end of the jetty.

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  • Drizzle run

    Drizzle run

    Morning run. After 14 months my knees are good enough to do a slow 5k and I’m loving it. So good to be back out there watching the dawn light fade to the beauty of British grey drizzle on an autumnal morning. There’s no bad weather. Everything is interesting to a curious photographer with ADHD.

    Black and white. A blurry photo showing the lights and river navigation light silhouetted against the container ship docks.
    Black and white. As the tide rolls in it surrounds a river navigation light near a rocky sea defence wall. Across the river tall cranes load a container ship.
    Black and white. A single person runs along a prom, silhouetted against the street lights.
    Black and white. The Liverpool skyline is blurry and hazy across a drizzle soaked river.
    Black and white. A river navigation light stands at the end of a rocky groyne at low tide.

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  • 6 lake lengths

    6 lake lengths

    Managed to do 6 lengths of the lake today. Over 1.5km swim. Given my post viral fatigue issues and lack of running from arthritis and gout, I’m happy with that. Slow but progressing.

    Non-binary person happy and dripping wet after a big swim. They have a purple beard.
    Non-binary person standing by the railings around a lake. They’re resting one arm on the railing while holding a coffee cup in the other. They have hot pink leggings on and a black hoodie. It’s sunny.
    Calm morning on the river Mersey. A navigation point is centre frame with the red container ship cranes across the river waiting for a ship.
    A calm morning on the river Mersey. Little boats rest on the water. The docks are in the distance and a big wind turbine spins.

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  • Eurovision 2023

    Eurovision 2023

    We’re rewatching Eurovision before it leaves BBC iPlayer. It’s still incredibly surreal to see my home, places I work as a photographer, and clients on the show. Absolutely wild. I’m sure this year’s will be fun, but 2023’s in Liverpool was something else.

    The love for Ukraine in the city was everywhere. The acceptance of everyone, no matter how you presented, what your gender was, whether you supported Everton or Liverpool, the city was unified by music. The city felt modern, alive, and diverse in a way I’ve not seen before and I’ve been photographing events there for over 15 years. Eurovision in Liverpool transformed the city into the best version of itself. It’s always a good city, but that time… I wore a sparkly dress for 3 days. 3 whole days. No issues, just love.

    Here are some of the highlights, and I have more on my photography portfolio, and a few thoughts on my newsletter Hello Computer.

    A wrist covered in wrist bands from various events.
    So many wrist bands. Every day there was a new festival.
    Non-binary photographer taking photos. They are dressed in a pink bucket hat, with a blue beard and yellow jacket.
    Me at work.
    Non-binary photographer wearing a sparkly dress and camera, giving a thumbs up to the camera.
    Me at work on the waterfront making portraits.
    Non-binary photographer hanging out with a person dressed as a hot dog.
    Me getting a selfie with a hot dog.
    Non-binary person posing for a selfie with a Ukrainian woman.
    Getting a selfie with a Ukrainian woman
    Two people put one leg next to the other to make the Ukrainian flag with their tights.
    Matching tights with a random passer by.
    A group selfie. One person is wearing a pink bucket hat with a blue beard. Another has a painted white face with red dots on their cheeks. The other is wearing a Ukrainian flag headscarf.
    Selfie with Eurovision fans.
    3 people pose for a selfie. One is wearing a pink bucket hat with a blue beard.
    Another selfie with Eurovision fans.
    A non-binary person and a woman outside the Finish cha cha cha sauna.
    Sam and I outside the Finnish sauna.
    A non-binary person in a pink bucket hat posing for a selfie with a female singer in a purple sequin dress.
    Selfie with the UK’s 2018 entry, SuRie who said I looked amazing.
    A non-binary person in a pink bucket hat and sparkly dress with Ukrainian coloured tights talks to a TV reporter outside Eurovision.
    One of many TV interviews I gave.
    A non-binary person in a pink bucket hat and sparkly dress with Ukrainian coloured tights gives two thumbs up to the camera outside the Eurovision arena. There is a sign next to them saying "United by Music."
    Quick portrait of me in my Eurovision gear which I wore on 3 different days.
    Two people in pink bucket hats pose with 2 Ukrainian women.
    Two Ukrainians, Sam and I outside the Eurovision arena.
    Two people in pink bucket hats pose for a selfie as the countdown to Eurovision nearly ends.
    Sam and I inside the arena seconds before the Semi Final rehearsal.
    Ukrainian colours light up the arena.
    Ukrainian colours light up the arena.
    Rainbow colours light up the arena at Eurovision.
    Croatia's Eurovision entry Let 3 performing.
    Croatia’s Eurovision entry Let 3 performing.
    Drag artist and Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst performing on stage.
    I photographed Conchita Wurst playing EuroVillage.
    Jedward smiling for the camera.
    I bumped into Jedward at the Museum of Liverpool.
    A notification saying "Conchita Wurst liked your story."
    Conchita Wurst liked my Instagram post.
    A bunch of people dancing on stage. One holds a sign saying "Queer joy is a protest."
    Homotopia’s ‘Homovision’ event was a day of outstanding queer joy.

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  • Uni

    Uni

    This blog was started while I was at Liverpool John Moores University, in 2000 on a BSc (Hons) Software Engineering degree. The photo here is me at uni. Remember big monitors?

    I graduated in 2001 and I haven’t seen my friends from that time since. Tomorrow I will. It’s been a lifetime since then. I’m no longer in that world, but I’m still fascinated by it.

    Am I still that version of me from 2001? Am I playing photographer while still basically a geek, or am I a photographer with geeky hobbies? I’ve been a photographer longer than a software engineer, and yet the imposter syndrome remains.

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  • Hello world

    Hello world

    I’m blogging again. This post is the first, hopefully, for WeblogPoMo2024. I did a similar thing way back for fun during NaNoWriMo. I quite enjoyed it and figured joining in on this would be good.

    I’ve rebuilt this blog of 24 years into something I’m actually OK with. This is my personal blog for me as a human. I have my work photoblog and also my blog about being a non-binary autistic person with ADHD. This one here is just for fun. It’s my… Little Time Machine. I plan to continue playing and tweaking just like in the early days of blogs because I miss having my own space. Social media is… fine, but when I need to find an old photo or moment, I can’t.

    I’ve made a few main sections to filter content. They are;

    • Journal – for posts like this
    • Photoblog – for galleries or single photo focused work
    • Sketchbook – a place where I can share the attempts at art I’m making
    • Travel – posts from around the world

    There are also the old blog archives lurking inside this site and are fascinating to browse as they document my years of web design and photography. Please do remember, it’s an older version of me not today’s version of me. 

    Now this blog is functionally, what to do with my omg.lol blog and statuslog? Also, how do I stop myself joining micro.blog. I absolutely don’t need it and yet, fun?

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  • April swim

    April swim

    Managed to wake up at 6 am to go for a swim. I find it hard but when I get out there I love it. Views, swims and community. It’s the best start to a day.

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  • Community

    Community

    The other day I wrote about how I love to run but I’ve never found it prevented/cured/fixed/handled/soothed my depression. I ran Monday morning and due to an escalating thought in my head I was depressed by the evening. I ran Tuesday morning too. 1c. Windy. Rainy. Just me on the prom. I enjoy being that guy people see and think I must be mad. I’m not. I’m trying to be a better person. But I still wasn’t cured after the run.

    So I asked online. Some people suggested alternate forms of exercise. I already swim and I love to be the guy who after a mile is just warming up. So I do another mile. One day I’ll do a 5km in the pool. One day. But again it doesn’t cure/fix/resolve/sooth/help with my depression. Maybe it does for a bit while I’m doing the workout but that’s not sustainable. I can’t do a workout every few hours. So I don’t think alternate workouts are the key. If I’m already doing activity that elevates my heart rate, gets me outside and allows me to take in a beautiful morning sunrise but doesn’t cure depression then I’m not sure how anything else would.

    Today I joined a running club. They’re callled the “New Brighton Beer Runners”. A small but local group. I went for a run with them and a beer after in my local. How do I feel? I feel fine. Cured? No. Just fine. I did something new so there’s that. I met new people. I talked to new people. I laughed with new people. I saw locals in the bar too. I felt part of not just one thing but many things. A running group. A local bar community. Maybe that’s all it is. I need to be part of a community.

    You’d think that would be easy in this day and age. The internet is everywhere. At one point I could get Slack on my wrist with my Apple Watch. It’s so accessible but I’m finding that trying to be part of a community is harder now. The forums I used to be on aren’t quite the same. People move on. I moved on. Facebook Group’s aren’t a substitute for that. There’s no Twitter groups. Slack and Discord are not accessible in the way that IRC was.

    /connect euroserv.fr.quakenet.org
    /list (to see all the channels)
    /join

    I’m then talking with like minded people about Star Trek and there’s no social issues to get in the way. It used to be so easy. I used to be part of a Quake 3 clan and regularly played CTF and TDM league games. I could do all this from the comfort of my living room. I do miss it. Now days its much harder to be on the global community of social media. My sense of humour doesn’t quite work online. Could I be any more sarcastic? Even that sentence doesn’t have the same impact. I hope you got the Chandler from Friends vibe to it but if not you don’t get the stress on the “be”. You lose a lot with just text. Who I am is lost with just text. At least on social media where its mostly normal people not a small group of Star Trek geeks.

    Maybe what I’m finding now is that the internet is just a service. A tool for Apple news, TV / music streaming and syncing my calendar with my wife. Maybe the connections I want can’t be found online. Maybe what I need is to try and be afk more. That’s Away From Keyboard. Maybe I need to be involved in community groups that are based in the real world around real things. It’s very hard for me but maybe this is what I need because I understand how complex it is to just talk to someone in the real world and the true value of that. I really valued today. The running group. The people in the pub. Is… is this what home is? Finding a place where everybody knows your name? Norm! No, autistic. Waka waka.

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