For some reason, my journey through photography and particularly improvements in the technology used to take photos (I've really not developed much as a photographer myself) has been documented in turtles. I guess it had to be something so why not an adorable shelled creature. The first attempt at capturing a turtle image ended in frustration, disappointment, nothing tangible to see, and was quickly followed by the purchase of a …

When I saw A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong towards the end of last year it must have been a sort of test run because the Mischief crew are going big with promoting their new London production and short UK tour run. They're popping up everywhere and releasing lots of promotional content, including this excellent behind-the-scenes video of how the show has come together, and generally what a great bunch of …

I have a huge and growing list of things to blog about but April really got away from me... how can I not have written already about the Artemis II mission? I was so looking forward to it, I kept an eye on it constantly, and was hugely impressed with some of the imagery they shared. The moon in all its grey and cratered glory. I love it so much. …

Of all the famous faces that appeared in Celebrity Traitors last year, Joe Marler seems to have had the best result - he pops up on any and every television opportunity you can think of. But not only that, he created his own podcast as well: Joe Marler Will See You Now. It definitely falls into that category of celebrities just chatting to each other, but with Marler's deadpan humour …

When I was learning how to code, one of the problems I had was no specific idea for an app to create. A vague idea cropped up since then but having done absolutely nothing about it, I'm glad to see that Apple have done the hard work for me. Their new feature Genius Browse is an interactive feature to help you pick what to watch next. We have a ridiculously …

I've been following the progress of the England Coast Path for a while now, since my obsession with long distance paths started. I love these trails, even though I have not, as yet, walked very much of any of them. There have been various coastal paths around the country, with the South West Coast Path being the most prominent, but now work has been pretty much completed on joining the …

When I reviewed the first series of Hijack, I said “I’m assuming it’s not the kind of show that will get a second series...” and left it there. Well, I was wrong, the show helmed by Idris Elba returned to Apple TV for a second outing and it was really good. I wasn’t convinced this was going to work, obviously, and without spoiling anything, couldn’t see how a second hijacking …

Pluribus was an absolute treat of a TV show at the end of last year, and the kind of show it is - well crafted and entirely mysterious - lends itself very well to an accompanying podcast. This official show is hosted by Chris McCaleb, an editor on the TV show itself and has a roundtable discussion focusing on each episode of the show and featuring actors, crew, writers, editors, …

Way back towards the beginning of my knitting journey, I mentioned that I was making a jumper but then put it aside to focus on other things. I did finish that jumper, and I don't know why I didn't write about it at the time because it was hilarious. I was proud of it, a finished product, hooray! But it was enormous. I've not really invested too much time in …

Over recent years, I've not given the Winter Olympics the attention it deserves. I wrote about it in 2014 and you can tell in that post I'm in two minds about the whole concept. Well, that all changed this past fortnight, with the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. The coverage in the UK was with TNT Sports, on Discovery+, but they included it in the £3.99 price plan which is …

Before Christmas, I suddenly realised I had booked tickets to see a performance of the UK tour of Fiddler on the Roof. I couldn't remember what had driven me to do this, because whilst I love the songs in the show, the film always felt like it dragged and it's not one I remember massively fondly. It's a tough story as well, hard to watch, harrowing in places... a bit …

If I hadn't just watched Domhnall Gleeson in The Paper, I think the new Taylor Swift music video would have passed me by. But I spotted Gleeson standing next to Swift in a promo shot from the video, and was instantly intrigued. The six minute video was released on Apple Music and Spotify only, so my searching endlessly on YouTube wasn't a good start, but once I found it, I …

I really wasn't expecting The Paper to be any good. A spin off sequel from the US version of The Office, it felt like another one of those projects that nobody asked for and wasn't needed. Well I couldn't have been more wrong. I was tempted in to watching it by the fact that Tim Key's in it, and he's brilliant, but there's so much else to love as well. …

I'll be straight about this, I've had a crush on Robson Green for as long as I can remember, so I really like his BBC series where he takes friends, family, and fellow actors around his favourite parts of the North. Robson Green's Weekend Escapes features the man himself taking these guests somewhere to rest, relax and recharge, and unwind with an activity that can be sporty, creative, or nature-based. …

Tot is one of those apps that is so simple, it does one thing but it does it really well. It's for Apple devices, and for taking notes, but nothing fancy - super quick note-taking that syncs across devices so you can just get on with whatever you're doing. The app is easy to use - you get a handful of pages, symbolised by the dots, and in each one …

I’m not sure I would normally reach for a show like All Her Fault, because the concept of a missing child is pretty depressing and there are other things higher up on the list. The hook, such a good one in this show (you turn up to collect your child from a playdate only to find the person that answers the door has no idea what you’re talking about), usually …

Generally speaking, I spend as little time as possible thinking or talking about politics. I’m very grateful to live in a democracy but still, the upper levels of politics tends to just be posh people shouting at each other and making decisions that are best served to keep them in power, rather than actually make anyone’s lives any better. More than anything, what I would want from a politician is …

I had a couple of weeks left on my Now TV streaming subscription, which meant that for once, I was able to watch the current hot show at the time everyone else was talking about. And when we say hot, we mean it in more than one way. Heated Rivalry has become a word-of-mouth sensation, following the very steamy love story of two ice hockey players in a sport not …

The second part of my winter catchup, and let's be real, we need to get this out the way so I can start talking about the TV shows I've watched recently - there has been some good stuff. But as a quick recap of some of last year's viewings, here are eight shows that caught my eye. Acapulco I've written about this show a couple of times, and always love …

I've drifted far away from podcasts over the last few years, having previously been mildly obsessed with the format. I'm rectifying that by resurrecting this feature, and my first podcast for 2026 is Get a Grip. The show is a conversation between two good friends, covering recent pop culture news, things happening in their careers and personal lives, and new ways to look after yourself. Angela Scanlon and Vicky Pattison …

Whilst we are waiting endlessly for the new Tomb Raider games to arrive (finally they are announced, at least!) there's been the upcoming Amazon MGM TV series to focus on instead. Previously we only knew that there was going to be such a show and that Sophie Turner was playing the lead role. I find Sophie a bit hit and miss, but she was excellent in Joan so I hold …

I'm going to try and be more prompt with my musings on TV consumables, given that the last roundup I did was a summer catchup in July. Given that we're in the situation we're in, however, I thought a winter round up to finish off 2025 would be appropriate, before my new year's resolution of writing more often takes effect. With that in mind, here are eight programmes that I …

This year's Taskmaster New Year Treat was a two-parter, the first time the festive special has been extended from one hour, and both parts were absolutely brilliant. The New Year episodes tend to feature a cast that aren't comedians, and this time we had Big Zuu, Jill Scott, Sam Ryder, Suzie Dent and Rose Ayling-Ellis - a dream cast. The tasks included rolling some dice, finding a big ted, painting …

This is the time of year when people are making resolutions and trying to revolutionise their lives - myself included - but that can be overwhelming and easily ditched once January really kicks in. One habit that could be useful is to use Finch, a self-care app that has an adorable and gamified approach to keeping you on track. At heart, the app is a wellness manager, trying to help …

For a few years now, the goal has been to watch 100 movies during the year, with a nice mix of old and new along the way. Last year, we just scraped across the line with The Holdovers being the 100th movie in the last few days of December. The trouble is, whilst the films are still out there and calling out to be watched, streaming television has been SO …

Last month, Apple released an excellent ad that showcased the accessibility features that can give more people the opportunity to experience college and student life (specifically in America, but obviously everywhere). I was going to blog about this at the time, but had forgotten until it was mentioned on The Last Leg of the Year on New Year's Eve. As host Adam Mills said: Yes, it was self-serving, yes they …

This year I really reigned myself in and clamped down on book purchases so that finally, FINALLY, I have made some progress on the to read book pile. I'm still embarrassed by the number of books that are on that list, but we'll get there. Meanwhile, I supplemented those books with digital tomes from the library, and really managed to get through a lot of books this year. However, this …

2025 was the 10th year of On the Record, my album adventure that involves listening to a variety of albums throughout the year to widen my musical taste and knowledge. It’s amazing to look back and think about how this little project started and what it has turned into, a pillar of my weekly routine with many highs and lows and the occasional unlistenable record. To recap, at the start …

I was nervous heading into the first episode of Apple's hit show Pluribus, because the title doesn't give much away and the poster - featuring Rhea Seehorn screaming on a vivid yellow background - was a little offputting. But of course I needn't have worried, Apple TV has scored another success with a quality programme that came to an end this past week. The show is hard to describe but …

Another year of listening to old and new albums is complete and I've loved the adventure this year. It felt like things got off to a bit of a slow start but gradually things picked up and I ended up with a short list for best albums of the year of 13. The worst part of the year is having to narrow that down to five, but the debate has …

This year I achieved the impossible - getting the Apple Watch Monthly Activity Challenge badge every month for the full year! This is an achievement not so much because of getting the badge each month, although that does deserve a big pat on the back. These badges vary month on month so can be anything from reaching a certain number of exercise minutes each day, or walking a certain number …

The blanket is finally finished! Let's not dwell on the fact that it has taken more than a year to get to this point, but it's done, and it's lovely. The photo doesn't really give a sense of the scale of the blanket, it's about 1.1m wide and long. I think I went a couple of stripes longer than the pattern suggested, but it's turned out really well. A big …

It's become a bit of a tradition now that each Christmas I set about working on a music playlist to replace some of the more traditional ones on radio and streaming services. I get slightly annoyed with them because they either feature songs that are clearly not Christmassy (slowed down pop tunes for festive adverts should not be there!) or they repeat the same classic tunes over and over. When …

For the past couple of years, the Strictly final has meant basically two to three hours of crying. I wasn't expecting it this year, because whilst I love the remaining couples, none of them had that emotional impact for me. And yes, we're saying goodbye to Tess and Claudia but they've always said it's about the couples not them, so that won't be too bad either, will it? Wrong! Ten …

It's been a whole year since I wrote anything about Mischief Theatre, but I recently got to see their festive stage show Christmas Carol Goes Wrong and it was spectacular. I'd previously only seen the BBC version, an hour long special which features the main story of Scrooge and the ghosts, and of course, plenty of things going wrong. The stage show is extended, with more fun and games around …

I love Jonathan Creek, the BBC mystery series from the late 90s, early 2000s. Alan Davies in that duffle coat, mooching about a windmill, using his big brain to solve seemingly impossible crimes. Wonderful. The earlier episodes are perfect, and despite knowing whodunit, I get quite a lot of comfort from rewatching them. The show went downhill a bit towards the end, but still, lots to love. The series is …

The semi-final, and whilst the quality remains incredibly high, and the dancing very entertaining this felt like a bit of a letdown of a show - because the conclusion was so foregone. Given recent dance offs, it was entirely obvious who would be in the bottom two, and thus who would be going home. However, before all that, the dancing had to be done and this time we have two …

Musicals week, the final theme before the final and oh, it's always a good one. This time, there was a big opening number where each of the couples took a turn in the spotlight. It was so much dancing before the proper competition had even begun - where they just bored this week or what? I loved it though, a great medley! George & Alexis - Argentine Tango (Phantom of …

I was on a car journey recently and was instructed to test out the Vehicle Motion Cues on the iPhone. This was a feature that I had no idea existed and it blew my mind a little bit. If you switch on this Accessibility motion feature, it adds some dots to the side of the iPhone screen, which move around in relation to what the vehicle is doing, and somehow, …

Back from Blackpool and everyone has been talking about their being a dip in energy, so I wasn't expecting absolute perfection from this week's performances. Plus there's that new gimmick, Instant Dance, in which the couples get a dance style, a new piece of music, quick choice of clothing, ten seconds to think about it, and then go go go. It's going to be a disaster. Alex & Johannes - …

We make quite a lot of fun of the build up to Blackpool but I feel bad for that now because this weekend's Strictly Come Dancing show was spectacular and worth all the hype. You kick things off with an incredible Steps medley with professionals, contestants, extra dancers, and the judges all taking to the sprung floor, and you know you're on to a winner. Then you have the downside …

If you said getting a handful of celebrities and their parents and asking them questions in a quiz show, you wouldn't think it would make a particularly good television show. But throw in the twist that the parents have to decide whether they think their child knows the answers or not, plus the joy of Romesh Ranganathan and his mother hosting, and you've got a hit. I stumbled across Romesh …

Hmm, in case you hadn't realised, next week is Blackpool. I tried to count the mentions during this episode and got to 27 - half of which were within the first ten minutes of the show. A very good job I didn't go for the drinking game I was considering! On with the pre-Blackpool show, then. Balvinder & Julian - American Smooth The technique seemed to have improved, there was …

If you haven't already started (and finished!) watching Riot Women on the BBC, then you must stop what you're doing and do that instead. It's absolutely brilliant TV. Of course, the elements are all there to make it magical - the cream of the crop of British female actors (of a certain age), the writing skills of Sally Wainwright, the gorgeous Yorkshire backdrop, and a story about these women putting …

We're halfway through the series and the quality of the dancing is getting better and better each week, as you would expect. But how can we live up to the highs of last week, where we saw the first 40 of the year? Let's find out! Lewis & Katya - Cha Cha Cha This was good, obviously, and not annoyingly good - it was completely watchable and a great dance. …

Halloween night and the judges went all out on their costumes. I genuinely didn't think I was going to be able to get through a whole night of looking at Shirley like that! And I saw a video afterwards of Motsi having to take that make-up off... was it worth it, I ask you?? Meanwhile, on with the spooky set of dances this week! Vicky & Kai - American Smooth …

Tom Daley is everywhere at the moment - after a far-too-brief stint on Celebrity Traitors, he's got a new show on Channel 4 starting imminently. The series, called The Game of Wool, is one of those cosy competition styles, like Bake Off, but featuring knitting and crochet rather than oven-based larks. It's going to be a fascinating watch... I knit so slowly I can't really fathom anyone creating something within …

I was sad to read about the death of Prunella Scales today, aged 93. Every tribute and reference I've seen has mentioned her turn as Sybil Fawlty in the iconic Fawlty Towers, but I have to go out on a limb and say I vastly prefer her performance in After Henry. I'm mildly obsessed with this sitcom, written by Simon Brett, which started life as a radio series and made …

Strictly Come Dancing this week featured an Icons theme, which I had thought was a one off last year but apparently is now an annual thing. It’s fine, a great idea, but it does lead to some questions over who is and isn’t an icon. What even makes someone an icon in the first place? Is it global superstardom? Is it just being that person for one specific contestant? Given …

Lots of news this week. When the Claudia & Tess story broke, someone said to me 'have you seen the Strictly news?' and my immediate reaction was 'WHAT NOW?' This show can't catch a break. And the presenting duo leaving overshadowed the sad news that Stefan had to withdraw from the show due to injury, a shame after he had just come back from sickness. But he achieved what he …