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{ "version": "https://jsonfeed.org/version/1.1", "title": "Paul Robert Lloyd", "description": "The personal website of Paul Robert Lloyd", "home_page_url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com", "feed_url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/feed.json", "favicon": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/assets/icons/icon.svg", "icon": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/assets/icons/icon-192-any.png", "language": "en-GB", "authors": [ { "avatar": "/.well-known/avatar.png", "name": "Paul Robert Lloyd", "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com" } ], "items": [ { "id": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/088/n1/", "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/088/n1/", "date_published": "2026-03-29T12:17:46.301Z", "content_html": "<p>Attempted to give blood for the first time today but failed the vein assessment. Gutted. Signing up was easy, and the team at the new donation centre in Brighton are really friendly, so go and <a href=\"https://www.blood.co.uk/\">give blood</a>.</p>" }, { "id": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/078/p1/", "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/078/p1/", "date_published": "2026-03-19T23:52:00.837Z", "content_html": "<p>Tonight I got to meet one of my design heroes, Margaret Calvert. Her work speaks for itself, which makes her modesty even more impressive. When I told her I use her typeface every day, she simply responded “oh dear, poor you”. Legend.</p><figure><img src=\"https://paulrobertlloyd.com/media/2026/078/p1/1.jpg\" alt=\"Me sitting on a chair next to Margaret Calvert.\" class=\"u-photo\"></figure>", "attachments": [ { "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/media/2026/078/p1/1.jpg", "title": "Me sitting on a chair next to Margaret Calvert.", "mime_type": "image/jpeg" } ] }, { "id": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/071/p1/", "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/071/p1/", "date_published": "2026-03-12T20:13:44.916Z", "content_html": "<p>Sun-kissed evenings in Porto never fail to impress.</p><figure><img src=\"https://paulrobertlloyd.com/media/2026/071/p1/1.jpg\" alt=\"People socialise under red and white canopies. The buildings behind them are golden, with the shadows of nearby trees imparted on their beautifully decorated facades.\" class=\"u-photo\"></figure>", "attachments": [ { "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/media/2026/071/p1/1.jpg", "title": "People socialise under red and white canopies. The buildings behind them are golden, with the shadows of nearby trees imparted on their beautifully decorated facades.", "mime_type": "image/jpeg" } ] }, { "id": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/064/n1/", "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/064/n1/", "date_published": "2026-03-05T21:37:17.756Z", "content_html": "<p>This is a low.</p>" }, { "id": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/060/n1/", "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/060/n1/", "date_published": "2026-03-01T09:42:31.847Z", "content_html": "<p>Starting March much as I did February by trying something new. This morning I completed my first Aquathon (Tuff Fitty’s Frost Bite event in Littlehampton, a 400m swim followed by a 5km run), finishing with a time of 50:35. I’ll take that!</p>" }, { "id": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/057/n1/", "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/057/n1/", "date_published": "2026-02-26T23:23:27.519Z", "content_html": "<p>Just got bitten by a dog, which kinda sums up this Thursday.</p>" }, { "id": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/054/a1/ski-school/", "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/054/a1/ski-school/", "date_published": "2026-02-23T21:00:00.000Z", "title": "6 life lessons I discovered while learning to ski", "summary": "Falling down a mountain strapped to two slender skis feels like an analogy for life.", "content_html": "<p>Since Christmas I’ve begun to feel an almost visceral sense of time passing; moments that have dragged on for an eternity – lengths in a pool, sleepless nights, long train journeys – become nothing but fleeting memories.</p><p>They say that the best way to slow down the passage of time is to spend it doing something new and challenging, so earlier this month I travelled to Sestriere, Italy to learn how to ski.</p><p>Skiing is a reasonably safe activity, yet outside my comfort zone enough for it to matter. Signing up for lessons in a group setting would mean I could enjoy a more sociable holiday than I’m used to. Skiing ticked all the boxes.</p><p>Not only did I find the experience to be brain-expanding and life enhancing, but falling down a mountain strapped to two laminated strips of wood and fiberglass felt like an analogy for life, with many lessons discovered along the way.</p><h2 id=\"1_embrace_being_a_beginner\">1. Embrace being a beginner</h2><p>I’ve a vivid memory of <a href=\"https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2015/061/a1/berlin/\">arriving in Berlin in 2015</a> and, after getting disoriented by its metro system, feeling my brain kick into a fight-or-flight problem solving mode. It was an exhilarating feeling, but one I’d not felt recently until I arrived in Sestriere.</p><p>I hadn’t anticipated how foreign the entire experience would be.</p><p>Tightly strapped into ski boots for the first time, every aspect of my existence was called into question. With all ankle mobility removed, I adopted the gait of someone who recently had an unpleasant accident.</p><p>On the slopes, everything was reversed. To turn left you push on your right foot, to turn right you push on the left. To slow down, you shift your weight forward — not backwards as you’ll go much, much faster, as I learnt to my cost.</p><p>The way you’re meant to slow down, and how you begin to ski, is by adopting the ‘snow plough’ position; turning the tips of your skis inwards to make the shape of a pizza slice. While this will slow you down, to stop at speed you need to turn sideways into the mountain, adjusting the position of the skis so that they press into the snow.</p><p>I’m not sure I ever mastered stopping. Falling over while tied to skis is a distressing and disorientating experience, and it was a wonder my knees remained in place after each tumble.</p><h2 id=\"2_most_people_want_you_to_succeed\">2. Most people want you to succeed</h2><p>Learning to ski with a dozen other beginners was a welcome reminder that most people are good and well meaning.</p><p>As is so often the case, I was the last one to come down a slope, but every time I was met by words of encouragement. There was audible whooping and cheering as I completed a succession of turns coming down a steep slope (only to trip over myself and for Luca, the instructor, to bemoan picking me up again).</p><p>Towards the end of the second day was when I felt the most demoralised. Attempting my first blue run, I managed to ski down the first third before falling down much of the second. With my skis having detached, and unable to click my boots back into their clips, I walked down the remainder of the run.</p><p>I felt like a complete failure and wondered why I had embarked on this silly adventure. I felt even worse when I saw other members of the group on their second go skiing down the same run with apparent ease.</p><p>But again, the support of the group changed the entire dynamic. Having finally returned to the starting point, I was told that others had also fallen over and faced their own difficulties, one even banging his head hard on the snow.</p><p>The following day I completed every run, and while I crashed into a few different obstacles, I didn’t fall over once. For a few moments, things even started to click. I wouldn’t have enjoyed that third day had I not had the encouragement to continue on the second.</p><p>It was lovely bumping into people from my group later in the day around the resort. One evening a member of the group spotted me in a bar and told me how proud she was that I persisted, and that she enjoyed seeing me progress. It was a heartwarming moment.</p><figure class=\"align-bleed\"><img src=\"https://paulrobertlloyd.com/media/2026/054/a1/image.jpg\" alt=\"10 skiers lined up in a row. The sixth skier is the instructor Luca, who has his right ski raised.\"><figcaption>The group I was learning to ski with alongside our instructor Luca (in blue); what he lacked in English he more than made up for in energy and enthusiasm.</figcaption></figure><h2 id=\"3_dont_look_down_look_ahead\">3. Don’t look down, look ahead</h2><p>While the snow plough position is a good place to start, it not only prevents you from going faster (and making it easier to turn) it’s also incredibly tiring, especially on the legs, knees and lower back.</p><p>Rather than Luca, it was other members of my group that shared some of the most useful instruction.</p><p>The first was to stop looking down at the skis but instead look forward and feel where your feet are. Once you stop concentrating on the position of the skis, you focus more on the direction of travel and can plan a route down the slope.</p><p>The second tip was to look in the direction you want to go; doing that forces your body to twist, the legs rotate and you can change direction more easily.</p><h2 id=\"4_dont_over_think_it\">4. Don’t over think it</h2><p>In early lessons you are taught how to use the different types of ski lift. I fell over on my first attempt boarding a magic carpet. I got caught coming off the button lift for the first time and fell into a heap at the top. My legs did the splits as I pushed myself off a chair lift and again collapsed into a contorted pile (landing close to signs of blood left by a previous, much unluckier passenger).</p><p>I soon realised that the best way to succeed, be it at skiing or getting around on these lifts was to relax. Being tense makes everything more difficult, and besides, better to enjoy the moments between the inevitable falls.</p><p>There were many occasions where I was able to put several turns together, and at speed. Only when I started to think about what I was doing would I get into a tangle and trip over myself.</p><p>As a chronic over-thinker, if the week taught me anything, it’s that I need to become more comfortable trusting my gut, to use my intuition and act on impulse. Don’t think it, feel it.</p><h2 id=\"5_know_when_to_stop_before_you_get_hurt\">5. Know when to stop (before you get hurt)</h2><p>On the Friday I attempted a fifth consecutive morning of skiing, my first outside of ski school. By this point my body was aching, my legs were locked into the snow plough and my mind was focused on survival, not enjoyment. None of this prevented me from going off piste and getting buried in several feet of snow!</p><p>I had hoped to ski on the Saturday, but sometimes it’s good to know when to stop something before you get hurt. Emotionally and physically drained, another day on the slopes would have likely ended in disaster. Instead, I ate cake on the top of a mountain with a view no photo could ever capture, and spent the afternoon relaxing in a swimming pool and sauna. It was marvellous.</p><h2 id=\"6_when_you_fall_over_get_back_up\">6. When you fall over, get back up</h2><p>Learning to ski is like learning to ride a bike, chiefly in that when you fall over you have to get back up.</p><p>While my first fall was incredibly terrifying – with abnormal force applied to your shins you fully expect your legs to snap in half – over time you get used to it. In fact, landing in snow became quite refreshing!</p><p>It’s fun to feel your brain adapt and learn a new skill, and only through failure can you understand the limits of your body and how to deal with different situations.</p><p>The other thing said about riding a bike is that once you learn, you never forget. Should I attempt skiing again, and as I continue to resist the swift passage of time, I’m sure the lessons and memories from this challenging but formative week in the Alps will stay with me for years to come.</p><hr><p><a href=\"mailto:reply@paulrobertlloyd.com?subject=Reply:%206%20life%20lessons%20I%20discovered%20while%20learning%20to%20ski\">Reply via email</a></p>" }, { "id": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/047/n1/", "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/047/n1/", "date_published": "2026-02-16T23:13:40.893Z", "content_html": "<p>Lovely evening spent in a local pub, drinking beer, eating pie and mash and coming fifth (out of seven teams) in the pub quiz with my fellow quizzer, Becky. A truly wonderful way to start the week.</p>" }, { "id": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/043/n1/", "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/043/n1/", "date_published": "2026-02-12T00:08:05.338Z", "content_html": "<p>Fuck me, the conclusion to season 2 of The Night Manager was quite unexpected. Wow.</p>" }, { "id": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/040/p1/", "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/040/p1/", "date_published": "2026-02-09T13:18:32.922Z", "content_html": "<p>I bloody love Lyon.</p><figure><img src=\"https://paulrobertlloyd.com/media/2026/040/p1/1.jpg\" alt=\"View of a public square as seen through an open door, that’s in shadow. There’s a decorative fountain, people milling about on foot and by motorbike.\" class=\"u-photo\"></figure>", "attachments": [ { "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/media/2026/040/p1/1.jpg", "title": "View of a public square as seen through an open door, that’s in shadow. There’s a decorative fountain, people milling about on foot and by motorbike.", "mime_type": "image/jpeg" } ] }, { "id": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/039/n1/", "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/039/n1/", "date_published": "2026-02-08T15:37:36.292Z", "content_html": "<p>Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.</p>" }, { "id": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/034/n1/", "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/034/n1/", "date_published": "2026-02-03T14:30:00.000Z", "content_html": "<p>This has been one of the most intense weeks of my life, both physically challenging and mentally exhausting. And it’s only Tuesday.</p>" }, { "id": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/033/n1/", "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/033/n1/", "date_published": "2026-02-02T12:57:52.028Z", "content_html": "<p>Gone skiing.</p>" }, { "id": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/023/p1/", "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/023/p1/", "date_published": "2026-01-23T19:16:55.587Z", "content_html": "<p>You don’t see this everyday.</p><figure><img src=\"https://paulrobertlloyd.com/media/2026/023/p1/1.jpg\" alt=\"A bottle of milk and a bottle of cream sat on the ground, in front of a blue door, surrounded by green foliage.\" class=\"u-photo\"></figure>", "attachments": [ { "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/media/2026/023/p1/1.jpg", "title": "A bottle of milk and a bottle of cream sat on the ground, in front of a blue door, surrounded by green foliage.", "mime_type": "image/jpeg" } ] }, { "id": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/012/j1/", "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/012/j1/", "date_published": "2026-01-12T22:30:48.489Z", "title": "♫ Change by Tears for Fears", "content_html": "<p>♫ <a class=\"u-jam-of\" href=\"https://music.apple.com/gb/album/change/1443911304?i=1443912501\">Change by Tears for Fears</a></p><p>I wasn’t blown away by <cite>Marty Supreme</cite>, but it has given me a new found appreciation of Tears for Fears.</p>" }, { "id": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/004/a1/2025_in_review/", "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/004/a1/2025_in_review/", "date_published": "2026-01-04T15:30:00.000Z", "title": "2025 in review", "summary": "Another circuit around the sun and time once again to reflect on a year gone by.", "content_html": "<p>Another circuit around the sun and time once again to reflect on a year gone by.</p><p>Fair to say that 2025 had a stressful start. Having launched <a href=\"https://digital.nhs.uk/blog/transformation-blog/2025/an-easier-way-to-manage-vaccinations-in-schools\">Manage Vaccinations in Schools</a> (<abbr title=\"also known as\">aka</abbr> Mavis) into private beta for a school aged vaccination service (<abbr title=\"School aged vaccination service\">SAIS</abbr>) team in Coventry and Warwickshire, the pace and style of delivery abruptly and radically changed.</p><p>To support the launch and later roll-out, the size of the team doubled in the space of a week, with the design team expanding to include a new user researcher, content designer and interaction designer. Pretty soon, everything was on fire. I was constantly switching between trying to help new colleagues understand the service and figuring out how we could work together while also trying to address issues and work on new features.</p><p>Onboarding was sink or swim. While I was glad some new joiners took up my suggestion of sharing ‘user manuals’ (a way to quickly discover shared interests and preferred ways of working), it remained a chaotic environment for the first six months. The interaction designer wasn’t able to make it to shore, and left the team in May.</p><p>The role simply wasn’t a good fit; for them, for me or for us. While that’s the reality, it didn’t stop me from beating myself up a little. I sometimes wonder if working from home, with a good deal of autonomy and tendency to over-engineer prototypes, makes it impossible for other designers to work alongside me.</p><p>I also continue to worry that my growing programming proficiency comes at the expense of me being a half-decent designer. Coding can draw me into a space where I become more insular and narrow minded, focused on implementation and less on outcomes. I didn’t speak to nearly enough users during the year, and only visited one <abbr title=\"School aged vaccination service\">SAIS</abbr> team. And I still haven’t seen a vaccination session in a school. Shameful.</p><p>I can make my excuses. I work a 4-day week as the sole interaction designer on a large end-to-end service that is growing in complexity and scope. To make matters worse, I volunteered some of my time (including outside work hours) to the service manual team, making <a href=\"https://github.com/nhsuk/nhsuk-frontend/issues?q=is%3Apr%20author%3A%40me%20created%3A2025\">almost 50 contributions to NHS frontend</a> alone, and helped with the release of v10, <a href=\"https://digital.nhs.uk/blog/design-matters/2025/making-the-nhs-design-system-fit-for-the-future\">a useful and important upgrade</a>.</p><p>I need to think about how I can work better; to be more curious, collaborative and contemplative, and organise my time so that I can spend more of it sat alongside users. This should be easier now that things have settled down and firm foundations have been laid. I’m looking forward to focusing on aspects of our service that can have a lasting impact on public health outcomes.</p><p>Anyway, by the end of March I desperately needed to regain some head space, so boarded the Caledonian Sleeper for a return trip to Dundee. It’s not a visit that stands out; it was cold and grey, the V&A remains largely vacant, while an exhibit of COVID-related artefacts in the McManus was mildly disorientating. I walked to Broughty Ferry and back and not sure why. But the trip cleared my head enough for me to write <a href=\"https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2025/087/a1/bored/\">a blog post</a> (or was it a poem?) that <a href=\"https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2025/101/a1/nerve/\">went viral</a>.</p><p>I spent a few Thursday nights staying in London after work so that I could explore London on a Friday and see an exhibition or show. In April, I drooled over the sight of <a href=\"https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/brasil-brasil\">Brazilian modernism at the Royal Academy</a>, and in May enjoyed a long-overdue catch-up with <a href=\"https://www.riseofthemonkeys.co.uk/\">Simon</a>. I’d hoped to do several more overnight stays, but these never materialised. Being able to work from an office in London did allow me to see more theatre; <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_(play)\"><cite>Giant</cite></a> and <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nye_(play)\"><cite>Nye</cite></a> were both superb, and restored my faith in the medium having watched the gimmick-laden <cite>Elektra</cite> in January.</p><figure class=\"align-bleed\"><img src=\"https://paulrobertlloyd.com/media/2026/004/a1/reflection.jpg\" alt=\"Reflection of a cityscape on the mirrored metallic surface of a building.\"><figcaption>Rotterdam reflected by the mirrored surface of the Depot Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen.</figcaption></figure><p>In June, I returned to Amsterdam for CSS Day and in the process crossed off a few items from my bucket list. I took the ferry to the Hook of Holland (just about… train delays at Liverpool Street threatened to leave me stranded in Harwich), and <a href=\"https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2025/151/p1/\">climbed the Book Mountain in Spijkenisse</a>. My abiding memory of this trip was staying in <a href=\"https://theusual.com/en/locations/rotterdam/\">a stylish hotel</a> in Rotterdam and spending evenings in its bar working on <a href=\"https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2025/243/a1/nhsuk_eleventy_plugin/\">an NHS-flavoured version of the GOV.UK Eleventy Plugin</a>. I returned home via Antwerp, and in the <a href=\"https://museumplantinmoretus.be/en/\">Plantin-Moretus museum</a> said hello to the oldest printing presses in the world.</p><p><a href=\"https://roobottom.com/\">Jon</a> and I got our act together and in September resumed our annual tradition of doing a weekend cycling trip. This time we trundled around bits of East Kent – including a fair distance along the River Stour, only to be met by a closed gate and cycle all the way back.</p><p>When it came to taking <a href=\"https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2025/292/a1/paris_lyon_sitges_barcelona/\">an extended break in October</a>, I did the sensible thing and left my laptop at home. Unsurprisingly, this did wonders for my mental health. Surprisingly, I spent a night in Paris and enjoyed it.</p><p>Soon after I attended <a href=\"https://multipack.co.uk/events/2025/20th-anniversary/\">Multipack’s 20th anniversary</a> get together in Birmingham. We reminisced about table-based layout, XHTML, Flash and other dead technologies and that made me feel far too old. “Kids these days” was often said without any irony at all.</p><p>One thing I didn’t end up doing was speak at <a href=\"https://research.tuni.fi/plural-en/event/call-for-papers-railway-aesthetics-experiencing-locomotion-across-media-and-cultures/\">an academic conference that took place on a train travelling from Vienna to Istanbul</a>. Both <a href=\"https://adactio.com/\">Jeremy</a> and <a href=\"https://vasilis.nl/\">Vasilis</a> suggested I submit a talk proposal, but I prevaricated right up until the submission deadline. A conversation with my mum made me realise I didn’t want to do it, not least because it’d mean, if my proposal were accepted, spending months working on (and worrying about) a presentation. And 4 days stuck on a train listening to people talk about “trains as metafictional/metapoetic/metacinematic devices”… think I dodged a bullet.</p><p>Besides, personal projects were already taking a backseat as I focused on <a href=\"https://x-govuk.org/\">X-GOVUK</a> and NHS-related projects instead. I was able to <a href=\"https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2025/111/a1/drawings/\">add a new section to this website to collect drawings</a>, and added the final set of place descriptions to <a href=\"https://bradshaws.guide/\">Bradshaw’s Guide</a>. As for <a href=\"https://getindiekit.com/\">Indiekit</a>, I started to think about <a href=\"https://github.com/getindiekit/indiekit/pull/784\">providing named events for plug-ins to hook into</a>, but otherwise made little progress towards shipping v1.0. I joined a long-planned photo walk in February but was massively disappointed with the photos I came back with (unlike <a href=\"https://www.alpower.com/photos/2025-02-01-camera-wander-on-a-grey-day/\">Al</a> and <a href=\"https://benjamin.parry.is/collecting/photos/2025/02/brighon-photography-bimble/\">Ben</a>, the bastards).</p><p>By far the most rewarding personal project of 2025 was that of improving my fitness, working with my personal trainer to increase how much I can lift and carry. Preparing for <a href=\"https://uk.spartan.com/en/deka\">Deka competitions</a> towards the end of the year gave me a renewed focus and a useful way to measure progress. Proudest achievement of the year? I can now skip!</p><p>As I skip into 2026, it’s with an almost visceral sense of time passing at an alarming rate; I swear I was <a href=\"https://www.strava.com/activities/16814388868\">gradually counting down lengths in the swimming pool</a> just a matter of days, not weeks ago.</p><p>With regrets for opportunities – and possibly <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTXTPe3wahc\">alternate timelines</a> – not taken in 2025, I’m hoping this new found sense of mortality will encourage me to be a bit bolder and braver over the coming 12 months. As ever, it’s the hope that kills you.</p><hr><p><a href=\"mailto:reply@paulrobertlloyd.com?subject=Reply:%202025%20in%20review\">Reply via email</a></p>" }, { "id": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/001/a1/2025_in_numbers/", "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/001/a1/2025_in_numbers/", "date_published": "2026-01-01T23:45:00.000Z", "title": "2025 in numbers", "summary": "Once is an accident, twice is coincidence, three times is a pattern.", "content_html": "<p>Here are some things I’ve been able to count for 2025. <a href=\"https://paulrobertlloyd.com/collections/year_in_numbers/\">As usual</a>, I’m showing these alongside counts for the previous 4 years as well as some light commentary for added context.</p><h2 id=\"posts\">Posts</h2><table><thead><tr><th>Year</th><th style=\"text-align:right\">Articles</th><th style=\"text-align:right\">Notes</th><th style=\"text-align:right\">Photos</th><th style=\"text-align:right\">Total</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>2025</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">11</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">18</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">9</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">38</td></tr><tr><td>2024</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">11</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">35</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">42</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">88</td></tr><tr><td>2023</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">23</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">38</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">50</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">111</td></tr><tr><td>2022</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">11</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">69</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">32</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">112</td></tr><tr><td>2021</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">4</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">47</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">77</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">128</td></tr></tbody></table><p>A significant drop in the amount of stuff I posted to this website over the last year. This was due to me posting fewer notes (reflective of my decreasing use of social media where notes are often syndicated), but I also didn’t share many photos, nor join any photo challenges. But, <a href=\"http://diamondgeezer.blogspot.com/2025/12/summing-up-2025.html\">inspired by Diamond Geezer</a>, lets add a new count…</p><h2 id=\"photos_taken\">Photos taken</h2><table><thead><tr><th>Year</th><th style=\"text-align:right\">Commits</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>2025</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">990</td></tr><tr><td>2024</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">796</td></tr><tr><td>2023</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">996</td></tr><tr><td>2022</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">1086</td></tr><tr><td>2021</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">943</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Looking at the number of photos saved to my library, the number I take each year is reasonable consistent. I guess I just need to share more of them here.</p><h2 id=\"travel\">Travel</h2><table><thead><tr><th>Year</th><th style=\"text-align:right\">Countries</th><th style=\"text-align:right\">Trips</th><th style=\"text-align:right\">Distance</th><th style=\"text-align:right\">Carbon</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>2025</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">4</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">13</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">5713 km</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">271 kg</td></tr><tr><td>2024</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">3</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">15</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">8742 km</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">287 kg</td></tr><tr><td>2023</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">6</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">22</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">6439 km</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">215 kg</td></tr><tr><td>2022</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">6</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">13</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">8093 km</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">263 kg</td></tr><tr><td>2021</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">1</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">4</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">1624 km</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">54 kg</td></tr></tbody></table><p>My travel patterns remain consistent, at least when there’s not a global pandemic.</p><p>Unlike previous years, <a href=\"https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2025/292/a1/paris_lyon_sitges_barcelona/\">my late summer holiday in 2025</a> involved sun, a beach, hotel pool and, importantly, no laptop! While tempted to do the same again this year, I’ve got a list of places I’d like to visit (<a href=\"https://www.miniatur-wunderland.com/\">Miniatur Wunderland</a> in Hamburg, <a href=\"https://bobstory.de/en/\">Bob Brickman’s Lego museum</a> in Rosenheim and possibly <a href=\"https://konf.getkirby.com/\">Kirby Konf</a> in Mainz) that may give 2026 a familiar German flavour.</p><h2 id=\"events\">Events</h2><table><thead><tr><th>Year</th><th style=\"text-align:right\">Cinema</th><th style=\"text-align:right\">Other</th><th style=\"text-align:right\">Total</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>2025</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">5</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">10</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">15</td></tr><tr><td>2024</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">6</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">14</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">20</td></tr><tr><td>2023</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">5</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">13</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">18</td></tr><tr><td>2022</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">7</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">9</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">16</td></tr><tr><td>2021</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">4</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">7</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">11</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Somehow I went to fewer events in 2025, which surprises me a little. I saw 3 plays (<cite>Elektra</cite>, <cite>Giant</cite> and <cite>Nye</cite>), saw <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haim_(band)\">Haim</a> live and enjoyed an unexpected <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_and_Lard\">Mark and Lard</a> reunion. I’d also bought tickets to see Martin Parr at the Brighton Festival, only to get distracted and miss the event. <a href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/dec/07/martin-parr-obituary\">Kicking myself</a>.</p><h2 id=\"contributions_to_repos_on_git_hub\">Contributions to repos on GitHub</h2><table><thead><tr><th>Year</th><th style=\"text-align:right\">Commits</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>2025</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">2013</td></tr><tr><td>2024</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">2760</td></tr><tr><td>2023</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">4040</td></tr><tr><td>2022</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">4295</td></tr><tr><td>2021</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">3047</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The numbers GitHub reports have seemingly changed since I recorded them last year, so I have no idea how reliable these are. Regardless of raw figures, I spent too much of my spare time in a code editor, much of it for work or work-adjacent projects, which wasn’t particularly clever.</p><h2 id=\"activities_on_strava\">Activities on Strava</h2><table><thead><tr><th>Year</th><th style=\"text-align:right\">Cycling</th><th style=\"text-align:right\">Running</th><th style=\"text-align:right\">Swimming</th><th style=\"text-align:right\">Weights</th><th style=\"text-align:right\">Total</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>2025</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">3h 12m</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">1h 00m</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">6h 13m</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">56h 15m</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">66h 40m</td></tr><tr><td>2024</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">0h 0m</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">3h 26m</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">2h 9m</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">8h 0m</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">13h 35m</td></tr><tr><td>2023</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">0h 0m</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">0h 0m</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">3h 46m</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">0h 0m</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">3h 46m</td></tr><tr><td>2022</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">4h 2m</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">0h 0m</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">6h 21m</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">0h 0m</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">10h 23m</td></tr><tr><td>2021</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">20h 37m</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">19h 50m</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">0h 0m</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">0h 0m</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">40h 27m</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Towards the end of 2024 I had an overly ambitious plan to run 3 days a week and swim once a week or more, but 2025 was the year I fell in love with weight lifting, ultimately spending 2 hours a week building up my strength and endurance.</p><p>In September I attempted my first Deka fitness competition, <a href=\"https://uk.spartan.com/en/deka/atlas\">Atlas</a> but only completed 4 stations. I completed the <a href=\"https://uk.spartan.com/en/deka/strong\">Strong</a> in December but with a truly embarrassing time. Regardless, I’ve set myself the audacious goal of completing the Atlas within the 30 minute time limit before the year is out.</p><h2 id=\"check_ins_on_swarm\">Check-ins on Swarm</h2><table><thead><tr><th>Year</th><th style=\"text-align:right\">Check-ins</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>2025</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">295</td></tr><tr><td>2024</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">928</td></tr><tr><td>2023</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">1008</td></tr><tr><td>2022</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">941</td></tr><tr><td>2021</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">785</td></tr><tr><td>2020</td><td style=\"text-align:right\">623</td></tr></tbody></table><p>In 2024 <a href=\"https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2025/003/a1/2024_in_numbers#check_ins_on_swarm\">I wondered why I continued to use Swarm</a>. With that in mind I decided to check-in only when visiting new places. You can see the result. Now that Swarm no longer has a web interface, and needing to count the number of check-ins in 2025 by hand, I may be ready to delete the app entirely. Let’s see if I manage this when we return to these counts in 12 months time.</p><hr><p><a href=\"mailto:reply@paulrobertlloyd.com?subject=Reply:%202025%20in%20numbers\">Reply via email</a></p>" }, { "id": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/001/n1/", "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2026/001/n1/", "date_published": "2026-01-01T22:50:26.729Z", "content_html": "<p>Today I… stayed up to watch the finale of <cite>Stranger Things</cite> (and wasn’t disappointed), took a morning walk with old friends, spent the afternoon with both my godmother and goddaughter and concluded it by getting hooked onto new series of <cite>The Traitors</cite> and <cite>The Night Manager</cite>. Pretty good start to 2026, I’d say.</p>" }, { "id": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2025/358/n1/", "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2025/358/n1/", "date_published": "2025-12-24T22:31:17.392Z", "content_html": "<p>Delivering a small Indiekit-shaped Christmas present, with <a href=\"https://github.com/getindiekit/indiekit/releases/tag/v1.0.0-beta.25\">a new beta release</a> that includes some quality-of-life improvements alongside localisation for Brazilian Portuguese. <em>Feliz Natal!</em></p>" }, { "id": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2025/352/d2/", "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2025/352/d2/", "date_published": "2025-12-18T22:20:00.000Z", "title": "Manage vaccinations in schools: Flu private beta", "content_html": "<figure><img src=\"https://paulrobertlloyd.com/media/2025/352/d2/1.png\" alt=\"A circular badge featuring a polar bear and her 2 cubs. Each has a 1UP above them heads, one above a doughnut, another above a diamond.\"></figure><p>The mission patch for the release supporting seasonal flu vaccinations features Mavis and her 2 cubs getting their boosters; <a href=\"https://design-history.prevention-services.nhs.uk/manage-vaccinations-in-schools/2025/09/flu-recording/\">one with a doughnut, another with a diamond</a>.</p>", "attachments": [ { "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/media/2025/352/d2/1.png", "title": "A circular badge featuring a polar bear and her 2 cubs. Each has a 1UP above them heads, one above a doughnut, another above a diamond.", "mime_type": "image/png" } ] }, { "id": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2025/352/d1/", "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2025/352/d1/", "date_published": "2025-12-18T22:20:00.000Z", "title": "Manage vaccinations in schools: CHIS discovery", "content_html": "<figure><img src=\"https://paulrobertlloyd.com/media/2025/352/d1/1.png\" alt=\"A howling polar bear standing on a block of cheese.\"></figure><p>The mission patch for the CHIS (child health information services) discovery features Mavis howling to notify all nearby polar bears about an unvaccinated cub. She does so by standing atop a block of nearby cheese (sounds like <em>chis</em>).</p>", "attachments": [ { "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/media/2025/352/d1/1.png", "title": "A howling polar bear standing on a block of cheese.", "mime_type": "image/png" } ] }, { "id": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2025/348/n1/", "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2025/348/n1/", "date_published": "2025-12-14T21:19:44.259Z", "content_html": "<p>Getting close to completing the fourth and final section of Bradshaw’s Guide. As of today, you can now find <a href=\"https://bradshaws.guide/places\">descriptions for all 1338 towns and cities published in the 1866 edition</a>. Next up; adding the final set of routes and stations.</p>" }, { "id": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2025/347/p1/", "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2025/347/p1/", "date_published": "2025-12-13T13:54:57.243Z", "content_html": "<p><a href=\"https://www.spartan.com/en/deka/strong\">Completed it</a> mate.</p><figure><img src=\"https://paulrobertlloyd.com/media/2025/347/p1/1.jpg\" alt=\"Dark grey hexagonal finisher’s medal sat on a grey and red finisher’s t-shirt.\" class=\"u-photo\"></figure>", "attachments": [ { "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/media/2025/347/p1/1.jpg", "title": "Dark grey hexagonal finisher’s medal sat on a grey and red finisher’s t-shirt.", "mime_type": "image/jpeg" } ] }, { "id": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2025/341/n1/", "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2025/341/n1/", "date_published": "2025-12-07T14:31:16.680Z", "content_html": "<p>DUH-DUH-DUH-DUH, LANDO NORRIS! WORLD CHAMPION! 🏆</p>" }, { "id": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2025/337/n1/", "url": "https://paulrobertlloyd.com/2025/337/n1/", "date_published": "2025-12-03T22:33:26.417Z", "content_html": "<p>I have re-watched <cite>Die Hard</cite> and can confirm: it is a Christmas movie (no matter <a href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/dec/01/die-hard-not-christmas-movie-home-alone\">what the British public may think</a>).</p>" } ] }