Today I managed to earn this award on my Apple Watch - 1,000 move goals. I don’t quite know how that’s possible, especially since a burst of energy a month or two ago sent my move goal sky high. But I’ve got a good relationship with the goals on my watch now - not over-taxing myself to try and reach them and then burning out, but using them as motivation to keep going when you just need that little extra push to get an award.

I really liked this album. I didn’t know I was a Sheryl fan but I knew more of the songs than I thought I did. It’s quite hard to pin down the genre, it’s definitely country but it feels like a cross-over, like Shania but far less poppy. It’s more like country-rock, but even then that doesn’t quite fit. I don’t know but whatever it is, I liked it and it’ll be one I can listen to over and again.

Lovely Pink returns with another album, not all that long after the last one. Her sound is getting more mature each time, and you can tell that Pink is figuring out how to deal with the world as it is - and hoping to help us do the same. There are some great songs and some good ones, but if I’m honest, the album does peter out a little towards the end. The last couple of songs are just a bit too warbly for my tastes. But overall, another great album.

I pretty much knew I was going to love this movie from the outset. Bumblebee is everyone’s favourite Transformer, and I heart Hailee, so it was a good match. And the film was pretty much what I thought it would be - emotional scenes, an epic amount of cuteness, but tinged with those big robot fight sequences.

I’m currently listening to the audiobook Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez. It’s focus is on the gender data gap - the ways in which the world is often unthinkingly designed for men and how that affects women in real and unexpected ways. I’m finding it hard going, not because of the book itself - it’s well written, researched and read - but because the unintended and far-reaching consequences of a simple lack of thinking weigh heavy on me. I’m having to listen in short bursts and then stop to do something else.

Okay, Game of Thrones fans, look away now because I know you’re just enjoying some of the best episodes ever (apparently), but I am still miles behind you. Yes, that’s me, one of those people that gets caught up on the hype train at the very last minute and then has to watch seven seasons in about six weeks. I’m doing pretty well actually.

It’s been a long time since I made any significant changes to my blog and the system it runs on, and now, seemingly overnight, everything has completely changed. This isn’t the work of a moment though. This is something I’ve been thinking about for at least three years. The problem I’ve used Wordpress for many, many moons now and whilst I’ve always thought it was functional in a way that would work for most people, it never quite fit my purposes. I have a variety of different content that all needs something slightly different - from a grid layout for music and books, to the note-taking style of a Film Watch review, as well as the more standard blogging template.

After watching the Bohemian Rhapsody movie, it was only a matter of time before I delved into the Queen archive again. This was a great album, with a handful of famous songs interspersed with more greatness. I liked it better than Night at the Opera, but only because the songs had a similar feel to them throughout, rather than a mish-mash of genres. Could be a new favourite.

I really liked this album! I picked it on the strength of the one song, Love Has All Been Done Before, because it had a nice unusual feel to it. The rest of the album was more of the same. A sort of old school pop-rock with Jade’s intense and sometimes even rasping voice. It’s just good fun.

Recently, I was given a handful of Cornish beers, the spoils of a trip to the South West coast, and one of them was Doom Bar. I know you can buy this in plenty of places around the country, but still, it’s always a little bit more special when something comes to you from where it’s actually made, isn’t it? I’m not a big beer drinker really, but I wanted to try the Doom Bar because… well, because Strike drinks it. Is that weird? JK Rowling’s (or Robert Galbraith’s) grumpy detective can often be found supping the amber nectar and I wanted to see if it was worth the fuss.

The most recent episode of Robert Llewellyn’s Fully Charged YouTube series focused on the fun and future-proof idea of solar-powered trains. Electricity-powered trains are front and centre at the moment, with the ongoing works to upgrade the length of the Great Western Railway line, but this episode talks of a short track that goes just a little bit further. Based in Australia, where there is a little bit more sunshine than we have in the UK, the Byron Bay Railroad Company refurbished an old train, refitting it with batteries and solar panels and allowing the machine not only to power itself with renewable energy but also to give power back to the grid.

This was a bit of an odd John Grisham read, because although it had the fundamental law and courtdroom drama that you would expect, the main protagonist really didn’t seem to be that engaged. Rudy Baylor, fresh out of law school, waiting to pass the bar, isn’t even sure he wants to be a lawyer.

I always start these anniversary posts with the warning that “I don’t usually like to celebrate such things but here I am going to anyway.” I have realised, though, that it’s something to do with the ten year anniversary of things. That’s the one I like because it’s a nice round number and because it seems like a long time. Ten years is the one that Film Watch is celebrating. Today.

The little gem of a show that is Travel Man returned last week, and it debuted a new four-episode run with the wonderful guest star Dawn French. In case the show has passed you by, it features Richard Ayoade taking a celebrity guest on a whirlwind 48 hour trip to various holiday destinations. Previous episodes have featured Aisling Bea in Budapest, Jon Hamm in Hong Kong, and Paul Rudd in Helsinki.

Beats 1, Apple’s live streaming radio service, has a lot of great content. It can be hard to keep on top of it, and I’ll admit it does lean towards the cooler end of the music spectrum than I would place my own listening habits. However, what they do well is getting a variety of guest presenters in to host a show and therefore airing lots of different tastes and views.

Oh hi there! Welcome to my website, my digital scrapbook, my little slice of the big internet pie. Here I share what is going on in my world, which is mostly keeping track of things I have watched, listened to, read or photographed. From book reviews to gadget wish lists, favourite apps, notable videos and thoughts on life as we know it, I’ll write about whatever has caught my attention at any particular moment.

I was worried about this one, because what I know of Bob Dylan is the gravelly voice and a slight tendency to overuse the harmonica. These are two things that meant I wasn’t sure I’d get to the end of the album but actually, it wasn’t as bad as I thought. I don’t think it’s really my kind of music and I wouldn’t seek it out, but it has its own merits and I can understand why people are big fans.

I’ve a fondness for The Maine after using some of their music in our live podcasting days of many years ago. Turns out they also make real albums too, and this was a very good one! A nice body of pop work that makes for some easy listening. I don’t know if it particularly stood out from the crowd but I’d certainly tune in again.

Just a celebratory post to have reached 100% completion on the main Spider-Man game. I think this is the only game that isn’t Tomb Raider that I’ve played to completion. And yet somehow there is still more to do with three DLC expansions to get 100% on. It’s not like Marvel to have more content than it’s possible to keep up with!

Rami Malek is incredible in this, embracing the spirit and the passion and the teeth of Freddie Mercury with style, grace, and a touching humanity. The actor playing Brian May was also really good, I thought. The scenes were well made with incredible attention to detail, particularly in the remakes of Top of the Pops and of course, Live Aid. It told whatever story it was trying to tell well, and swept you along to the end, by which time I was in floods of tears.

Interesting one, this. It’s a good film, interesting plot and all squeezed in to a relatively short running time. I do feel a bit uncomfortable that it has the “white saviour” issue, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be, in that respect. For the most part, the kids just needed a bit of a push and they did the rest themselves. That headmaster though, rage!

If you pay any attention to TV and culture on the internet, you’ll likely have heard people raving about Fleabag. I’m sorry to say that I’m just going to add to the adoration here, because it really was that good. I have to admit, though, that I only caught on to the Fleabag bug recently, and revelled in the joy of binge-watching it. I actually have to go one step further and admit that I probably wouldn’t have watched it at all if it wasn’t for Andrew Scott being in the second series. Thank goodness I did.

I was surprised to read that the Foo Fighters fell out of love with this album because this is quintessential Foos to me. All My Life and Times Like These are fab tunes and propel the album on to more of the same. I enjoyed it, even if the band didn’t!

I was kinda disappointed in this album. Seeing Sara on the recent Carpool Karaoke had me keen to check it out, the Armor song sounded amazing in the car. But it sort of didn’t translate for me. The songs were okay, but as a whole there didn’t feel like a lot of oomph to the album. Where’s the inspirational Brave-style anthem?

There’s always a big push these days to get people up and active and try and stem the sedentary lifestyles we have grown so used to. Given the many initiatives that are out there, I was wondering whether it wouldn’t be useful to have a celebrity or two making online videos that help try and show people how a) accessible and b) fun training and working out can be. It doesn’t have to be a chore.

I was really nervous about watching this one, given the hype and how extremely loved it is by most who have watched it. Spider-Man has always been a bit sort of love/hate, really, but the recent game has warmed me to Peter Parker’s universe enormously. I was glad we had played the game before this, to know who Miles and Fisk were, but even with that, I imagine there’s a lot we missed. I suspect this was aimed at the comic book fans more than those who have enjoyed the movies.

Just like the Billie Eilish album I listened to this week, I don’t think this is one that I would reach for on the every day. I was worried, too, because I’m not a huge fan of talky talky bits in albums. But this, this really worked. I guess because it’s designed to be music behind carefully selected snippets, rather than people trying to be funny. It was good – fab music with moving anecdotes, so that the actual singers sounded out of place. Again, not sure when I’d seek this out, but really glad I heard it.

The hype for this album has been unreal but I was very nervous about listening to it. My feelings afterwards are mixed and complicated. I thought it was a really good album, maybe not quite so good as the hype, but up there as a great debut. However, it’s a very specific mood, and one that I can’t really put my finger on. When am I going to be in the mood to select this album for a listen? I’m just not sure.

This is just like what happened with Fast & Furious 7. I didn’t think I was going to like the series, but gradually, as you work through each film, you get more and more invested in all of it and then they kill you off with an emotional sequel that knocks you for six.

The most important thing about this film is that they didn’t ruin the Rocky legacy. It’s insane that there is a such a huge gap between the stories, that we’re introducing a whole new generation of fighters but it still worked perfectly. The nostalgia level was huge but they also managed to keep the story moving forward.

It’s always been a surprise to people that, despite being someone who avidly followed Formula One for a good ten years, I really don’t care much for cars. Recently someone asked me what car I drive, the vehicle I have sat in pretty much every day for two years, and it took me about twenty minutes to remember. I’ve always loved the freedom and independence being a driver gives you, but in terms of the mechanics, I couldn’t be less interested.

It doesn’t matter what you think of Apple or their offerings this week from the latest announcement event. This video, that kicked off the reveal of their TV+ programming, is special. Simple and pure, somehow moving and momentous, really digging into the wonder that is creativity. I could watch it over and over, I really could.

Somehow it has been more than three years I’ve been doing this album adventure and I haven’t yet listened to Elton, old or new. This being the first, it has some of the big classics on there, but I have to admit, it being a double album was a little bit long. It’s good, obviously, it’s Elton and his talent is unquestionable, but it did just feel like a lot to get through each time.

This album is a complete surprise. Firstly, I didn’t even know it had been released last year, it totally passed me by. Luckily the deluxe version was promoted and so I was keen to have a listen. It was really good! Nothing superbly outstanding but just a full album of great Gabrielle tunes. She has a wonderful voice and it’s all just very listenable.

I love Emma Roberts and was interested to see Hayden in a role that wasn’t Sith-based, so although this is a low-profile and not-well-reviewed rom-com, I was keen. It was good, entertaining enough, but it did have some issues. I wasn’t totally convinced by the chemistry between the two leads – much preferred the relationship between the grandma and grandpa.

A while back I stumbled across the YouTube channel of Call Me Kevin, a gamer who posts ten minute videos of how brilliant he is at doing badly. The commentary makes it all, of course, hilarious thoughts as he manages to create sprawling Sims houses with grumpy adults bumping into each other, or horrifying zoos with enclosures stuffed to the brim with hippos and the occasional keeper trying to keep a lid on the madness.

I’m retiring my Life List for a few reasons but mostly because it’s been around for ten years and I’ve not achieved very much of it. The reasons behind having a list are still good, I do think it’s useful to have a bit of inspiration for achievable goals, if you need it. But I’ve found, probably since I started the list, that it’s not inspiration I’m lacking, it’s time. No list can help with that. I’m still planning to do some of the things that were on there, but don’t really need that page judging me for not having done anything in a while.

I’ve realised, now, that I’m not really a Pet Shop Boys fan. Obviously, I like some of the singles, and who doesn’t want a bit of West End Girls in their life? But if I’m honest, I found the rest of the album a bit of a chore. I wasn’t that keen on listening to it the second time round, but got through it. Not a favourite, unfortunately.

What a fab album this is. Great country songs, with less of the pop influence of some of my other favourite country artists but still a great feeling to the whole thing. There are some really good individual songs on here, but also as a body of work it flows well and has a great relistenability (not a word) to it.

Learning Swift programming isn’t easy, but I must admit the language has stuck with me far more than any other attempts I’ve made to learn programming languages in the past. I credit much of that to the 100 Days Of Swift schedule that I mentioned last time – a brilliantly structured path that gives you code snippets to learn, example apps, and challenges to keep practicing. With that in mind, here are five things I’ve uncovered so far in my journey.

I was ready to watch this film the moment I saw Rebel and Adam were in it, they are so good together. I was, perhaps, slightly nervous because, apart from Big, the concept of out-of-body alternative universe movies doesn’t really appeal to me (the Freaky Fridays and 13 Going On 30s of this world). Maybe I’ve judged them too harshly, or maybe this was a particularly good one, but I really enjoyed it.

A classic 90s album, this, and one that I’ve not listened to in its entirety before despite the tunes on it. My conclusion at the end of my second listen is that I really like the music, the ska/reggae feel to it. I’m not such a big fan of Gwen Stefani’s vocals. She’s a really great singer but some of the choices along the way aren’t my favourite.

Great album, this one. I’ve been looking forward to it since Sigrid’s first single, because I love the quirky, unique and upbeat pop from the Norwegian. The album didn’t disappoint, packed with lots of great tunes. There was just one that I wasn’t a fan of and it slightly mars my enjoyment of the latter half of the album… but still a great one.

I’m sure I’m not alone in picking this book up after enjoying the Netflix adaptation, and I’m also sure I’m not alone in being surprised how different the story was to the visual feast. It’s a completely different set up, not a family at all but a disparate set of people drawn together in curiosity about the supposed hauntings of said Hill House.

I love Rob Thomas’ single Lonely No More and his feature on Smooth, but apart from that I don’t know too much about him. I’ve listened to a Matchbox Twenty album as part of this adventure but this time it was Rob’s solo work under the spotlight. I loved it! Good songs, great voice, definitely adding to the library.

I wouldn’t normally have picked this album but Julie Adenuga was playing A Million Times over and over, sometimes back to back, and I grew to really like it. So I thought the rest of the album would be worth a look, and it was good. Not exceptional, but a good hip-hop album that does the job if that’s what you’re looking for. That song is a standout though.

I recently finished watching Russian Doll on Netflix, the show created by Natasha Lyonne and Amy Poehler, featuring the former as Nadia who relives the same night over and over. It’s Groundhog Day-style drama and although it was a bit of a rollercoaster to get there, by the end, I really loved it. Here are a few thoughts: The good thing about reliving the same time period over and over is that makes it essentially time travel and we all know that’s my favourite genre. The first episode was interesting, but I thought it dipped for the next two until Alan turned up. Once there were two of them, and they were workshopping their way towards a solution, it really picked up steam. I like that it’s not about the science at all. Although initially, Nadia wants to know how, why and what’s happening, gradually it becomes more about the humans and the relationships, what they’ve done and how they’ve got there. Sometimes it’s nice just to have thirty minute episodes of something, so you can whip through it as quick as you like. Natasha Lyonne is really, really brilliant. We all know it and have known it for a long time – she’s the best thing in American Pie, she outshone the entire ensemble cast of Orange is the New Black, so of course. But even so, I could listen to her just say cockroach every day for the rest of my life. That song. How much effort must go into picking just the right song that will be repeated over and over and stick in the viewer’s mind until they can’t remember a time before they heard it? Gotta get up, gotta get out, etc, etc. Also, omg, Paulie from Rocky showed up and all my worlds collided. Definitely give this one a watch if you have Netflix.

I listened to the audiobook of this, read by Hannah Fry herself, and I’m glad I chose to do it this way because I feel like it needed the calm explanatory voice of Dr Fry, with her enviable ability to get across quite complex things in a simple and efficient manner. The crux of the book is exploring how the many algorithms that affect our daily lives are flawed and what we might need to consider going about our day to day business as we use them.

This is Dolly’s first album, a collection of hard-core country songs in the old school style: short, snappy, thirty minute album but already showing Dolly’s take-no-nonsense rule-the-world attitude. I liked it, maybe not as much as some of Dolly’s later stuff but it’s a good start to the journey.

I wasn’t expecting much from this, if I’m honest, Avril’s first album was so good and I’ve not really been too bothered about anything since. But actually, it was quite good. I don’t know if it was groundbreaking pop but Avril’s clearly moving on to slightly more grown up pop and taking a direction that had a few memorable songs, and a few less interesting. Worth a listen and may be a grower.