The Personal Development

A diary. 19. Living in Cornwall and London-ish. 2015 = 30,234 miles so far

[thepersonaldevelopment]

Back home and bitching on a train

The time had run out, I was leaving Baldock again. I’ve only spent about 14 nights in the place, which I’m not upset about. It was good to be leaving it again, only if I had been just a few days over Christmas. 

My dad drove me down to Paddington which was nice. We listened to music and talked on the way, in this really thick sunshine. It reminded me of silly long drives we used to do to cycling events, though a bit different because we were both wearing suits.

Once at Paddington I hauled my stuff around until I found somewhere to sit. It turned out the only place was the bar at the Hilton, so I treated myself to one whole tap water (because come on, I don’t have that kind of money) whilst I waited the hour or so for my train. 

Once on board, it became very clear that the train was gonna be packed to the heavens. Fortunately, I managed to avoid having a neighbour all the way to Reading. The neighbour talked on the phone. The whole way there.

So instead I got down to some editing and emails and other boring things that I do when there really is no other option. It was good to finally get home just because I could find something new to do.

[thepersonaldevelopment]

A final day in Baldock and a final chance to see people.

So I spent the day flitting between bars, cafes and bookshops? It wasn’t the cheapest thing but it was very very lovely.

I met Mowgli for an interesting breakfast kinda thing at Cultivo, this cute cocktail bar in Letchworth. I know, a cocktail bar that does breakfast. My eyes have been opened.

Then back to Baldock to finish packing, then out to Hitchin for a drink and a catch up with Kelsey. A taxi ride home, a stop in a pub and then I finally made it back at about 3 in the morning. It was a good day and I drank too much and ate too much.

[thepersonaldevelopment]

An early start to the day, but I was going back to London. I sorely missed London whilst I was in Cornwall and I haven’t visited the city as much as I would have liked so far this academic year. So it was good to be able to go back.

The early start was caused by all sorts of confusing rail cancellations due to engineering work, but it did mean that I had the chance to walk around the city before it got busy. Which was bliss to be honest. I walked for miles, from Kings Cross down to Chancery Lane, across and along Southbank, back up through Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Soho and up to Oxford Circus.

Me and Kay met up on Oxford Street and spent the day shopping, catching up and then eating big burgers in Soho. It’s been ages since I’ve seen Kay and it was good. Once we were finished with shopping and had parted ways, I walked back to Kings Cross.  

[thepersonaldevelopment]

A short trip to visit Granny before settling down to plan the new year. A chilled day with nothing much to write about.

[thepersonaldevelopment]

No walking, just the long drive home.

There wasn’t deemed enough time to get a walk in on the last day, so we spent an age tidying up and repacking the car before heading back homeward.

[thepersonaldevelopment]

I wanted an epic mountain day. I got three hours on a low ridgeline.

Once my fellow walkers finally arose from their slumber, we were set to head up Mam Tor before following the ridgeline around either towards Kinder or back east and off the end into Hope valley. We ended up doing neither, spending just an hour on the ridge before returning to the barn. 

Once we sorted out wet gear we headed on a very long and circuitous route to Castleton and then Hathersage to wander around outdoor shops for a few hours. A pub lunch was followed by a drive back through Hope valley and over Mam Tor (the right way). A lot of miles for a day that only involved three hours of walking.

[thepersonaldevelopment]

What should have been a three hour drive ended up being a six hour wander around the north.

I was meant to be heading up to the Peak District for a few long walking days across the ridgelines. After leaving Bedford we visited a few outdoor shops in Sheffield before finally going into the Peaks proper. We picked up some fish and chips before bunking down in our barn in Edale, a cold but perfectly adequate home for the next few days.

[thepersonaldevelopment]

Jim is an old friend and we always do the same thing together.

We always walk up the biggest (but still tiny hill) around and take photos from the top. Every time I come home we do this and this Christmas was no exception. After walking up in the very biting cold, we proceeded to do the usual of messing around with cameras and the different lenses I had brought home. I love the guy and we always have a lot to say and a lot of shit jokes to share.

[thepersonaldevelopment]

After trying to sort my life after Christmas out, I went and shot a documentary.

It’s a supershort about a cyclist and old friend of mine. After interviewing her in her home we headed out onto the road, me crammed into the back of an open boot as she did sprints at 30mph. Good fun

[thepersonaldevelopment]

A lack of photos from today because I’m worn out.

A busy day of being hungover, going to Letchworth to see Hannah, going back to Baldock to pick up some gear, going to a church to record the organ, going home to skype Japan, then sitting out of my bedroom window because I couldn’t sleep. Nothing particularly remarkable, apart from how spooky a medieval church looks with barely any lights on.

[thepersonaldevelopment]

To the pub.

I don’t like being in my hometown. But sometimes there are people here who I really adore and they make it a whole lot more manageable. El and Tressa were in town, so we headed to the pub to catch up and get as drunk as our poor student bank balances would allow.

[thepersonaldevelopment]

Another day working at the Wellcome.

I headed back to the Wellcome Institute to get some work done and do a little bit more exploring whenever I got bored of the emails and editing. I looked through some of the 3000 million characters that make up one persons genome, I worked on a copy of Freuds couch and then, once I’d exhausted the day, I walked back to Bermondsey.

One stop on the way was for a dinner-based meeting at the top of the Oxo Tower. The view was particularly worth the meal, even if the meeting wasn’t quite what I wanted.

[thepersonaldevelopment]

At long last, I have seen yellowbluepink

I’ve only been waiting months to go see Ann Veronica Janssens yellowbluepink at the Wellcome Institute. I’ve been interested in states of consciousness since I started secondary school, so exploring both the smoke room as well as the supporting exhibition was so interesting.

Before I lost myself in a smokey room, I met up with Stuart and Chris, some colleagues from my Japanese adventures. We ate pizza at Soho Joes before wandering around Soho and talking about translating codecs through different systems, and loop programming when using different video editing interfaces. You know, Christmassy stuff.

It was great to see them both again, as well as see the exhibition. It was a good day

[thepersonaldevelopment]

A mad dash across the country, then twice across London, then a concert.

Never one to play my travel ahead of time, I ended up being part of a mad dash from Cornwall to London to try and get to Brixton in time to see Lianne La Havas. Long day. Once arriving in London I met Tory at Victoria and she helped me carry my luggage to Bermondsey where I was staying. After a five minute pause to catch breath, I was racing back across the city to get to Lianne La Havas. It’s been a long time since I first bought a ticket to see Lianne La Havas, but this is the first time I’ve actually made it to the show. 

And man was it worth it. The Academy looked great, her support acts were wonderful and her dress was insanely immaculate. What a musician. I love that feeling of being surrounded by thousands of people but all being silent to listen to someone sing. She was great.

[thepersonaldevelopment]

The last swim of the year had to be the bloody coldest too.

One final dip into the ocean before I headed off to London and it was so cold but also pretty good. It took me an age to get used to the cold and by then, I was too cold. Better wetsuit needed.

[thepersonaldevelopment]

Saying goodbye to Falmouth by going rollerskating and drinking.

As we all finally started parting ways, we decided to go rollerskating for some silly fun before heading to the pub. I used to rollerskate probably once a month but I thought I would have lost that skill. Turns out, me and Sally are actually pretty good and were constantly trying to tease the other to go faster. And it kinda worked, even though I’ve been told I have a proper weird concentrating face when I’m trying not to wipe out. Hopefully we’ll go do this a whole lot more in the new year, it was a laugh.

[thepersonaldevelopment]

When everyone goes home, Falmouth becomes a lot more chill.

With just a few of us left in the town, we spent the following days hanging out around each others houses, watching movies into the night and drinking just to be merry. I didn’t do a Thanksgiving post this year, but my friends in Falmouth would most definitely be top of the list.