28 August 2026
Chillies!
All of this hot weather we've had of late has played havoc in the garden. Over the years I've added enough water butts to capture around 1,300 litres of rainwater. I was beginning to think this was overkill, but this year it turns out I've got about 50 litres left!
On the upside, my chilli plants have gone mad. This year I've grown Apache, Quickfire and Hungarian Hot Wax chillies:
- Apache — ~80,000 SHU
- Quickfire — ~30,000–50,000 SHU
- Hungarian Hot Wax — ~5,000–15,000 SHU
As I had a lot of veg starting to turn I thought I'd make a soup with a bit of a kick-- recipe below:
Newlands Quickfire Tomato & Pepper Soup
A simple tomato and pepper soup. One whole Quickfire chilli, seeds and all:
Ingredients
- 1 whole ripe Quickfire chilli, stalk removed (or chilli of your choice)
- 1 whole red or yellow sweet pepper
- ½ medium onion
- 1 medium carrot
- 2 garlic cloves
- 250g tinned tomatoes
- 2–3 sun-dried tomatoes(Lidl/Aldi - in a jar)
- 100 ml coconut milk
- ½ veg stock cube
- ¼–½ tsp paprika
- Black pepper
- About 200 ml water
A note on the heat: One whole Quickfire was about right for me, but proved too hot for the good lady wife! If you're unsure, use half a chilli to start with, remove the seeds, or substitute a milder variety.
Method
Roughly chop everything and put it into the soup maker. Add the water last, using only enough liquid to bring everything up to the maker's MAX line.
Run the Smooth Soup programme and serve & enjoy!
📍 Posted from the kitchen
15 August 2026
Jobs!
It's taken much longer than anticipated but I've finally finished that ruddy decking in the garden.
Being south-facing (a total sun trap) there have been some days where I have not worked on it - my ginger pigmentation doesn't stand up well to that sort of heat (despite the SPF50). Anyway...
I learned a lot building that decking. Check out the workshop page - maybe something useful in there if you are thinking of building your own.
📍 Posted from the kitchen table
29 July 2026
And the Heat Goes On!
It reached 33°C today, and for some reason I decided it was the perfect weather for mixing cement and laying footings for a dwarf wall in the garden.
I also lifted and cut up the old 4 m × 4 m deck into bite-sized pieces so it would all fit in the boot, ready for a trip to the tip.
Thinking about today's effort, it was my Dad who taught me how to mix sand and cement for basic brick and block work. It is a skill that has probably saved me hundreds of pounds over the years. I will have to thank the old bugger the next time I see him.
📍 Posted from the workshop
20 July 2026
Results!
This term I studied two modules: Object-Oriented Programming (Java) and UX & Interaction Design. Both finished with a three-hour timed exam.
I knew the Java exam was always going to be the bigger challenge, and it certainly was. Fortunately, my UX coursework marks over the year — 77%, 97%, 89% and 99% — gave me a healthy cushion if the exam turned into a disaster.
As it happened, both exams were much tougher than I expected. I did not manage to finish every question on either paper, but I did enough to secure solid passes in both modules.
For some reason, I was absolutely racked with anxiety while waiting for the results. The thought of having to resit both exams in September, just as my final two modules were starting, played on my mind far more than it probably should have.
Unfortunately, the Open University also suffered technical problems on results day. Ironically, they were exactly the sort of issues we had covered in the Systems Planning module.
As I understand it, the results portal still relies on legacy on-premises infrastructure rather than cloud-based auto-scaling. Whatever the exact cause, it clearly could not cope with the surge in demand, leaving many students, myself included, locked out by 502 and 504 Gateway Error messages for hours.
One positive to come out of the experience was a much better appreciation of what students at school must feel while waiting for exam results. Even knowing I had probably done enough to scrape through on both papers, the uncertainty was exhausting.
...really need to start planning my capstone project.
📍 Posted from the kitchen table
17 July 2026
Hols
My “holiday” begins...
The decking in the garden needs replacing, the gas meter box needs fixing, loads of coping stones on the garden wall need sticking back down, and the vanity unit and leaky throne need sorting out.
I may farm that last one out!
Oh, and sea swim number five at 15:00 — all well and good.
This link is ruddy useful: Essex & Suffolk Rivers Trust sewage map data .
📍 Posted from the kitchen table
04 July 2026
Third Swim!
Third sea swim of the season done! Quite nice — the water temperature was 17°C, but it was choppy.
I did about an hour and had a brush with a moon jelly.
A few more weeks and I will get the kayak out!
📍 Posted from the coast
02 July 2026
A gift for the daughter!
My daughter has started buying jewellery. As Dad, I thought it only right and proper to make her first jewellery box.
Anyway, I finally got around to finishing it seven months after starting it.
The girl has long since ditched the ear piercings — I thought she would :^) — but necklaces and bracelets remain, so the box will still have a use.
Check out the Workshop section if you want to see it.
📍 Posted from the Man Shed
29 June 2026
Potatoes!
Pulled up the first potato plant and got ten good 'uns! They were a uniform size and eaten in two sittings.
Yanking up potato plants always reminds me of the Smith's Crisps advert from the 1980s.
Go on, take a trip down memory lane!
📍 Posted from the end o' the garden
25 June 2026
Heat
01:45. Too hot to sleep.
Today is forecast to reach 27°C, with 37°C expected on Friday. Apparently, a “tropical night” is one where the temperature remains at or above 20°C overnight.
Could do with a bit of global cooling!
📍 Posted from the kitchen table
24 June 2026
Solar-Powered Websites
Discovered Low-tech Magazine today. Fascinating idea.
Beyond being full of interesting articles about older technology, the website is served from a solar-powered server.
I already have a Raspberry Pi... I wonder...
📍 Posted from the kitchen table
22 June 2026
Feed the Birds
I have been following the RSPB's advice on summer feeding for a while now: more here.
Essentially, the advice is to pause feeding seeds and peanuts between 1 May and 31 October to help prevent the spread of diseases such as trichomonosis. I am just providing fat balls and fresh water.
The garden seems busier than ever. I wonder whether many people have stopped feeding altogether during the summer.
Robins, blackbirds, sparrows, blue tits, woodpigeons and, recently, magpies have all been visiting.
The blue tits and sparrows have now vacated the boxes with their fledglings. Good stuff.
📍 Posted from my garden
10 June 2026
Battle of the Bulge!
Just finished refining my homemade fat-shaming tracker and body-fat calculator.
Any excuse not to do any actual exercise — but I do get to play around with skinfold calipers!
📍 Posted from the kitchen table
31 May 2026
The End of the Six-Year Slog Is in Sight!
October 2026 will mark the start of my final two university modules.
Technically, it is a milestone, but it feels more like a millstone.
Better start planning my capstone project...
📍 Posted from the kitchen table
27 May 2026
Great-Uncle
Almost two years after completing an MOD Freedom of Information request, I have finally learned more about my great-uncle.
He was Grandad's brother on Mum's side and died while serving in India.
Fascinating stuff.
📍 Posted from the kitchen table
12 April 2026
Barcode System Rebuild
Started thinking properly about improving the workshop barcode machine-safety audit system I implemented a few years ago.
I think it needs to be made into an app.
📍 Posted from the workshop