July retrospective video

31 July

Today I cycled to Reading via Radley, Abingdon, Culham, Cilfton Hampdon, The Wittenhams, Brightwell-cum-Sotwell, Wallingford, Ipsden and Stoke Row.  I really enjoyed it - even the hills.  35 miles in just over 2.5 hours.  I took this photo from the Wittenham Clumps at 14.04.  In the evening I met up with Nicola, saw her house and her excellent next-door pub.  We then went to Sonning to meet up with Chris and friends, who are doing a five men in a boat skiffing adventure down the Thames.  Lovely evening, with good food at The Bull.

30 July

TOTAL DISASTER!  This was the 211th day of the year, and for the first time I forgot to take a photo.  I woke up in the night, just after 1am, and realised what I'd done.  So I got up, and recorded what my evening had been in the form of this excellent wine and excellent film.  So this photo was taken at 1.15am on July 31.  Sad.

29 July

John and I went to Atomic for dinner, where they have cool salt shakers and ketchup thingies.  Photo at 18.52.

28 July

Today I attended an excellent search engine optimization course given by Emarketeers at a venue in St Pancras.  Afterwards, I had a quick look round the Magnificent Maps exhibition at the British Library, which I'd recommend, before meeting Mark and Lydia to check out some possible birthday party venues (the date for your diary is November 6).  Finally, Lydia and I went for a glass of wine at Gyngleboy near Paddington, where our waiter took this photo of us at 21.55.

27 July

Leen and I went to Everest for dinner.  I did also get an amusing photo of Leen wearing a serviette as a hat, but she didn't want me to use it, so I took this after we left, at 21.40.

26 July

Goose!  On the Thames!  On my scenic route home at 18.36.

25 July

Here are Teenage Fanclub closing the Truck festival at 20.55.  There will be more photos from the weekend on Facebook soon.

24 July

It's the 13th Truck Festival this weekend.  Here are Mew headlining the main stage at 23.14.

23 July

The quality's bad because I forgot to take a camera with me tonight, so it's an iPhone shot in a darkish pub.  Still, it captures the Jenga tower that we were quite proud of in the Rusty Bicycle this evening.  Taken at 22.27.

22 July

Jo came to Oxford for a party planning session this evening, which was good fun.  Here we are having pizza at 20.59.

21 July

Actually had a more eventful evening than a photo of work as I was leaving at 6.20 would suggest: saw Le Concert at the Phoenix, then joined some friends in Bottega.  We got a photo in there, but it's too out of focus to use, sadly.

20 July

Went round to Leen's for dinner tonight, and to rewatch Juno, which is a brilliant film.  Got this photo in the garden at 21.01.

19 July

It's a Whiskey day today.  Here she is, at 20.51 this evening, a little bemused by the camera in her face.

18 July

Coco for breakfast today, at (ahem) 12.59.  Something of a recovery day, to be honest.

17 July

Great day today.  Becky and Simon cycled up from London, and I got the train to Maidenhead to join them for the stretch from Marlow.  A lovely (if hilly) ride.  Then Clare came up, and we had dinner and wine at Fratelli's before going dancing in the Zodiac.

16 July

Here's Broad Street.  After taking this photo at 19.52, I went to see Inception at the cinema, which I highly recommend.

15 July

Magdalen Arms with John and Leen tonight.  John took this at 21.47.

14 July

Awful, boring photo.  Sorry.  But it is pretty much all I did today: a public lecture at the Saïd Business School given by Nassim Taleb.  I couldn't follow all of it, but enjoyed the parts I understood!  Taken at 18.20.

13 July

Got a puncture on the way home from work, so here I am fixing it in front of my house at 19.55.

12 July

This morning, something strange happened: droplets of water were in the air, and the ground looked wet.  Happily, by lunchtime it was sunny and warm again.  I cycle past this dude twice a day on my way to and from work.  I think he looks a bit like he's just realised his head is about to explode.  Photo taken on my way home, at 18.15.

11 July

Another hot and sunny day, so Nick and Anni did a very tasty barbecue at their house.  Photo at 15.01.  Later I joined Jo and Mark in Reading to watch the world cup final and plan a big birthday party.

10 July

A really nice day.  Joined some of Leen's friends for a picnic lunch in Soho Square, then nipped out to Barnes to go to the Fair and see mum, dad, Lydia and Jacqui.  Quick hello with Andrew and co, and then in to London again to meet up for dinner at Tito's before heading to the Globe for a fabulous production of Henry IV Part 1.  Photo during the pre-show silliness, at 19.30.

9 July

Tonight Leen and I saw the New London Singers, including Anni, sing Rossini's Petite Messe Solonelle.  It was an excellent concert at St Martin in the Fields.  I got told off for taking this photo at 20.06 - didn't know it wasn't allowed.

8 July

Not much to report today.  Met up with some former colleagues and nice new people after work, and then took this photo on my way home at 20.15.  Good tree.  Could be by a beach in southern France, really, but actually it's on Cowley Road.

7 July

I was in London today, learning about information architecture and usability on an Emarketeers training course.  It was useful and quite fun.  Afterwards I wandered through London a bit, taking this photo of Nelson at 17.43, before going to Andrew and Caroline's to watch Spain beat Germany with Andrew and Billy.

6 July

I hadn't seen Jo for a while, so it was nice that she came in to work for lunch today.  Photo at 13.48 in the OUP main quad.

5 July

Leen did a barbecue at her house this evening, which makes three days of barbecues in a row for me.  Good job I like barbecues, and good job I went to the gym first!  Leen took this photo at 19.47.

4 July

Zoë and Martin came to visit today, to enjoy the Cowley Road Carnival.  I love Carnival, and it was good to have it back on the Cowley Road again.  It was in South Parks too, though, and that's where we are for this photo, taken by John at 15.26.  Another busy day, as I went on to Evan's 4th of July barbecue (with real Americans guaranteed).

3 July

I accidentally had my camera on a manual white balance setting for this photo, but I like it anyway.  We had a lovely punting trip in the sunshine, and stopped off at the Victoria which was of course very busy.  Here we are setting off again, at 15.10.  Busy day today: also saw an excellent Belgian girls' choir which Leen's mum helps to run give a concert, and went to Helen's birthday barbecue and night out.

2 July

Esther and I went for a drink after work, so here we are sat in the window of Raoul's.  Thanks to Andy Younger, who happened to be walking past when I asked him to take the photo, at 19.02.

1 July

Went to Catweazle tonight.  As usual, a variety of standards of performances of music, poetry and storytelling. This guy, Martín Páez de la Torre, was a highlight, so I recommend checking him out.  Taken at 21.05.  More photos from tonight on Facebook.