Welcome.

Introduction That yearning for the outdoors just wouldn’t leave me last week, so I dived at an opportunity and booked a short-notice day off work on Friday; with sunny skies and high pressure forecast, it was the perfect opportunity to get some miles in. In 2022 I hiked along The Pennine Way (2022) from Edale to Hebden Bridge in three days; being the first days carrying the weight, I remember it being an absolute schlep! With just a few days, that walk fit the bill perfectly with its easy-access to trains. ...

Introduction Well 2025 is off to an excellent start! I kicked off the new year with a sunrise walk up Snowdon via the Pyg Track, after a cozy night at the Pen y Pass hostel. The Plan I’d planned for the first day of the year, however, the weather wasn’t on my side so the second was a safer option. The Execution Thankfully, the forecasts were accurate and it was a beautiful day for it; crisp, clear and chilly enough to make every breath feel fresh. ...

What better way to send off 2024, than to trudge through a muddy, foggy Surrey bagging three hills in under 12 hours with my sister. It was a challenging one, clocking in a 36km and taking just over 9 hours to complete; I believe we paced ourselves well though. It wasn’t exactly a sunny stroll through the park, with zero visibility thanks to persistent fog; it was cold, muddy and slippery underfoot. ...

Acknowledgement Those that knew me earliest in my career would call me a liar, to them I say I’m sorry, and eternally grateful for reviewing my mega-patches; it’s a testament to your thorough reviews that we didn’t break anything too severe! ...

We’re often faced with - what feel like - insurmountable problems; complexity can be daunting, leaving us paralysed by the irrational need to have a perfect solution before even writing any code. Over the years, I’ve gravitated to creating patches in a style that I term “progressive coding” where I iterate on small - atomic - pieces of functionality, with the understanding that solutions rarely emerge fully formed. I don’t believe it’s about being lazy, or settling for something that “works”1 it’s about recognising that programming - like life - is iterative. By breaking down large problems into small, manageable, chunks we progress forward at a consistent rate. ...

Being a leader isn’t about wielding power or demanding obedience; it’s about guiding, inspiring, and empowering others. It’s a journey of shared understanding and collective progress. A leader communicates their intentions with clarity, ensuring everyone is on the same page; they don’t revel in being the only one who understands, instead, they strive to make complex ideas accessible to all. They should embrace being led as much as leading, seeking mentorship, sharing knowledge, and fostering a culture of continuous learning while avoiding belittling other peoples ideas. ...

Not to be constantly correcting people, and in particular not to jump on them whenever they make an error of usage or a grammatical mistake or mispronounce something, but just answer their question or add another example, or debate the issue itself (not their phrasing), or make some other contribution to the discussion and insert the right expression, unobtrusively. - Marcus Aurelius As someone who can be a bit of an opinionated know-it-all, there’s a time and a place to be right; often, you’ll find it doesn’t matter and only detracts from your interactions with those around you. ...

We often find ourselves in situations where it feels easier, faster, or even safer to just do things ourselves. We understand the code, are familiar with the tools, and sometimes “it’s just quicker if I do it.” This, in particular: his willingness to yield the floor to experts-in oratory, law, psychology, whatever and to support them energetically, so that each of them could fulfill his potential. - Marcus Aurelius ...

This, in particular: his willingness to yield the floor to experts-in oratory, law, psychology, whatever and to support them energetically, so that each of them could fulfill his potential. – Marcus Aurelius As a tangental interpretation to The Power of Letting Go, from the perspective of an individual contributor, there’s times when you must let go; occasions where you’re not the domain expert. Know your limits, and defer to those around you. ...

We’ve all been in that situation where you first feel like you’ve been wronged; it can feel personal, like a betrayal of trust. Anger flares, resentment builds and for a time, the desire for revenge might tempt you1. And to behave in a conciliatory way when people who have angered or annoyed us want to make up. - Marcus Aurelius This quote, while simple, offers profound wisdom; holding onto grudges is like carrying around a heavy stone that weighs you down and prevents you from moving forward. Instead of succumbing to the negativity, you should step back and analyse objectively. ...