Monthly Report, January 2026

At the end of the last report I speculated about whether the January report would be a London/Oxford one or Shetland one.   

A variety of factors (including the weather and NHS appointments) dictated that it turned out to be another Oxford-centric month.  Or perhaps more charitably, just an extended Christmas holiday - with the last day of January being the 37th Day of Christmas.

Reporting Days: 31

Location: Oxford (and London)

Distance Walked: 246 km

Distance Driven: 28 km (yes, really)

In Oxford

Mesopotamia Walk - blue skies and high water - sometimes at least

Attentive robin in the Oxford Botanic Garden (no big lens needed)

Early morning in Bury Knowle Park

Parson's Pleasure, water around the rollers 

Bury Knowle Park in the mist

A little spot of fresh snow in Bury Knowle Park

Aslan in the morning sunshine, Bury Knowle Park

In London

When I was working I hardly ever ventured into London (unless work required it).  Now when I'm in Oxford, I seem to find a reason to head 'into London' about once a week.  Sometimes it's for an exhibition or gallery, other times it's just to spend time in book shops and coffee shops.

The entrance to the travel section at Waterstones, Piccadilly

Mendini Exhibition at the Estorick Gallery

Destinations Travel Show at Olympia

And Next Month...

Well, it'll either be Oxford (with a bit of London thrown in) or the wild beaches of Shetland... which in just what I said last time round.

Monthly Report, December 2025

Back in Oxford for Christmas, with occasional forays into London

Reporting Days: 31

Location: Oxford (and London)

Distance Walked: 290 km

Distance Driven: 825 km

Around Oxford

In the absence of beaches and headlands, trees, parks, churches and markets. 

Bury Knowle Park, Oxford

St Andrew's Church, Old Headington

Covered Market, Oxford

Early sunshine on a frosty morning, Bury Knowle Park, Oxford

Visiting Stations

I've been reading a history of London's terminus stations, so I thought it might be fun to visit them all - essentially walking the Circle Line.  I started (and finished) at Victoria Station, and clocked up 13 stations, 27 km and 36500 steps.

London Victoria Station

Marylebone Station

St Pancras International

In search of Dragons

Having visited all the stations around the Circle Line, I looked for another day walk around London.  There are (if you look carefully) dragons guarding the boundaries of the City of London.  

My walk started and finished on Victoria Embankment and took in 14 dragons, 18 km and 23500 steps. 

Victoria Embankment, London

High Holborn, London

Moorgate, London

In search of Fish & Chips

How far am I prepared to walk for a plate of fish and chips? From the Med to the Atlantic - without leaving Oxford.   The third picture was in Posh Fish, my local fish and chip shop, just round the corner.

Mediterranean Fish Bar, Marston

Atlantic Fish Bar, Abingdon Road

Posh Fish, Headington

In search of maps

My third December day out in London was at the British Library - always an interesting place to visit, this time for an exhibition of maps that were at one time or another considered secret.

Newton - looking at a map?

Secret Maps

British Library Gateway

And Next Month...

Well, it'll either be Oxford (with a bit of London thrown in) or the wild beaches of Shetland...

2025 - A Year in Twelve Pictures

 So, that was 2025.  

A mix of Oxford, Italy, Austria and Shetland. 

But mostly Shetland.

West Voe Beach, Shetland, January 2025

Quendale Beach, Shetland, February 2025

Sumburgh Head, Shetland, March 2025

Boario Terme, Italy, April 2025

Puffins, Sumburgh Head, Shetland, May 2025

Puffins (and a guillemot), Sumburgh Head, Shetland, June 2025 

Razorbill, Sumburgh Head, Shetland, July 2025

The Foghorn, Sumburgh Head, Shetland, August 2025

C S Lewis Reserve, Oxford, September 2025

Achensee, Pertisau, Austria, October 2025

Quendale Beach, Shetland, November 2025

Bury Knowle Park, Oxford, December 2025

Monthly Report, November 2025

A half-and-half month - half based in Oxford, half based in Shetland.

Reporting Days: 30

Location: Oxford and Shetland

Distance Walked: 210 km

Distance Driven: 1600 km

No trains this month!

Oxford Trees

The first half of November is definitely still autumn (at least in Oxfordshire), the parks of Oxford were still glowing.  And the photographs are mostly arboreal.

Bury Knowle Park, Oxford

Oxford Canal

Bury Knowle Park, Oxford

John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford

Shetland Seas

There aren't very many (big) trees around the south end of Shetland - but there is a lot of water, mostly sea water but a few fresh water lochs too.  It's often asserted that nowhere on Shetland is more than three miles from the sea, at the south end you're pretty much always within sight of the sea.  My daily routine involves a walk on Quendale Beach (although the length of the walk might vary depending on the strength and direction of the wind), usually followed by a visit to Scat Ness or Sumburgh Head.  This month there were a lot of days where northerly winds prevailed, this often meant some lovely clear air but some pretty bracing air temperatures - and occasionally some wintery showers.  The sight (and crunch) of snow on the beach never loses its novelty value!

Late November also brings both low sun and very short days (the payback for the Simmer Dim in June) -  dawn and dusk may be close together, but the 'golden hour' often fills most of the time between.

Scat Ness, Shetland

Fresh snow on Quendale Beach

Low tide (and sunshine) on Quendale Beach

Setting Sun - Lady's Holm & Fair Isle

Loch of Gards, Scat Ness

Loch of Gards & Fitful Head

There is something tidy about finishing the month watching the sun set over Quendale Bay, and then heading into Lerwick to get the Northlink south towards Aberdeen.

Calm Quendale Bay Sunset

Cabin 205 on the MV Hrossey 

Next month? 

Back down South