anthony galvin
Going back to running.
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As a teenager I did a bit of running, school cross country and the odd local road race. But running wasn’t really a stand alone activity. It was part of other sports that I enjoyed. As an adult I’d run a 10k and 5k in the early 2000s. Without any real training or routine.
Fast forward to 2025. Post pandemic. Mostly remote working. Rural living and a winter sat by the fire or working at the kitchen table. 20 years on from my last organised running event it dawned on me that I had become sedentary. Dog walks aside I hardly moved from my desk some days.
In the past this would have meant a burst of cycling activity, but for a variety of reasons at the start of the year I’ve ended up between bikes.
So I’ve started running. Not far. Not fast. Not on Strava, though I’m logging my runs with my watch. Grabbing 40 mins in the middle of the day to get out and slowly plod along the local roads.
Initially just a few kilometres but building some more endurance. With the odd Park run thrown in as a check point of improvement. I’m late to the joys of Park Run - the community sprint and camarardare has become a welcome addition to my Saturday routine.
And then this weekend, a 10k through the streets of Oxford with over 5000 other runners, joggers and plodders. The sun was out, and so were the supporters. The time was slow. But that’s not really the point. At the start of the year I could hardly imagine running for a bus and on Sunday I ran for just over an hour without stopping. Onwards…
12/05/2025 permalink
Back to Morzine for our winter sport fix, with a late season road trip down through La Bella France for more fantastic days on the slopes in Morzine and Avoiraz.
01/05/2025 permalink
Is seasonality a reason?
Many e-commerce business experience (or suffer) seasonality. The Q4 sales retail hustle, and the ensuing workload, is the best know example. There is no escaping the rush to the holidays. But is seasonality a valid reason to use in your standup, monthly sales meeting or QBR?
Seasonality isn’t a user need. There’s no "Job To Be Done" for a product feature where the answer is seasonality. The real user need is something quite different, seasonality is the outcome of so many people having similar or related needs and behaviours.
Prompted by Rory Sutherland, I recently discovered Obvious Adams by Robert Updegraff, the allegorical business story, written in 1916. One of the main lessons from this is that to be good at marketing, and especially now product marketing, you have to carefully observe user behaviour and speak to your customers (and then do the obvious thing well).
The cult of seasonality as an answer is an easy way to bypass the difficult, but essential work of understanding your customers.
18/03/2025 permalink
Hoggard: Static Site Generator
I made a static site generator named after former England cricketer Matthew Hoggard.
25/01/2025 permalink
Best photos of 2024
Everdon Stubbs, Northamptonshire, Jan 2024
Our go to place for a quiet walk. Even when it's 'busy' there's plenty of space for clearing your mind.
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Maidford, Northamptonshire, Jan 2024
The dog never seems to mind the cold. A chilly start to the day along walking along the Maidford Brook.
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Shooting from the line, Barclay Centre, Brooklyn, March 2024
Local entertainment on one of three trips to New York in 2024. Basketball seems the most stage managed of sports - constant music, multiple musical interludes, cheer leaders and most of the exctiement packed into the last few minutes. Except on this occaision the Brooklyn Nets were seriously off the pace.
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Avoriaz, France, April 2024
Spring in the Alps. Great snow and plenty of sun. Another fantastic family ski trip.
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Early Paris-Roubaix breakaway at Saint-Quentin, France, April 2024
Paris-Roubaix is all about the cobbles, but we caught the early part of the race whilst the riders were still fresh. Even in these early stages there were plenty of people out on the streets in Saint-Quentin.
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Spring bluebells, Mantles Heath, Northamptonshire, April 2024
Every year when the bluebells are out we try and work out if they are as abundant as previous years.
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Eddie in the garden, Maidford, Northamptonshire, May 2024
It's surpsingl tricky to get a good picture of the cat. Managed to grab this one on a sunny morning in the garden.
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Maidford, Northamptonshire, June 2024
It's not often we get glammed up for a night out and get a good picture of both us together, but the Stewkley Charity Ball is worth making an exception for.
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Tunnel on the Monsal Trail, Derbyshire, June 2024
In her youth, Emma's paternal grandmother, Violet, rode all over the Peak District on the back of tandem. As a family we took a trip along the Monsal Trail to celebrate her life.
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Dad, Rochdale, July 2024
The last photo I took of my Dad. Taken at home whilst sitting up with him in his final days.
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Plage Imi Ouaddar, Morocco, August 2024
Family on the beach. Sun, sea, great food and hopistaility. The south west Moroccan coast is quite the spot for a holiday.
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Taghazout, Morocco, August 2024
Looking west.
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Coco, Maidford, August 2024
It's a dogs life.
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Yankee Stadium, New York, September 2024
Of all the american sports, baseball is probably the one that I could really get into. Having been to quite a few ball games in NY over the years this was actually the first time I'd seen the 'home team' win. Which does wonders for the atmosphere.
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The Oval, London, September 2024
Probably the only sporting event I consistently attend. The weather and over rates seem worse than when I first started going to The Oval, but test match cricket there is always compelling.
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Maidford, Northamptonshire, September 2024
It’s not everyday a double Olympic champion cycles through your village.
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London, October 2024
Nearly 15 years since we moved out of the city.
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Mantles Heath, Nortahmptonshire, October 2024
Failing to take a picture of the aurora.
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Maidford, Nortahmptonshire, November 2024
Early stroll.
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Abthorpe, Nortahmptonshire, December 2024
Emma and Hazel picking their way through a puddle on the walk up to Bucknell Wood near Abthope. The autumn and winter of 2024 were full of torrential rain and floods and this picture sums up what getting around the country felt like at the end of the year.
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05/01/2025 permalink
Amazing aerial photo of Deptford from 1938
Historic England have released a collection of aerial photos from 1938. This one of Deptford is fascinating - I spent about 15 years in and around Deptford, from the late 1990s until we moved out of London. So much of what is captured in this photos has gone or changed beyond all recognition.
But not everything.
The churches stand out, gleaming. The railway. The river. The royal naval college in the distance. Emma's old flat next to the snooker club. I can even make out a couple of pubs on Creek Road that we used to drink in as students.
03/10/2024 permalink
A grey and brooding late summers day and the rolling roads of Northamptonshire are playing host to stage 5 of the Tour of Britain. We have a whole peloton of stars flying through the village, including the double olympic champion Remco Evenepoel.
The full rolling road block of police outriders.
The breakaway then a flying peloton, followed by the team cars.
Then suddenly it’s gone.
A few minutes later and you wouldn’t have even known it happened.
But I’ll always remember when Remco rode through Maidford.
07/09/2024 permalink
For a whole heap of reasons we usually end-up in the Alps for some spring skiing and snowboarding. The snow conditions have varied over the years. Weather in the mountains is unpredictable at the best of times. If you go to the mountains there's no point worrying about the weather, you just have to put the right kit on and get on with it (or sit it out in the cafe / chalet / cabin of your choice).
Environmentally resonsible winter sports holidays are clearly a difficult thing to achieve. Anyone interested in snow sports knows that many resorts are struggling with the impact of climate change. Fewer snow sure weeks - especially for lower resorts - reduces the viability of many winter tourist businesses across Europe (and beyond). Without at least 100 days of snow resorts will close. Any holiday is probably contributing to climate change, especially if you holiday in a ski-resort.
Despite the cognitive dissonance we pootle along pristine French roads, enjoying the mostly good charging infrastructure. And what a trip. Visiting old friends, making new ones. Having lots fun in the sun and snow - and wow - what great snow. For the entire week the weather alternates between warm blue sky days or massive dumps of snow. As the seasons change under the weight of human influence and inaction, it seems, at least for now, spring is the best time to catch the snow.
07/04/2024 permalink
Whilst driving home from Morzine I realised that we were going to cross the route of Paris-Roubaix. So we accidentally / on-purpose managed to watch a little bit of the race at Saint Quentin.
07/04/2024 permalink
Rochdale scrubs up pretty well
Fantastic photos of the restored Rochdale Town Hall. A place that figuratively and literally loomed over my childhood. Whilst at the same time the government plans to sell off these kinds of buildings.
07/02/2024 permalink