anthony galvin

Abthorpe, Norhamptonshire, Jan 2025

New Years Day walk

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Madison Avenue, New York, Jan 2025

Walking to the TodayTix New York office on a cold January morning.

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Maidford, Northamptonshire, Jan 2025

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Maidford, Northamptonshire, Jan 2025

Over the winter months, everything gets muddier and muddier. The fields, the car, the house, the dog. Thick claggy Northamptonshire mud.

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Morzine, France, April 2025

Emma, Aperol, Sunshine.

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Morzine, France, April 2025

Nothing better than a family trip to Morzine, especially when the snow is good and the sun is out.

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Paris, France, April 2025

Stopped off in Paris on the way home from the mountains. If you read the political and economic press in the UK you would think that France was a failed state. But Paris in the sunshine suggests that if these are the end of days for the 5th republic, they are doing it with style.

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Everdon Stubbs, Northamptonshire, April 2025

We came back from the mountains, and suddenly it was Spring.

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Maidford, Northamptonshire, April 2025

Eddie.

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Maidford, Northamptonshire, May 2025

Coco.

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Taunton, Somerset, May 2025

I've always wanted to watch a game at Taunton, and this one didn't disappoint.

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Yankee Stadium, New York, May 2026

The first time I've ever been to the Yankees and seen the home side win.

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Stoke Bruerne, Northamptonshire, June 2025

We often walk along the canal, and this year this family of swans provided a joyful constant - until they got a bit bigger and started to 'boss' the towpath!

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Maidford, Northamptonshire, June 2025

Before we moved into our house in Maidford we talk a walk throuh a wheat field on the edge of the village to try and get our bearings - so this time of year always makes me feel nostalgic.

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Old Rectory, Maidford, Northamptonshire, June 2025

Who knows how long the village fete has been taking held in our little corner of the world. The high point of the village year, it feels timeless and joyful.

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Central Park, New York, July 2025

A pizza in the park on sunny summers evening in New York. Nothing better.

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Yankee Stadium, New York, July 2025

Back at The Yankees on a red hot day watching the home team get well truly taken apart.

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Montauk, Long Island, July 2025

Family road-trip up the coast. We spent a few days in Montauk taking in the windy beaches, great food and relaxed vibe.

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Boston, Massachusetts, July 2025

We finished our road-trip in Boston. This was taken on our way over to Harvard.

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The Oval, July 2025

A day of test cricket. Overcast, and floodlights on. A bowling day.

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Blakesley, Northamptonshire, August 2025

There's nothing quite like the Blakesley Show.

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Roadmender, Northampton, August 2025

A chance to see Evan Dando, back on form and playing the small and (im)perfectly formed Roadmender. A true artist.

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Blundell Park, Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, August 2025

An evening I will never forget, though so surreal it could have been a dream. I wish my dad could have been there with me - we spent so much time watching Town lose to relatively small teams, he would have loved seeing the Mariners beat the biggest club in the world.

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Maidford, Northamptonshire, November 2025

An early morning walk over the fields with Coco.

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Vitos, New York, December 2025

Back in NYC for one last time in 2025 - and a chance to grab a classic New York slice at Vito's Slices and Ices on 9th Avenue.

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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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Bridleway near Plumpton Wood, Northamptonshire

Over the last few years we’ve been lucky to be able walk together before work. Remote working, a local school runs and an energetic dog combined to make this part of our weekday routine. Unfortunately this doesn’t happen so much now - new job and new school.

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Northern Lights from Maidford, Northamptonshire

For a brief moment, even South Northamptonshire was transported to the edge of the article circle. We took the kids up to the top of a hill near the house but it was too cloudy, and after an hour or so we took them home to warm up. A few hours later, pretty much in the middle of the night I went back out and grabbed this photo.

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Hovden, Hardangervidda, Norway

A day on the slopes, with old friends. Magic.

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A deer runs across the lake at Vinje, Hardangervidda, Norway

Looking out across the lake from my friends study. Amongst all the stillness a frenzy of legs and energy.

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Blue sky day in Morzine

Spring in the mountains. Blue sky and another chance to scoot around, this time with the family.

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Looking down on Avoriaz

About 20 years ago I came to visit Richard and stayed in what was then just an old barn. He took me up here and showed me this view. Still magic.

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Emma & Violet (Snr) at the Coronation Street Party

I didn’t take this picture, but it’s one of my favourites. Emma and her grandmother - Nanar Violet. Violet had seen 5 monarchs in her lifetime and this coronation was just before her 100th birthday. Sadly no longer with us, she remains an inspiration to us all.

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Lower Shuckburgh, Northamptonshire

Lush, green, rural middle of England.

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Following the family cycling round Rutland Water, Rutland

A day out. Cycling round and round. This was my view for most of the day. Pootling round Rutland Water is a great reminder that adventures can happen in your backyard.

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The church at Rutland Water, Rutland

Growing up in Rochdale there were lots of tales about the villages at the bottom of the reservoirs (Hollingworth Lake and Greenbooth in particular). But Rutland Water takes that to a new level.

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Amsterdam Harbour

One of the few work trips of the last year or so, and a scorching hot evening in Amsterdam.

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Path over the fields, Northamptonshire

When I'm away working in a city, it's this sense of space I really miss. Especially on a sunny day.

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Emma & Hazel, before the circus at Evenly Wood Gardens

Who doesn't love a burger before a night at the ~~opera~~ circus.

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Arriving at the Bothy on Ulva after 2 hours of walking

The most memorable walk of the year, at the start of our stay on one of the most magical islands that makes up our nation of islands.

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Rain stops play. Stewkley, Buckinghamshire

Amazingly we got back on and finished the game.

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Towcester, Northamptonshire

It often feels like the people responsible for planning in South Northamptonshire are determined to erase the unique history and character of this part of the world. Luckily they haven't quite succeeded.

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Cold view from Maidford, Northamptonshire

Looking along the valley over to metropolis that is Adstone (population 65).

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Looking towards the long meadow on the edge of Maidford

There's only a couple of paths out of the village and the one through the long meadow heading North out of Maidford is the one we probably walk most often. I often try and capture the meadow on camera, but it rarely comes out as it looks to the naked eye. (6 January 2022)

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V+H at Burton Dasset

Burton Dasset Hills Country Park is, as the name suggests a hilly place. I love the way this picture captures the sense of achievement of V+H making it to the top of one of the short, sharp, climbs. (6 February 2022)

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H

All style, before breakfast. (23 Feburary 2022)

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From the top of a run at Edland, Telemark, Norway

The weather on the first day of a short trip to Norway was perfect, with crystal clear light. This captures the view looking down to the village below the small ski resort of Edland. (4 March 2022)

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V+H pushing their bikes, Betws-y-Coed, Snowdonia

We had a few days away in North Wales. The weather was as you might expect, but the girls were still keen to get out of their bikes - even if they were occasionally defeated by th epic gradients. (7 April 2022)

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Badby Woods, Northamptonshire

Spring in a bluebell woods, when everything is full of life and colour - and the whole forest is full of birdsong. (8 May 2022)

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With Emma at Songs By The Lake

Out. Out! (4 June 2022)

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H taking a photo, Summer Solstice

Heading home from dinner we stopped to enjoy the sunset, and take a few photos. H wanted to take one as too. (21 June 2022)

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Barn Owl Demonstration at Holdenby House

I sometimes spot barn owls on the quiet lanes around the village, but it's nearly always just for a moment in the headlights. On a baking hot day we watched this amazing owl do a few laps of the grounds before it headed back to the shade. (9 July 2022)

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Commonwealth Games Athletics, Alexander Stadium Birmingham

Even at the early morning qualifying heats 'Brum' put on a show. (3 August 2022)

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On the edge of Maidford

Beyond the long meadow and through the wheat field. (15 August 2022)

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Beynac-et-Cazenac, Dordogne, France

The river Dordogne is a canoeing and paddleboard paradise. I snapped this whilst we stopped to catch our breadth climbing up to the hilltop village of Beynac. (25 August 2022)

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Louvre Museum, Paris

The Louvre is a brilliant place, full of amazing art works - but the crowding and the crush around this particular painting feels bizarre and unwelcome (though not a surprise). (28 August 2022)

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Cycling along a byway

By the end of the summer Northamptonshire looked like a desert, but some of the dusty byways make great family cycle tracks. (25 September 2022)

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Maidford

The moon and clouds made it look like someone was trying to send smoke signals from a neighbouring village. (3 October 2022)

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Manchester Art Gallery (15 October 2022)

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Family Portrait Dunwich Beach, Suffolk

Somehow captures the ridiculous nature of a Galvin family trip to the seaside. (27 October 2022)

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Lois Weedon, (9 November 2022)

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Looking down the valley

The view from our bedroom "down the valley" seems to refresh every morning. I love this view, but it's not always easy to capture a good photo. With the naked eye you look past the neighbours houses, but the camera always seems to highlight the rooftops and garages. (13 November 2022)

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Cold walk, Maidford

One of those cold winter mornings when the sun doesn't seem like it's going to make it above the horizon, and you know the temperature is going to steadfastly refuse to get to zero. (16 December 2022)

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A few weeks ago I left R/GA after nearly 4 years, working first as a Technical Team Lead and then as a Technical Director. I’ve learned 1000s of tiny lessons and quite a few big ones over the last few years. Here’s some key ones.

1. Multi-discipline collaboration from day 1
Complex (digital) projects require talented people from many disciplines. Casting the right team can be a challenge, but once on the ground (usually at R/GA in a war room), collaboration needs to be rapid, open and without (too much) ego.

2. Code scamps (aka prototypes) are essential
Just about working software is the best way of explaining an idea. If you can sketch in code, getting something up and running no matter how hacky then you’re moving forward. The things you learn by doing this early are nearly always invaluable as long as you’re prepared to throw away more than you keep - being over invested in the scamp is going to get in the way of iterating.

3. Really good QA helps produce really good products
The internet is everywhere and on everything (Brad Frost, also ex-rga has some great slides about this). I’ve worked on projects where the QA engineer is testing on 20 devices. Obviously there are real benefits in test automation, but there’s no shortcuts - at somepoint somebody is going to need to tap through your app on all the devices, again and again and again.

4. Work smart and work hard
The industry has a long hours culture and sometimes working hard (late) is the way to a briliant product. But it’s not the only way. From a technology point of view investing in smart work; automation, auto-scaling, developer tools that work is way better than just staying late.

5. Access to tools and permissions matter
The battle for better tools and services is constant. If you constantly put a barrier in front of getting things done then you kill the speed at which innovation can happen and in an agency environment slow projects die a slow death. If it takes a 48 hour helpdesk response to get the CI box back online or multiple paper based forms to spin up a cloud service then the velocity of your crack innovation team is being severly hampered.

6. Location doesn’t have to be important
There’s a clamour to have EVERYONE IN THE WAR ROOM ALL THE TIME. But collaboration doesn’t really work like that. Clearly facetime matters, and at the right stage of the project it really is worth having everyone sat in the same room. But having highly motivated, talented people pulling in the same direction is way more important than having them sat in the same office (or even timezone).