Self-portrait, of the artist as an older man.

 I thought it best to update the blog, by updating you on what I'm like, after a two-year hiatus. The answer? A lot fitter. A lot skinnier. Seriously, I'm a twenty-eight-inch waist, for God's sake. I don't think my waist looked like that when I was eighteen. The reason behind all this should be clear from the photo: I've been cycling. Constantly.

it started as a way to deal with lockdown, and regain the freedom of movement that I felt I'd lost, but it ended up being an obsession. I'm intensely relaxed about that, though. It's lovely to hyperfocus on something again. It's very similar to the way I approached skating when I was a kid - I wanted to get inside it, and learn what it felt like. It was about emotion and purpose, about philosophy, as much as it was about frontside grinds. It was about understanding location, context and the space around me (and inside my head). I went on a journey around the local streets, but in the words of XTC, became a man who sailed around his soul.

 The Sun rises on the blog, once more. Social media is becoming a swamp, and I've fancied some anti-social media - and these days, that's blogging. It's solitary, contemplative, and it feels like no one really bothers to do it much - an immense shame. So, with this shot of an Ashtead sunrise, I hereby pledge to try and "give it a go", one more time. 

Westway has been such a huge part of my online life, and it's been there at times of need. So, I'm going to try and rely on it again.