Christmas 2017 Favourites

Happy New Year everybody! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas, and that 2018 is a joyful and prosperous year for you. 🙂

This Christmas marked my first anniversary of moving to London. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long already. And 2017 has been an amazing year! Although I was already used to getting around the city from my previous visits, it was still a leap into the unknown in many respects to actually live here. I had no idea how well it would work out, how safe or comfortable I would feel, how accessible events and attractions would be, and how easy it would be to make friends.

But it’s been more than worth the effort, and I’m extremely happy with how well it’s gone, given all the friends I’ve made, places I’ve explored, new things I’ve tried, and the opportunities I’ve taken up. A year ago I never imagined that I would be doing many of the things that have transpired in the months since.

I’m also pleased that my blog, Youtube, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter pages have had a steady increase in followers over the year. Sure, I don’t have big numbers compared to the bigger bloggers out there, but relative to where I was a year ago it’s been a substantial leap. And my goals for this haven’t been about the numbers anyway. Making connections, sharing my experiences and spreading a bit of awareness was always my aim, and I’ve been achieving that. It’s resulted in numerous opportunities and new experiences, including guest posts, a public speech (with another planned for next year), participating in a research study (which is continuing next year), being interviewed by a journalist, and more. My efforts have been paying off more than I could ever have imagined, and I’m loving it.

But above all, thank you so much to everyone I’ve met and interacted with during the year, whether it be in person or online. By reading, liking and sharing my content, leaving comments, asking questions, sending me private messages and emails, giving me opportunities for guest posts and public talks, and even meeting up in person, you’ve helped to make this year a very special one for me. Especially Aniridia Network UK, Nystagmus Network, London Vision, Thinking Bob, VocalEyesRNIB, Scope, Fashioneyesta, Life Of A Blind Girl, My Blurred World, Luke Sam Sowden & All The Stations, but also everyone else that I’ve had any kind of contact with during the year.

Everyone has been very positive and supportive, and your involvement has enabled me to start this new chapter in my life with confidence and comfort, and fun and friendship. And for that I’ll always be very grateful. 2017 will forever be one of the most significant and happy of my life, nothing will take that away.

And I’ve had a lovely Christmas to finish it off in style, so I wanted to bring you up to date with how it went and the various things I enjoyed. This is quite an epic post as a result, and I’ve also filmed a video that mentions some of the stuff here along with my general reflections on 2017 as a whole. So I hope you enjoy!

Continue reading “Christmas 2017 Favourites”

Meeting Fashioneyesta

This Monday I finally got to meet one of my favourite Youtubers – Emily Davison from Fashioneyesta. We spent a delightful day together at Knole Park in Sevenoaks, and she’s posted a wonderful vlog about it on her second channel. So I wanted to blog about it from my own perspective as well, which I hope you enjoy!

Continue reading “Meeting Fashioneyesta”

May 2017 Favourites

Hello again, and welcome to my latest monthly roundup. I’ve continued to settle in well and enjoy a variety of experiences in London over the last few weeks, including more social events, museum visits, festivals, walks and tours, plus I’ve taken a trip to see my old friends in Devon. So there’s loads to get through, and I hope you enjoy reading about it all!

Continue reading “May 2017 Favourites”

February 2017 Favourites

Hello again. My second busy month in London has passed already, so it’s time for my next update. Just like in January, my main focus has been a variety of social events with the Thinking Bob group, which have helped me to build up my confidence in an enjoyable way. But I also went out with my Aunt, who showed me around an area that’s fairly local to me, there’s a little update on how my mother and I are settling in at home, and I mention a few more TV shows I’ve been watching. So I hope you enjoy!

Continue reading “February 2017 Favourites”

Journal – July 2016 (London Visit)

Welcome back to my journal. This month I stayed with a friend in London for a few days, at my Nan’s house that my mother and I are soon hoping to move into, and there are some updates on our relocation plans as well. So I hope you enjoy!

Continue reading “Journal – July 2016 (London Visit)”

Journal – January 2016 (Guernsey Holiday)

So here we go with another year – hopefully my final one in Devon, as we feel determined to make the move to London happen now after all the delays.

But to start with, 2016 has got off to a fun start, because I’ve visited my best mate in Guernsey again, the first time I’ve seen him since I was Best Man at his wedding last September. These are my first journal entries since that event, as there was nothing else of interest to write about for the last few months of 2015.

So I hope you enjoy reading about my little holiday – including an awkward bus trip, the latest Star Wars film and a games night, among other things – plus a few other updates.

Continue reading “Journal – January 2016 (Guernsey Holiday)”

Journal – November 2006

This is one of my longest journal updates for a while. This month has been particularly busy, because I’ve had a holiday in Bournemouth with some friends, my Dad’s had an eye operation, I ordered a new TV, and we had a complicated job to do at work. Plus there are mentions of DVDs, news stories and other bits and pieces as usual. So I hope you enjoy!

Continue reading “Journal – November 2006”

Journal – May 2006

Welcome to another bumper set of entries from my journal. This has been a very busy month, as I’ve had 3 trips away – attending a Mac training course in Manchester, staying with a friend in Exeter to play at a quiz night, and spending a week in Bournemouth with a couple of mates. And at home I’ve continued to make good use of our new broadband connection, while the new series of Doctor Who was starting on TV. So there’s a lot to mention this time, and I hope you enjoy it!

Continue reading “Journal – May 2006”

Journal – November 2005

Here’s another month of entries from my journal. This time I’ve had a lot of fun visiting my best mate to celebrate his 21st birthday, plus I’ve been assessed for support I might be able to get for work because of my visual impairment. There have also been lots of DVDs coming out in the run up to Christmas that I’ve been keen to get, and we’ve had Children In Need and other delights on TV. So there’s a variety of things here as usual, and I hope you enjoy!

Continue reading “Journal – November 2005”

Journal – November 2002

Here are some more extracts from my journal. You know what to expect by now – university work, socialising, CDs, DVDs, gaming, TV, etc. This hasn’t been a very eventful month, but there are a couple of interesting top 100 lists, and my favourite moments from Children In Need, among other little bits and pieces. So I hope you enjoy!

Continue reading “Journal – November 2002”