Kevin Returns

05.08.25 — Oviedo

Kevin Returns

05.08.25 — Oviedo

The problem with being an immigrant and having immigrant friends is that everyone is always on the move. Kevin was a Spaniard in Leeds when we met, then he moved back to Spain, as did I shortly thereafter. He now lives out in the US, whilst I keep his fellow countrymen in check in his absence.

As Kevin doesn’t get the chance to head home all too often, our chance to see each other is usually my anual trip to North America. As of this year, though, these are on hold: partly because I’m still recovering from my injury and partly because of the current US political climate.

So when Kevin called to say he’d be home for a couple of weeks this summer, I immediately bagged some train tickets to visit him up in Asturias. Time with Kevin is always time well spent, and when he’s back in Spain, he’s down to do anything that sounds like fun. We thus ate like kings, drank way too much sidra, and partied the night away in a fiesta de prau (field party). The highlight of that night in particular was watching Kevin drag a plastic chair through the partying crowds so that I could sit down and rest my knee in the middle of the mosh pit. What a guy.

But it’s not just Kevin that I had chance to see. We met up with Raquel and Joel, whom I first met during the hilarious Descenso del Sella, to celebrate a special occasion. They’d just bought a plot of land to build a house together, so we met up there for a picnic, more sidra, and some ribs from the local grill. They were the best ribs I’ve ever had, made even better by the great company and gorgeous surroundings.

By now, I don’t have to profess once more my love for Asturias and its people on here once more, but I will regardless. Being around Kevin means guaranteed laughs and great conversation, and being in Asturias means delicious food and the beauty of the countryside. Bring them together? That’s perfection.

Dr Briggs

01.08.25 — Sheffield

Dr Briggs

01.08.25 — Sheffield

I remember once shouting at my sister in our parents’ garden. I’d invented some new kind of death trap, like a ride on a sledge down an inclined piece of wood, and I was furious that she didn’t want to take it for a spin. Thus begun our teenage years of leaving each other to our own devices, with the occasional bicker thrown in for good measure.

Nearly twenty years later, we were at the University of Sheffield. Eleanor had just been robed for her graduation, and seeing her appear in bright red amongst a sea of black and dark green was an emotional moment for all of us. This wasn’t just any graduation: my sister was becoming Doctor Briggs!

I’d to skip the ceremony due to capacity restrictions, but I had a lovely time in Sheffield’s Student Union with Eleanor’s partner and friends. We played some pool, had a round of darts, and watched the live stream of the ceremony on the TV above our table. It was a great chance to put faces to the names of people Eleanor had spoken about for years, and a relief to skip the duller parts of the proceedings until the category I was interested came up: doctor of philosophy.

With the formalities over, it was time to celebrate. We had some drinks, saw the laboratory where Eleanor worked for the past few years, and then walked into the centre of Sheffield for some food. It was a long day that had left my dad and me wilting, but that was nothing that a tactical nap across the benches of a secluded booth couldn’t fix…

As you can imagine, I’m insanely proud of my sister. I can still recall the day she announced she wanted to study biology, but none of us could ever imagine that she’d walk out with a PhD in hand all these years later. I also never thought that, from arguing over nonsense, the two of us would come to get along so well, but I now hold very dearly our close relationship and the ease with which we can chat about anything.

Congratulations, Bel.

Alicante

12.07.25 — Alicante

Alicante

12.07.25 — Alicante

This year marks my last chance to make the most of half-price train tickets offered by the Spanish government for travel around the country, and Sara certainly wasn’t going to let the opportunity pass us by. After some very last-minute planning, the two of us headed off on together a bullet train bound for Alicante to spend a weekend away on the coast.

Our hotel turned out to be rather fancy, smack in the middle of the old town and five minutes from the beach where we’d eventually spend an afternoon burning ourselves in the sun after failing to put our newly purchased parasol to use. Sara’s insistence on the benefits of beach life wasn’t entirely a lie: I did enjoy the lukewarm water of the Mediterranean and the disconnection of leaving my phone at the hotel. I didn’t love the extra crunch that the sand added to our lunch.

In better culinary experiences, and as we were in the Valencian Community, we made sure to gorge on all the delicious fresh rice and seafood. Breakfasts consisted of fartons (sweet bread sticks) dipped in horchata (a sweet drink made with tiger nuts). We spent our days people watching as we wandered around the city, and spent our evenings in various cocktail bars by the port. Sara got a taste of the British tourist experience, in which I was constantly approached by waiters and various salespeople offering me boat rides, city tours, and “authentic” paella. I think she found it quite funny.

Sara was a dream travel companion. After suggesting we make the trip in the first place, she never tired of investigating the best spots to eat, drink, and visit. My sole contribution to the organisation was to book the lift up to the Santa Bárbara Castle on the first night, necessary as my dodgy leg still wasn’t up to the trek up the hill on which it sits. We headed up to see the sunset, an idea suggested by my colleague Rebecca and which made for a lovely welcome to the city.

I’d still have plenty of walking to do, though, as on the last day we scaled the heights of the old town to visit a neighbourhood whose streets were as pretty as they were deathly steep. I eventually made it, thanks in no small part to the energy provided by some iced tea, a cheeky beer, and a stop for a chat with an old Australian couple who were, rather embarrassingly, scaling the steps much faster than we were.

Suffice to say that I had an absolutely wonderful time in Alicante. Although we crammed in an impressive amount of stuff, the 48 hours flew by. Sara isn’t only a dab hand at organising, she’s also a dear friend who’s as talkative as I am: I don’t think we stopped for breath the whole weekend we were together!

I’ll be back to Alicante, and I’ll certainly be travelling with Sara again.

Heidi & Axel

15.06.25 — Oslo

Heidi & Axel

15.06.25 — Oslo

Unisex changing rooms? You could tell who the Anglo-Saxons of the group were: me and Megan were having none of it. Whilst we contorted our bodies within our towels to avoid flashing the old couple next to us, we wondered how the Norwegians had ever thought that having us all share the same tiny changing room was a good idea.

The same Norwegians also reckon that bathing in the freezing water of the fjord is good for your health, but I am living proof that it most certainly is not. I avoided the menacing jellyfish and managed to prevent myself from passing out in the oppressive heat of the saunas, but something didn’t sit well with me during our “wellness” outing to the floating spa. Waking up full of a cold the next morning was a bit of an issue, as it was a very important day — it was time for Heidi and Axel to tie the knot!

The celebrations had already kicked off a couple of days before, where an unsuspecting bar in a very rainy Oslo saw us four constituent members of Cake Club meet up together for the first time in years. This was followed the next day by a picnic under a glorious bout of sun, making for two lovely outings with plenty to catch up on before the main event.

Heidi and Axel’s wedding was then a day full of love, laughs, and, in my case, paracetamol. I watched, teary eyed, as two good friends married each other with gorgeous views over the Oslo fjord. We then headed inside to feast, chat, and dance the night away in a celebration that kept on going until we were offered a questionable midnight snack consisting of hot dogs rolled in tortillas. Jokes aside, the wedding was everything I could have wished for them, and so much more.

It was also a lovely chance to catch up with old friends and make a few new ones along the way. I never doubted that Heidi and Axel would surround themselves with amazing people, but I felt honoured to be invited along to take part. The few days I spent in Oslo made for some much-needed quality time with Megan, Loredana, David, and so many more. There’s nothing better in life than those midnight conversations that go on for so long that the sun begins to rise before your very eyes.

Long live Heidi and Axel!

Laughter Therapy

10.05.25 — Blackpool

Laughter Therapy

10.05.25 — Blackpool

It’s been a rough few months for everyone around me. I’ve been advancing with my physical recovery and my family has been dealing with a few private matters that are challenging us all.

These testing times, combined with the fact that I’d not been able to visit my motherland for almost a whole year, meant that I boarded a plane to Manchester with more gusto than ever before. A short flight later, I was reunited with my parents and sister for a few days of relaxation and quality time together under a rare and much appreciated bout of English sunshine.

I did have to work remotely for a few days, but the nationwide power cut in Spain meant that I had one of the afternoons off. Despite the chaos that ensued across the Iberian Peninsula, it came to me as a blessing: I had even more time to spend with my family.

I also made time to catch up with two friends I hold very dearly. Amber took me for lunch in a very sunny Towneley Park, and then the next day I picked up some fish and chips and pottered down to Jemma’s house for a catch up after she visited me in Madrid just before my accident.

Saturday then saw me head out with Abi and Danni for a day at one of our favourite places in the world: Blackpool Pleasure Beach. It was a day full of rides, food, and some absolutely stellar people watching. Blackpool is a gem of a place and a true cultural phenomenon. I will not have anyone tell me otherwise.

But most of all, it was a day full of laughter, and that was just what I needed. I’ve had my physiotherapy, my hydrotherapy, and my psychotherapy; I was just missing the joy of laughing myself hoarse and —in doing so— losing my train of thought completely. I needed this all-consuming elation, the type that makes all preoccupations and anxieties dissipate.

This day with friends topped off a week spent with the people who know me the most: my family. This trip was just what I needed.