Week commencing Monday, 7 September 2026
Quantified Self
- This week: Stand 5/7; Exercise 4/7 and Move 4/7. (62%). Morning walks: 0/3. Office days: 2/5. Total steps: 53,592. 18.3 hours in meetings.
Life
- Sedentary start to the week. At least I had my Tai Chi class on Zoom on Tuesday.
- I’ve never been a big fan of foldable phones; I’ve always thought they were flimsy, but the promotional video and demo at this week’s launch of the iPhone Duo looked more compelling than I expected. But, at least for now, I don’t think it’s for me. One day?
- Thursday, I know we need rain, but perhaps not on my head at that time of the night.
- Related, I stood in the entrance of Wood Lane Tube, talking longer than I should have done, because by the time I’d walked round to Shepherd’s Bush, I was soaked through to the skin, and as I was crossing the bridge towards the platform, I watched the last train of the evening depart.
- Relatedly related, I ended up in a FreeNow cab, which worked well. Maybe they are my new go-to ride app.
- Unusually for a Friday, I went into the office. I decided to go in later than normal, assuming Fridays on the trains would be quieter than the rest of the week. That turned out to be a bad assumption. Not only were they much busier, but they were delayed, and we were being shuttled between platforms 1 and 17 at Clapham Junction, waiting for a train up to Shepherd’s Bush.
- Friday evening, to see Sinatra the Musical: the story of Sinatra from the 1940s to the early 1950s, which opens with his Paramount-era stardom, the Ava Gardner scandal, the resulting commercial collapse, and his comeback. It doesn’t cover the Rat Pack years, and I think that made for a good story. He didn’t come out of it brilliantly, but not as badly as the story might have made him.
- Also, on Friday, I published a thing about the world’s most preposterous song.
- Birthday Saturday, a visit to the former Southern Railway electrical control room at a special open day. The control room itself is a large oval room with a white domed ceiling and a small central switchboard/control desk. Poles hold copper dishes that light the room from uplighters, rather than fluorescent tubes. The walls are lined with black control panels, each corresponding to a substation along the line. Everything was left as it was in 1997, but very much disconnected. It was beautifully Art Deco and designed to be looked at, which I guess explains the Grade II listing.
- Birthday Saturday, lunch at Loft Sky Bar on top of the Hilton in Woking, a place with incredible views over Surrey. We could see one of the roller coasters at Thorpe Park, a tower at Heathrow and some buildings on the Wentworth estate.
- Related, at the end we were asked to evacuate via 22 flights of stairs. I have no idea what happened, and we could see nothing, but a fire engine greeted us as we left the building.
- Birthday Saturday, Lil Nashville in Chiswick. BBQ brisket nachos, loaded with hickory-smoked brisket, were a great sharing plate. Kerryl was performing when we arrived, and then The Wranglers took the stage with a mix of covers, including a tribute to Dolly Parton, and their own material. It was a really fun evening, and I’m glad we got to go.
Media
- Finished Ride or Die. It’s very much set up for the next series. I hope they make it.