World of Darrenf

Because of course

Sun, 18 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Stockholm · Chapter 2

The most predictable day ever?

We all know what Saturday means I finished yesterday’s entry saying “gotta run”, which was of course very literal. I’d got up on Saturday morning very early, to have breakfast not long after 7am. The restaurant was empty and I…

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Stocktober

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Stockholm · Chapter 1

Don’t call it a comeback

HELLO I’m back! As previously stated! Honestly I did wonder if I would actually be back, because we’ve had these false dawns before. But all evidence - by which I mean the fact I’m writing this absolutely torturous intro paragraph…

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While I was away

Sun, 11 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

2022-2026: the fallow years, a retrospective

I was away

What’s this? This is a recap. A montage, maybe. A compendium. Also some getting back on the horse, but a practice horse before I torture the metaphor further with a real horse later in the week. Eh? Oh. That wasn’t…

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Fall in the spring

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Toronto & Chicago · Chapter 5

Not a bad silver

Monday morning in Toronto. The weekend is over and the 6am alarm was set, again. Not because I’d moved to Toronto and had to get to work, but because I had to get a train and experience the centrepiece of…

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Hi, Park

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Toronto & Chicago · Chapter 4

On me feet

Sunday in Toronto, and not an alarm in sight. Having combined early starts with one or both of jet lag and a hangover for the past three mornings it was nice to have nothing on the timetable for the day.…

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Epic hail

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Toronto & Chicago · Chapter 3

So, there I was, in the Novotel Toronto centre. Had fallen asleep with the TV on, and woke up silly early because jet lag and because I tend never to sleep more than about 5 hours anyway. I also tend…

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Special delivery

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Toronto & Chicago · Chapter 2

May the deep dish bless you

Well then, didn’t I feel rough as all hell when I woke up in Chicago. As tempting as it is to blame the aggressive air conditioning in the hotel, I rather think the more likely culprit was the way way…

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Take to the skies

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Toronto & Chicago · Chapter 1

The blog is back!

Alex made me feel good with the above quote. In the same conversation I said “Might even blog!”, to which he responded “Do it!”. Obviously I was kinda intending to anyway or else why did I bring the iPad keyboard…

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Game of Stones

Fri, 02 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Dubrovnik · Chapter 2

and Kane and Bellingham and …

Despite being roaringly drunk on Friday night, I did have the wherewithal to take my asthma medication and plug my phone in to charge. In fact, I’d had a half hour fight with my USB brick and universal plug and…

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Game of Scones

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Dubrovnik · Chapter 1

OMG we’re on holiday IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY. For the first time since we went to Annecy in December 2019, we’ve left the UK. Blimey we’ve missed this. I actually flew once while covid was hitting, in early March 2020…

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It’s a marathon, not a sprint

Sun, 02 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Jersey · Chapter 3

I hate it when I do this, but, well, it’s done now. I’m about to write about what we got up to on Sunday October 2nd 2022 in Jersey, plus our journey home the following day - and it’s Thursday…

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The Saints

Sat, 01 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Jersey · Chapter 2

Burger: ACK

Saturday. Saturday. Saturday Saturday. Saturday. Saturday Saturday. Saturday. Saturday night’s all right. Dunno why I’ve gone all Elton John. But anyway. What follows is my diary entry for Saturday October 1st 2022, a day spent on the Channel Island of…

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First and last

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Jersey · Chapter 1

A fond farewell

It’s September 2022. Well, not right now as I type it isn’t. But the day I’m about to describe in painfully excruciating detail is Friday, 30th September 2022. We flew somewhere! Early March 2020 was the last time I got…

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It’ll be all Wight on the night

Thu, 03 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

The New Forest · Chapter 5

Thursday, March 3rd 2022. Our final day on holiday in the New Forest, and so we left the New Forest. In fact, we were leaving the mainland and getting a ferry across to the Isle of Wight. The rain of…

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The day we caught the train

Wed, 02 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

The New Forest · Chapter 4

Beside the seaside, beside the sea

Wednesday, March 2nd 2022. Public transport beckoned. But first, a change of breakfast - instead of a fry up, I went for eggs royale. How very posh I felt. It was still raining, having not stopped for something like 30-odd…

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Wild boars never lose it

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

The New Forest · Chapter 3

Piering into the distance

As I type, it’s Saturday 5th March 2022. I’m feeling a bit miserable because reasons, and am hoping that writing a diary entry for Tuesday 1st March will cheer me up a bit. Let’s see. The weather forecast for Tuesday…

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We’re no strangers to floods

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000

The New Forest · Chapter 2

You know the mules, and so do i

February 28th, 2022. Two years to the day since the last time I set foot in an office for work. We’re in Brockenhurst, Hampshire, in the middle of the New Forest. We’d booked breakfast for 8.30am. Turned up promptly and…

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TITLE TO BE DECIDED

Sun, 27 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000

The New Forest · Chapter 1

SUBTITLE ALSO

Is this thing still on? Blimey. It’s been ages since I wrote me a travel diary. Surprised the batteries in my iPad’s keyboard haven’t died in the 27(!) months since I last had a proper holiday. But anyway, hello! I’m on…

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Pain aux raisins to be cheerful

Tue, 03 Dec 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Annecy · Chapter 3

Cheese us, christ

This is part 3 of the diary for the trip my girlfriend Helen and I took to Annecy, in December 2019. It might be the last part, I guess we’ll all find out in a few paragraphs and photos time.…

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Je ne raclette rien

Mon, 02 Dec 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Annecy · Chapter 2

The rEblochon will not be televised

This is day 2 of our 2019 Christmas market holiday to Annecy, France. With the majority of Friday being taken up by transport issues of one kind or another, Saturday was our first full day and we had pretty much…

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