Light arrives earlier. Brisk winter morning at the #MaisonDuStaniford. Love a good moon.

First day back at work; that deserves a reward. Fish and chips it is. #incentives

Drowning in 2026 platitudes? Keep it simple.

I don’t really do NY Resolutions, but here are mine…

Apres-ski is a state of mind

2025 has been, for me, a quiet confirmation of something I have long suspected: I can handle almost anything provided I have good coffee.

We did roast duck for the first time this holiday period- in pursuit of variation. I’m keen to try goose next. Betweenmas my calories have been basically 100% roast dinners because it’s Alice’s favourite.

I’m not ready to emerge from my 2025 hermitry yet. Flu jab, Roger has a small skin infection, and even in the house it’s very cold at 5am in Devon. Please go away 2026. Come back later.

Very jealous of everybody posting their Strava/Cycling Year in Review stats. I can save myself some time and say: 0km, 0hrs, 0ft elevation. Coffee consumption still on point, but that’s about it for this year.

“Survey after survey has shown that business owners overestimate how many customers drive to their stores vs walking or biking. In a 2012 Los Angeles study, more than half of the store owners on the bike-laned part of the boulevard thought most of their customers drove. The actual number was 15%.”

This is an act of war and illegal under both US and international law, let’s just be clear about that:

Blocked by a French language IG account I really liked. My crime? When they were frothily eulogizing Brigitte Bardot's animal rights towards sainthood, I politely pointed out her 5 convictions for inciting racial hatred and 3 decades of vocal Far Right activism. People are complex. Hate isn't.

David Attenborough [whispering]: “Like a grain of sand in a vast desert, the predator blends seamlessly into its environment, nearly imperceptible to the naked eye.”

The stunned void between Boxing Day and NY, which serves no purpose beyond being a period for the compulsive inhalation of all the alcohol, cheese, chocolate and snacks you overbought for Xmas.

All I want for Christmas is a @trainingpeaks.bsky.social premium account.

Wanted to get back to some story/poem writing over last fortnight as have been distracted with 2026 cycling planning but now I have space… nothing. Pfft. A damp fizzle. A creative void. Can barely manage the feeblest of rhyming couplets. Think l’ll just have to accept a dry period. Restart in 2026.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and all the very best for 2026. This post does not feature any year reviews, cod-philosophy ruminations, banalities mispresented as wise insight, or gushing thanks (although I am thankful for much). All I will say is... (1/n)

It’s the Winter Solstice - shortest day for N Hemisphere- and it feels it. Overdid the training yesterday. Limping through today with coffee, bacon sandwiches, and a nap. #WeekendGoals

Back in #Exeter to refuel with what I believe is the best breakfast (served all day) in the city: it’s called Dee’s Favourite, from #ZukisCaffetteria nr Central Station. Fresh warm pitta, hummus, salad, mushrooms, spinach, falafel, fried egg, halloumi. Delicious. Goes well with a Turkish coffee.

Final #HaldonForestPark visit of 2025. A very sunny and mild 10 deg C. Here’s a view from the Raptor (Purple) Trail. Castle in the distance is actually a triangular tower called Haldon Belvedere. #StayOutsideForLonger

A timely tribute to The Exploding Bakery. After well over a decade serving the good people of #Exeter the finest coffee and bakes, they’re passing on the café side of their business to Portal Pizza in order to focus on their wildly successful wholesale bakery business growth. (1/n)

Peak Geminids Meteor shower this past Saturday night captured over Stonehenge. Photo credit: Sandra.Davies6869

As an @exeter.ac.uk Erasmus Scholar, I am very happy and grateful that others may once again benefit from this programme www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...

Happy Cheesemas! Miserable weather all today, ideal for curling up in a cheese coma. Also 2 months post-surgery. Here we have a small selection of Brie, Cambozola, Wensleydale with cranberries and some indeterminate cheddar discovered lurking at the back of the fridge shelf.

What’s the 2nd best cheese in the world? Obviously, Montagnolo Affine is the best, which we need not discuss further.

2016 Daily Mail: We want foreigners out! We don’t care if it makes us poorer. Brexit means Brexit! 2025 Daily Mail: Foreigners are leaving Starmer’s Britain because this country is poor and shit! This country would be so much better off without this hypocritical, incendiary, irresponsible rag.

Does anyone still watch DVDs? I have a large stack of unwanted ones I’d like to gift or get to a charity. Any ideas?

Joint physio/prosthetics appt yesterday not as successful as hoped. Roger not healed enough for a liner - stitches hampering recovery - meaning a prosthetic leg is probably something for Feb. Tired. Redoubling efforts with weights and wheelchairing. #MakeHay

Consistent training is some way away, but an ambitious 2026 needs planning. Looking for a special person - unsure if coach, consultant, or well-informed friend. It starts with a conversation, so please reach out if interested!

On the move early to catch the sunrise at #MagdalenRd #Exeter. 0730 opening means you can support independents @thecommonbeaver @18gcoffeeroasters, avoid the rush hour, and enjoy a mellow caffeinated pensive start to the day. Strongly recommend

Not a fan of waiting for emails

On the plus side: in-laws had a nice time and have now left, the dogs are happier, had Chinese for tea, peace reigneth. On the downside: pretty sure Roger has an infection (plus stitches) so will spend tomorrow pursuing an appointment and antibiotics. Annoyed as this will put healing back.

Interesting what Crick notes. Farage like Mogg and Johnson are really just grown up versions of their teenage selves. Lots of public school boys leave fully formed - and armed with an entitlement and a sense of empowerment that takes them through the rest of their lives.

In preparation for Xmas and the hopeful acquisition of Amazon vouchers, I’ve cut my ‘saved for later’ book list from~120 to 100. If I had a large pot of money and work really hard, it would take me a whole year to read them all. If people could, like, stop writing for a bit? Let me catch up? Ta.

Having a breather this weekend. Media and sponsor stuff mostly done for a bit. Dreaming of spring (probably Feb) when I can adopt a life of quiet blissful hermitry; drinking coffee, riding my bike, writing things. 8 months is a long time with no walking/pedalling. #TheDream

Big batch of media done yday, and some awesome sponsor discussions done today. Healing ongoing. Every day we move a little step closer to having both prosthetics and seeing what we might be able to do with them on an everyday and then a performance basis. #UnfinishedBusiness

You can catch my BBC Radio Devon bit with Caroline Densley here: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... I’m at 42’27” (impressively in between Tainted Love and I Can See Clearly Now)

T-minus 10 mins to catch me talking amputations and prosthetics journey on BBC Spotlight, BBC One 6:30pm!

Where much of the @bbcdevon magic happens. Never seen such an impressive wall of screens. #BBCSpotlight

Messing about in the @bbcdevon #BBCSpotlight green room pre-recording. I have tried to go very ‘on-brand’ with T-shirt selection. Ride bikes. Have fun. Feel good. Good advice! Broadcast BBC One 6:30pm. For those of you not in the glorious SW it’ll be on BBC iPlayer, usually for about 24hrs after.

#StudioLife behind the scenes at #BBCDevon #BBCSpotlight and the lovely Natalie. A lot of detail to fit into a very short segment but think it went ok. #OneTakeWonder

No guesses where I am today. BBC Southwest down in Plymouth. Going live on BBC Radio Devon just before 11am - to talk amputations and progress. And then for your visual entertainment this evening, on during BBC Spotlight on BBC One at 6:30pm.

Looking forward to spending tomorrow at BBC Southwest HQ in Plymouth, recording some bits for BBC Radio Devon and BBC Spotlight (TV) about the #GoodbyeLegsRide earlier in the year and the journey since then. I’ll keep you posted on any broadcast times!

6th ‘stitch removal’ appt today- they just keep appearing. Hopefully we have finally got them all, as their continued presence is disrupting the healing (they’re non-dissolving ones). *sigh*. Slow. *grumble*

My favourite description of wealth (I can't remember who was being described) was: "If he had his fortune in $20 bills under his mattress & he fell out of bed it'd take him two hours to hit the ground. But he earns more in interest per second than his terminal velocity. He's richer than gravity."

I would dearly love to tackle some #UltraCycling and longer #Audax over the next 2 years but, even if we got my prosthetics to a reasonable performance level, the whole rigid contact lenses and rechargeable hearing aid and CI issues make it absurdly complicated.

#BlackFriday seemed a good time to recommence my footwear research. I think we have a winner. Who can say no to chestnut Oxford Semi-Brogues?

Great to sit down with @Clarin to discuss #cycling, #RareDisease and the journey I am currently on. Clarin is Argentina's #1 newspaper, and #1 in the Spanish-speaking world, so quite cool to be featured. Gracias. www.clarin.com/internaciona...

It’s cold. It’s grey. You definitely need cheering up. I recommend reading my new blog.

NEW BLOG: Wide-Eyed and Legless, despite a lamentable dearth of alcohol. Eye and leg(s) healing well - prosthetic limbs and contact lenses imminent. tomstaniford.substack.com/p/26-wide-ey...