Layers of Deptford.

Herons of Brookmill Park.

Ghost signs of Birmingham.

“For too long, political parties without a vision for growth have allowed the Treasury tail to wag the political dog.” Lib Dems would replace the Treasury and the Department for Business with a new Department for Growth to create a long-term economic vision. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Possibly the best pub name ever.

Waiting for Shadowlands at Aldwych Theatre.

Ghost signs of London, Limehouse edition.

“Some people will say, “Not another [general election]!”… I have some sympathy. I’ll need new trainers for door-knocking; the wetsuit will come out of storage; I’ll have to check my bungee guy isn’t already booked up for the summer.” @eddavey.libdems.org.uk www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Pulled this tent out of the Ravensbourne during our regular river clean-up in Brookmill Park. Dear Londoners, can we stop dumping tents in rivers? And, while we’re at it, everything else too.

Isn’t it ironic that Keir Starmer could lose his job because he and his “advisers” scrapped Tim Barrow’s appointment as the UK ambassador to the US? He that mischief hatches, mischief catches.

Isn’t it ironic that Keir Starmer could lose his job because he and his “advisers” scrapped Tim Barrow’s appointment as the UK ambassador to the US? He that mischief hatches, mischief catches.

Ghost signs of Birmingham.

Ghost signs of Birmingham.

I spent a week living in a traditional Dubai house in 2022. It was quite literally cool, despite the outside heat. Now, working with the Architectural Heritage Society, our team put together a short piece explaining how these houses deal with heat. special.mrdn.world/architectura...

I spent a week living in a traditional Dubai house in 2022. It was quite literally cool, despite the outside heat. Now, working with the Architectural Heritage Society, our team put together a short piece explaining how these houses deal with heat. special.mrdn.world/architectura...

Layers of Deptford.

Layers of Deptford.

A month ago, I released my first browser game. Since then, people have played it more than 1,150 times. I’ve only made it all the way to the kingfisher once. Honestly, that may be my greatest achievement to date. Play it here: deptford.org/birds/

At last, some good news for a change: the likelihood of a collision between the Milky Way and its neighbouring galaxy Andromeda may be smaller than previously thought. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Interesting article summarising the environmental, health, liveability and equity benefits of less car centric cities. Presents a hierarchy of interventions to achieve this and the approach needed to avoid unintended negative impact on certain groups through policies aimed at reducing car dominance

Deptford texture.

In 1796, British PM William Pitt the Younger gave a speech promoting the benefits of child labour: “Experience has already shown how much can be done by the industry of children, and the advantage of employing them early.”

25 things I learned in 2025: kabanov.org/25facts

Somewhere in Deptford.

Somewhere in Lewisham.

Street art of London, Deptford edition.

One of my favourite discoveries of 2025 is a brand-new geometric shape: the noperthedron. hypertextual.substack.com/p/7-discover...

We won silver at the Information is Beautiful Awards this year. Looks good on a CV. But the real value was studying other entries. I learned more about visualisation and map-making from winners and shortlists than from polishing our own work.

My biggest project of 2025 didn’t come with deadlines. It came with a lot of miles. My wife and I have walked almost the entire south of England: the Pilgrims’ Way to Canterbury and the Thames Path from source to Woolwich. There’s more left to explore. We’ll get to it.

Where are all the Venezuela experts when we need them most? Oh, wait, they’re here.

Ghost signs of London, Deptford edition.

We won silver at the Information is Beautiful Awards this year. Looks good on a CV. But the real value was studying other entries. I learned more about visualisation and map-making from winners and shortlists than from polishing our own work.

My biggest project of 2025 didn’t come with deadlines. It came with a lot of miles. My wife and I have walked almost the entire south of England: the Pilgrims’ Way to Canterbury and the Thames Path from source to Woolwich. There’s more left to explore. We’ll get to it.

The best way to start 2026? Playing my birds game, of course. deptford.org/birds/

Ghost signs of Sheffield.

St Mary Magdalene Church, Boveney.

Ghost signs of Henley.

One of my highlights of 2025 was working on Meridien’s story about the Ramesses II statue — and then getting to talk it through with Susanna Thomas. Her book Ramesses, Loved by Ptah was one of my main sources while writing. I can’t recommend it enough! mrdn.world/susanna-thom...

Don't watch "A Merry Little Ex-Mas" for the cheesy romance. Watch it for the sustainability messages, which shine as bright as LED Christmas lights. grist.org/culture/netf...

Have you played my Brookmill Park Birds game? Try it here: deptford.org/birds/ It’s supposed to be fun and educational (and it’s free!).

Next year, white storks will return to London for the first time since 1416. They’ll be released in Barking and Dagenham in east London on a landscape that’s been steadily restored from old gravel pits into wetlands. hypertextual.substack.com/p/little-wil...

Oxfordshire’s rural vibes.

Rename this, motherfucker.

Waiting for High Noon at The Harold Pinter Theatre

Ghost signs of London, Lewisham edition.

After years of procrastination, I finally did what I should have done a long time ago. I’ve started a series of interviews with fellow science communicators and journalists about their careers and the challenges facing our field. Read the first issue: hypertextual.substack.com/p/on-jargon-...

My little Deptford game made it into the London Minute newsletter ! 🦆 Play it here: deptford.org/birds/

Red squirrels are quietly reclaiming the Scottish Highlands. A decade-long reintroduction effort has shifted hundreds of animals into carefully chosen forests, and their range has grown by more than a quarter since 2016. hypertextual.substack.com/p/little-wil...

How many glaciers will disappear by 2100: 79% on our current trajectory (2.7°C) 91% if countries don't meet their emissions targets (4°C) 63% if we meet the Paris goal (2°C) www.newscientist.com/article/2508...

Ghost signs of London, Deptford edition.