Happy New Year/Feliz Año Nuevo to you all!

Writing this on the final day of 2025 from a sunny, warm northern tip of Chile, while the weather back home is somewhat cooler to say the least.

Work and tech

At work, it was a year of considerable change as GDS shifted from one government department to another.

The GOV.UK rebrand was another major change, demanding a fair amount of involvement from me and many others. We also launched a new GOV.UK app, which is still fairly limited in features compared to the website, but was a good opportunity for me to build experience in advising on accessibility for apps.

I also had the opportunity to visit an accessibility audit company in South Wales, learn from their process, and help oversee an audit of the website.

Mixed feelings about AI increasingly weaving itself into our lives, for better and for worse. I’ll admit I’ve probably used it almost daily this year, whether to write more clearly, get a quick answer, or plan a trip. At the same time, I’m very aware it isn’t good for the planet, and of the harm it could cause in the years ahead big financial bets on its success fail to materialise.

Events

Beyond Tellerrand

In early spring I travelled by train to Germany for the Beyond Tellerrand conference, joined by my decade‑long friend Dave Letorey. He also organises London Web Standards. It was another excellent event hosted by Marc Thiele in Düsseldorf, and I came away inspired by talks covering everything from design to technology.

Speaking opps

I’ve been wanting to speak at more events for a long time, but I’ve struggled to come up with ideas and put together a compelling proposal. Even so, I did manage to give two accessibility talks in 2025, one online at Umbraad and another in person at MK Geek Night. Glad I did both and they gave me more confidence for applying to speak at more events.

SDinGov

When some spare tickets went unused, I was invited at the last minute to attend the SDinGov conference in Edinburgh. It was a great event in a great location, though unfortunately I couldn’t stay for the whole thing.

Railway 200

2025 was a special year for the UK’s railways, marking 200 years since the first passenger railway. I was lucky enough to get tickets for both a tour of London Bridge station and, most memorably, The Greatest Gathering at a vast train factory in Derby. It was a once‑in‑a‑lifetime experience, surrounded by rail fans of all ages, with what felt like acres of space filled with trains from every era. The small boy in me who once felt embarrassed to admit he loved trains couldn’t help but feel proud of that enthusiasm while standing there.

Cycling and fitness

Le Tour

After many years of watching the Tour de France from my living room, I finally managed to see it in person on a long weekend with my Colombian friend, Luis. It was a real highlight of the year, even if I quickly discovered the challenges of doing it all without a car, travelling by ferry and relying on busy, often fully booked trains across France and Belgium.

For accuracy’s sake, I had seen the race in person before, but never in France itself, only years ago when it started in Belgium and Yorkshire.

A sad note: 2025 was the final year of free‑to‑air live coverage of the race in the UK. I’m fully behind former commentator Ned Boulting and his team, who plan to offer their own independent roadside coverage next year from outside the press cordon.

On my bike

Cycling conditions in 2025 were far from ideal, and a mix of time and location constraints meant I couldn’t ride in as many new or exciting places as I’d hoped. The trip to France for the Tour did boost my mileage, though, and it was my first time riding my own bike in another country. Fitness‑wise, I didn’t start the year in the best shape, but I made a real effort to shed a few kilos by doing more indoor cycling during the wetter, darker months.

Fury friends

Bagheera the cat continued to make it very clear that I’m her preferred human in the household. She’s happily fit and healthy, a young adult in cat years, and easily my best furry companion to date. Over the summer, I also did some dog‑sitting at home for a very well‑behaved Westie. It took a little time to adjust to the frequent walks, especially without a private garden where I live, but it definitely helped me regain confidence in looking after a dog.

Travel

This year's been quite busy in terms of travelling. I'd some spare leave to use up and so decided upon Barcelona during a quieter period to spend a long weekend in. I'm glad I went and nicely filled the long gap of being in cold grey UK. The weather and food were great, the crowds were manageable, and I finally made it to La Sagrada Família just before its long‑awaited completion was due.

Later in the year I spent my birthday in Istanbul, well worth the trip and the furthest east I’ve been in Europe, even if it was a bit crowded and the sun-rise prayer calls made long sleeps a challenge. Summer was packed with travel, including a visit to Málaga which, despite the intense heat, and Ronda being almost unbearable, was still relaxing and filled with great Spanish food, plus some excellent Peruvian dishes too.

A memorable highlight of my year was celebrating with Mena on a birthday surprise trip aboard the vintage Belmond Pullman train to Whitstable.

A short but refreshing trip to Stockholm in late summer to visit family was another highlight. It was a pleasant break and a perfect excuse to indulge in my favourite pastries in Europe, along with the Swedish classic, including meatballs with lingonberry jam.

Rounding off the year, I returned to South America with Mena, where we started in Lima, Peru, and then Chile, the place where I’m wrapping up 2025 and stepping into 2026 for the first couple of weeks.

The year ahead

From everything above, it might seem as though things are mostly positive, and in many ways they are. Even so, I hope to sell my apartment and escape the leasehold trap in the next few years whilst remaining in the capital. Affordability will play a huge role in this, along with the long list of stresses that come with moving home in England thanks to a very broken housing system.

The wider political landscape, both nationally and globally, doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. It feels unlikely that any of this will get easier, especially as unemployment rises and the economy continues to struggle. I still hope to travel more in the year ahead, but I’ll need to spend carefully and stay mindful of the possibility of a different government coming to power in a couple of years. In case that shift ends up affecting my job.