Holiday team painting project

I took a portable painting station with me on holiday to North Wales last week. (This is a grandiose way of saying I filled a box full of paints and unpainted Blood Bowl miniatures.)

The great thing about being on holiday is not having a gazillion things that I ought to be doing instead of painting my figures. And as we have to carefully pace ourselves to marshall Cathy's energy reserves, that means some evenings in - which are perfect for painting!

I prepped for the week away by building the second half of my Elven Union team of elves. This has been a bit of a North Wales project, generally. I bought the team set on holiday in Bangor a couple of years ago, built half the team on holiday in Dinas Dinlle last summer (I think) and then completed assembling the team a few weeks back. 

I hadn't decided on a paint scheme for them before the holiday, but I had a pretty turquoise and a shiny silver, so I thought those would make a good elf-appropriate combo. I was quite pleased with the result.

They aren't quite finished because I left their decorative kneepads unpainted. I planned to do them a different colour, but I'm probably going to paint them silver to match their shinguard greaves. There are some other finishing touches I need to do as well.

Even though they aren't finished, mostly painted is better than grey plastic and I was pleased with the progress. I also got some paint on my Norse star player, Thorsson Stoutmead, my yhetee, and my werewolf star player as well. All in all, a very productive week.

Ar wyliau yn yr Gogledd - Medi 2026

We have had a week away in the North of Cymru, returning to a cottage very close to our favourite beach. Our big day out was taking the train up Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) and we had some other lovely days revisiting some of our favourite spots. 

Long range Cathy portrait

We went to...

Caernarfon

Football mural for a match I went to!

Pwllheli (in the mist)

Handy guide to the view...
I took it on faith the mountains
were there!

Llandudno

Goleudy Penmon on Anglesey 

And we did the things you'd expect to do on a holiday.

And saw some things you might not expect!

At the end of the week, I even squeezed in a football match in Colwyn Bay. Sadly, Barry were on the receiving end of a 5-2 thumping but I still enjoyed my evening there as I've decided not to let results affect my enjoyment of football!

And that was the end of another lovely week yn yr Gogledd! 

Taking the train up Yr Wyddfa

I've wanted to ride the steam train up Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) for a long time. A previous attempt only took us halfway because of adverse weather (mainly high winds) so I'm delighted to have finally made it to the top.

The Snowdon Mountain Railway seems to be sticking to the English name for the mountain, but our engine was called Wyddfa. 

It is the only rack-and-pinion railway in the UK, literally grinding its way up the mountain with a cog wheel connecting with a toothed 'rack' in the middle of the track. The entire line is on a slope, even the stations, and the boilers of the steam engines are built on an angle so they stay level on the sloping track.

Our seats at the back of the coach gave us a very good view of the engine. 

The views were great until the three quarter mark when we entered some low hanging cloud. That meant our short time at the summit was cloudy and cold. But we still went up to the cairn at the top.

Then we got back on the train to head back down. The views were even better on the way down as the sun was shining in Llanberis at the end of the line.

We both really enjoyed our trip on the railway. The only downside was the cloudy summit, but that just means we have to do it again some day!

Frankly a bargain

Browsing the shelves of an Oxfam shop and I idly pulled out this single, not clocking the artist or title until I looked at the cover. An early Frank Turner EP, with what looks like a signature in sharpie? For 99p? Yep. Gonna buy that.

I know that people who are younger than me laugh at my love of physical media, but, honestly, if you just streamed this you wouldn't be able to read Frank's rage-filled sweary promise to the scumbag who stole his guitar.

And for an added bonus, the photo of (very young) Frank from 19 years ago was taken in Cardiff. I'm pretty good on my Cardiffology, but I have no idea where that silhouette background is. 

I wonder if Frank ever caught up with the guitar thief.

Book of the Month: Before the Coffee Gets Cold

This is the second book by a Japanese author to feature as a book of the month this year. This time the author is Toshikazu Kawaguchi, a playwright who is also the author of a series of short novels about a Tokyo café where patrons can time travel.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold is the first book in the series, and also the most important instruction to the would-be time traveller. You get a magical cup of coffee and you have the length of time before it gets cold to drink it, or get trapped in the past.

There is no explanation given for why people can travel through time in the café. For me, the story is better for not trying to explain it. The mechanism is mysterious and magical and ultimately, it doesn't matter how people time travel as much as who travels and why. 

There are four stories in this book - a girlfriend wanting to see her boyfriend again, a wife wanting to see her husband before dementia took him away, a woman who wants to see her sister, and a mother wanting to see her daughter. They are all poignant. The wife's story packed the biggest emotional punch, but they were all a blend of hopeful melancholy.

My only criticism would be the occasional 'fact drops'. For example, the author references Pablo Picasso and then includes a potted history of Picasso's career and transitions between his artistic styles and periods. I don't think the story needed that, but this was written for a Japanese audience originally and I simply don't know how au fait that audience would be with Picasso or the concept of artists having different stylistic periods. (Being honest, the context was probably necessary for the majority of English readers too.)

I bought this book in TK Maxx on a bit of a whim, won over by the cover blurb. The overall design of the cover is very attractive too. However, while I enjoyed the concept and the stories of the different time travellers, I don't plan to seek out the rest of the series. 

9/11, a quarter century on

It was an awful event at the time, and it has become clear since that 9/11 acts as some kind of dividing line between one era and the next. It's 25 years later and it feels like it's as hard as ever to navigate the aftermath.

I have been blogging long enough that my first post about 9/11 was 20 years ago, on the 5 year anniversary. I visited Ground Zero in 2007. And in 2009 I blogged about the conspiracy theories that had grown about it. 

A few nights ago I was talking politics with a friend and we reminisced about how optimistic things seemed in the late 90s when "New Labour" were elected. The stale Conservative government was swept away in a landslide led by Tony Blair. A few months prior to 9/11 and Labour had been re-elected for a new term in government. 

9/11 derailed that optimism. It blew the lid off New Labour when, a year later, the UK joined in the invasion of Iraq. That was followed by joining in the military operation in Afghanistan. It all got very messy and it feels like the ultimate outcome hasn't helped make the world much safer.

I'm now so old, I can read posts on Reddit from grown adults asking what it was like to see the Twin Towers fall, in the same way I would ask my parents about Martin Luther King or Beatlemania. Anything that happened before you were born lives in the realm of myth and make believe. But it's a small shock when you realise your own history is now pre-history for a great wodge of the population. 

The sad thing about those posts, and the replies that they elicit, is the sense of what we have lost. A feeling of hopeful change and progress got buried in the rubble of the World Trade Centre. Our governments defaulted to war mode. Culturally we embraced a threat mindset, which we are seeing now in extremis in rhetoric about being invaded. Conspiracism has thrived and mistrust is common currency.

That fear burden is one of the legacies of 9/11; the impact of terrorism is to spread terror. And it has been very effective. So many people seem perma-scared now, often of things that, rationally, have zero impact on them. 

Somehow, we need to find a way to mourn the losses of 9/11, without letting terror dominate our lives. 

The big Mandalorian rewatch

Cathy and I started rewatching the Mandalorian series before seeing the film that was released in the summer. After seeing the film we completed the whole story arc so I thought it would be fun to publish a mega-review. The film is now streaming on Disney Plus and we've watched it again.

Spoilers follow - read on at your own risk!

Season 1

Synopsis: The Mandalorian is a bounty hunter named Din Djarin, who is given a commission to find a mysterious child of an unknown species. His client is a former high-ranking officer in the Empire. He discovers the child has special powers when the child saves his life. Feeling indebted to the child, the Mandalorian reneges on the bounty and goes on the run with the child, taking on various jobs while trying to keep ahead of Imperial warlords.

In the finale, another Imperial faction led by a new main antagonist, Moff Gideon, appears and comes after the child, leading to a massive shoot-out. 

(I blogged a detailed review of the first series back when it came out.)

Favourite episode: probably episode 6, 'The Prisoner'. It's a prison break episode with some interesting other characters, with guest stars Bill Burr and Richard Ayoade (voicing a droid), and it adds to the wider narrative of the post-Empire rebuild of the New Republic. There's lots of action and I think it has the best dialogue in the series. 

Least favourite episode: although it's pivotal to the Mandalorian's relationship with the child, the second episode where the Mandalorian's spaceship is stripped for parts by thieving Jawas is probably my least favourite. 

Departure point: The child is identified as a Jedi and the Mandalorian is quested to return him "to his own kind".  So, off they go... 

Meanwhile, in a very end scene, Moff Gideon is shown to be in possession of the darksaber, a potent Mandalorian weapon that imbues authority to rule on any Mandalorian who wields it.

Season 2 

Synopsis: The Mandalorian tries to find a Jedi who will take responsibility for training the child. Moff Gideon intensifies his hunt for the child, needing his Jedi blood for a mysterious cloning project.

There are throwbacks aplenty. The Mandalorian meets former Jedi, Ahsoka Tano, first introduced in the Clone Wars and Rebels cartoon series and now played in live action by Rosario Dawson (who went on to lead the Ahsoka series shortly after). Ahsoka reveals the child's name is Grogu.

Another character making the jump from animation to live film is Bo-Katan Kryze, deposed ruler of Mandalore, played by Katee Sackhoff. And then the last few episodes reintroduce the legendary Boba Fett, who allies with the Mandalorian, and Luke Skywalker, who promises to train the child.

Favourite episode: I think episode 7 of the series, 'The Believer', is the absolute pinnacle of Disney Star Wars. It brings back Bill Burr's character from the first series. It's a dangerous heist plot. There are loads of lore references, like a discussion of Operation Cinder, and there is a philosophical conversation that was so surprising I blogged about it when I first watched the episode.

Least favourite episode: the second episode with the ice spiders, Grogu eating the frog lady's unhatched children and a deus ex machina rescue.

Departure point: with Grogu heading off to become a Jedi with Luke Skywalker, the story arc was kind of done. There was a hanging thread left regarding the darksaber and the restoration of the planet Mandalore, but that could have been left dangling.

The showrunners had also nicely set up the Rangers of the New Republic series with Cara Dune officially a New Republic marshall. However actress Gina Carrano imploded her career and subsequently got fired from the project. (I blogged about it at the time.) The Rangers series never happened. Cara Dune was erased with a passing reference at the start of season 3.

There's also a tiny post-credits scene where Boba Fett returns to Tatooine, as a trailer for the new series: The Book of Boba Fett. 

The Book of Boba Fett (episodes 5-7)

Synopsis: Boba Fett is trying to establish his authority on Tatooine. He needs help and hires the Mandalorian. But actually, the Mandalorian is the sole focus of a full episode and Grogu's Jedi training takes up a good chunk of another episode. There was some discussion at the time about how the series was clunky and the inclusion of the Mandalorian and Grogu was a "rescue mission". (Read my full blog about it.)

In terms of the wider Mandalorian story arc, though, these episodes are essential because it acts as a jumping off point to season 3 after reuniting the Mandalorian and Grogu.

Favourite episode: The Return of the Mandalorian (episode 5) includes a stunning city on a ringworld, where the Mandalorian learns more about the darksaber. He also takes possession of a new starship. 

Least favourite episode: all 3 are essential for the ongoing story arc but episode 6 drags a bit. Uncanny CGI Luke Skywalker is a bit boring for a Jedi master.

Departure point: After helping Boba Fett beat the Pyke Syndicate, the Mandalorian and Grogu fly off in their starfighter to their next adventure.

Season 3

Synopsis: The Mandalorian and Grogu are reunited. Seeking absolution for breaking the creed, the Mandalorian visits the devastated planet Mandalore, with Bo-Katan. They work together to reunite the Mandalorian factions to re-colonise their homeworld, only to find it's being used by Moff Gideon as a base for his experiments with clones and 'dark troopers'. 

Favourite episode: possibly episode 5, 'The Pirate', as it features lots of Mandalorians in action against a space pirate who has taken over the planet Nevarro. Although the next episode, 'Guns for Hire' has a very unusual focus - a hitherto unseen droid subculture when they are off the clock - and references to Clone Wars era politics. But it also guest stars Jack Black and a very unconvincing Lizzo as the planetary rulers who hire the guns of the Mandalorian and Bo-Katan. So, a real mixed bag episode. 

Least favourite episode: episode 3 starts and ends with the Mandalorian and Bo-Katan as they shoot their way out of trouble and start their journey together. But most of the episode follows two ex-Imperials on Coruscant in a story that is visually very interesting but isn't particularly relevant to the ongoing story. It ties up a loose end with a side character and adds some depth to the back story of the New Republic, but it's not necessary. (The two bits either side are necessary, though.)

Departure point: after the destruction of Moff Gideon's horrifying project, and the Moff himself, the Mandalorian formally adopts Grogu so the child can become a Mandalorian apprentice. The Armourer tells Din Djarin that he must take Din Grogu on "his journeys". The Mandalorian makes a pitch to the New Republic to work for them as a private contractor. He then heads to his new, gifted dwelling on Nevarro to wait for a commission.

The Mandalorian and Grogu 

Synopsis: The Mandalorian is now working as a freelance contractor for the New Republic. The film works as three episodes. Part 1 shows the Mandalorian hunting down an Imperial warlord and being tasked to find the "missing" son of Jabba the Hutt, Rotta, a character first introduced in the Clone Wars animated series. Rotta's aunt and uncle, known as the twins, want the Mandalorian to find him and bring him back to them. Part 2 is about finding Rotta and making sure he is safe from both his captor and his conniving aunt and uncle. Part 3 pitches the Mandalorian and Grogu against the twins, who are angry at being double-crossed.

(Read more in my review of the film.)

Favourite bit: The opening section with the Mandalorian taking out an Imperial warlord by blasting his way through a column of AT-AT walkers is highly enjoyable. Particularly the bit where Grogu is trying to hurry him up before the AT-AT they are in explodes.

Least favourite bit: The aftermath of the escape from the Hutt twins where Grogu is caring for the wounded Mandalorian is cute but a bit sedate.

Departure point: With their enemies vanquished and all their friends safe, the Mandalorian and Grogu take off from the New Republic base for an unknown destination. Possibly just heading back to their homestead on Nevarro.

My August 2026 football round up

I decided I went to enough games in August for them to merit their own post. I saw three Cardiff Dracs games, Shrewsbury's first game of the new season, Barry maintain their table-topping winning streak, and my first Grange Albion game in a couple of years. I finished the month at a random game in Brecon. Because why not?

On the very first day of August I watched the Dracs lose 1-0 to a 97th minute goal away at Ynyshir Albions. I'd been to Ynyshir before but this time most of the pitch was parched due to the heatwaves.

The next weekend I was up on the Friday night at the multi-use pitch in Ystrad Mynach where Caerphilly Athletic play their "home" games. I've been there four times and seen three different teams at "home" plus a neutral play-off. 

There was some history on the wall on the way in. I love a good footie plaque.

A handy poster confirmed we were in the right place. All the details you need, except the date.

It's not a great place to watch football, but it's not the worst and at least the stand has some height to it.

The Dracs had a player sent off after about half an hour, defended like heroes and earned a point with a 0-0 draw that felt more like a win. It was my first 0-0 game in 370 days!

The next day I walked round to watch Grange Albion v Sully Sports. It was the first game I'd seen at Coronation Park for a couple of years. The grass was dangerously dry and players got grazed and bled if they fell over when tackled. 

This time the team I was supporting had a man advantage after a visiting player was red carded. Albion were 1-0 up soon after but couldn't add to their single goal. They even had a penalty but the kick bounced off the crossbar with a loud 'Booooiiinnnggg!!' and looped up and over the very high fence into the bus depot.

So far in August I'd been to three games and only seen two goals. I hoped my luck would change on the middle weekend when I went with my Mum on the Shrewsbury Town supporters coach to Tranmere.

It was a new ground for both of us. I quite liked the mismatched stands and old fashioned feel of the stadium. The stewards were friendly. We found a fabulous chip shop with wonderful potato scallops. The only thing that wasn't great was the result: a 2-0 defeat for Salop!

Still, I'd doubled my goal tally for the month and if I start to let the results determine my enjoyment of the football, I'm doomed, really.

Goal-wise, things picked up after that. The Dracs hit form, despite another first half sending off and beat Llanelli Town 4-2 back at Lydstep Park. A cracking win in their first ever competitive meeting with Llanelli.

There are some changes at the ground so I had to trog all the way round three sides of the pitch to get to where we miscreants prefer to stand.

It was another dry, dry pitch.

My next game also finished 4-2, with Barry Town comfortably beating Airbus UK Broughton in the Cymru Premier. It was Barry's fifth consecutive win since the start of the season and we sang 'We are top of the league' at the end of the game. Having said that, the two Airbus goals were absolute crackers and I can't see them having any problems staying up.

You get a handstamp on the way in these days.

Towards the end of the game we saw a spectacular moon, wreathed in cirrus wisps. My photo doesn't do it any justice.

And then my last game of the season surpassed even that goal tally. I had a discussion with my match-going buddy Paul (who I'd sat next to at Ynyshir, Ystrad, Tranmere, and Barry) about where we could go for a random open Saturday.

We settled on Brecon Corries - a new ground for both of us - and an Ardal Cup game against Morriston Town. I was very impressed by being served tea in a club branded mug and enjoyed a decent brew in the quality crockery 

I went for a wander to take some pics in the first half and ended up behind the goalposts for the first two goals - even though they were opposite ends of the pitch. 

Morriston were the stronger team and won 5-2. They could have scored more, but asking for more than seven goals feels greedy!

And that was the month - seven games and 23 goals, two new grounds and plenty of good football memories.