Good day my good friend.

To be honest with you, this week I ran out of time. I have done a fair amount of travelling, and had to take time off during the week to help my wife set up the building in our back garden which she will be using to run art and craft classes. So I simpy ran out of time to write this.

I am currently writing some more comprehensive posts on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, which I think are the biggest changes to transport planning in England for a long time. You will see them in the coming weeks. In the meantime, here are some random bits and bobs from life which you may find interesting.

📅Mobility Camp is back, on 29th September we are going to Cardiff. It promises to be an amazing day. It would be amazing if you can be there, or maybe sponsor the day.

💼 I am also available for freelance transport planning consultancy, through my own company Mobility Lab. You can check out what I do here. 

🎮 Readdit

Many of you might know that I am an avid player of video games in my spare time. Probably my favourite game series of them all is The Legend of Zelda. Last week, after almost years of searching for a copy, I finally managed to get hold of a copy of Creating a Champion, a book of artwork and early concept designs for the game Breath of the Wild. As well as further back story to the game.

Getting an insight into the process game designers go through in creating video games is fascinating to me. So this book will likely keep me hooked for a fair while yet!

💳 Where you spend your money

Consumer card spending 2023 (Source: Alisdair Rae)

This map literally shows where people spend their money using their credit or debit cards across the UK. It is so, so cool and really insightful. For instance, Wales only really has two card ‘spending areas’ in North and South Wales, and most of the South West centres around Plymouth and Exeter.

🦁 The Roar of the Lion

Why is it that supporting England at any kind of sporting event shortens your lifespan by about 10 years? The England Men’s National Football Team have made a habit of shortening the fingernails of the nation all the time I have been alive, but the last week other teams have shortened my lifespan considerably.

First, the England Men’s Cricket Team. Listening to them on the final day of the second Test against India on Test Match Special, as India slowly whittled away the lead when England looked set to win comfortably was, well, uncomfortable. Once they got within 30 runs I thought they would win. Then the Cricketing Gods smiled.

Second, and more dramatically, the Lionesses. Their style of play can only be described as “in the last 20 minutes, unleash hell.” How on Earth they pulled off what they did against Italy I will never know. I hope you ace the final, ladies, but please…do it in a way that is slightly better on the heart?

🤘And finally…

I could only end this post with one music video. The man, the legend that is Ozzy is sadly no longer with us. The words of Mama, I’m Coming Home hit much harder now.

As someone whose gateway into heavy metal was Metallica and Megadeth, I made my way to Ozzy and Black Sabbath quite late. I can only image what hearing that sound in the 1970s was like. To hear an entire genre of music being born right in front of you must have been incredible. Ozzy, Tony, Bill, and Geezer did that. Four lads from Birmingham changed the world.

Oh, and raising $190 million for charity from your farewell concert? For a guy who bit the heads off two doves and a bat, that was the most metal thing he ever did.