Today’s Pond Photo…

Hi Friends.

Today was the first time I have tried out my latest album, Ensconced in Light, released on Thursday 1st October, playing underneath my VoiceVista blind navigation app while actually out on the trail. This was, in many ways, the real-world test I had been hoping for when I created the album. The whole idea was to make something that could sit quietly in the background while VoiceVista did its job, rather than competing with it for my attention. I am pleased to say that it worked exactly as I had planned. Because I only have an AirPod in one ear when I am walking, I could still hear the loud birdsong around me, my own footsteps, and, most importantly, other people approaching. That last part is particularly important when you are navigating a trail without sight. There is absolutely no point creating a beautiful soundtrack if it means I cannot hear what is happening around me! Thankfully, Ensconced in Light simply became another layer to the experience rather than getting in the way of it. Mission accomplished. 💪🏼

There was something rather satisfying about hearing the music I had created while walking through the very sort of environment I had imagined it for. And what is quite funny is that, whilst I was out on the trail listening to the album underneath VoiceVista, Sarah is actually at home working in her office and playing Ensconced in Light as a backing track while she works. So, at exactly the same time, my album is being used in two completely different environments and for two completely different purposes: accompanying me on a blind navigation walk through the countryside, while providing Sarah with some gentle background music as she gets on with her working day. I rather like that. It feels as though the album has already escaped from the little world in which I created it and found its own uses. For me, the journey is slightly more complicated than most. I am listening to VoiceVista calling out navigation markers, distances and information, while simultaneously keeping an ear open for birds, footsteps, voices and everything else happening around me. So if Ensconced in Light can successfully find its place in that rather convoluted arrangement, I reckon it should cope pretty well with most people’s listening situations! Hopefully you might (if you like the album (or YouTube Playlist), lol) play it in a place considerably less convoluted than mine. 😀

And perhaps that is also a useful reminder for a Monday morning. Not everything we do has to be loud, dramatic or immediately noticeable to be worthwhile. Sometimes the things that quietly accompany us are the things that help us keep going. A familiar voice, a favourite song, a walk in the fresh air, a conversation with someone we love, a moment of prayer, or simply knowing that we have made it through another difficult day. We do not always need something spectacular to move us forward. Sometimes we just need something steady beside us while we take the next step. That is certainly something I have learned through walking again after my knee injury. You do not have to see the entire journey ahead. You just have to keep moving, listen carefully, take the next step and trust that the path will reveal itself as you go.

MS Walk London…

And finally, because apparently I am only about a week (or two) late, here is a lovely photo from the MS Walk London event on Saturday 26th September! Sarah and I are proudly sporting our MS Society volunteer T-shirts, and she is giving me one of her rather lovely cuddles. I was actually stood at this very location earlier in the day doing my official volunteering duties as Security, guarding the backstage gate. Yes, you read that correctly… have you ever heard of a blind Security guard? 🤣 Apparently there is a first time for everything! Once my highly specialised security operation was complete, we headed over to the Start/Finish line where Sarah and I made it our personal mission to cheer, scream and make as much noise as humanly possible for the more than 600 finishers coming across the line. We wanted every single person to know they had been seen, heard and celebrated as they completed their walk. So,late or not, I finally have a photo from the day – and I think this one captures it rather nicely: me, my gorgeous wife, our volunteer T-shirts and a whole lot of noise in support of an amazing bunch of people!

motivational Quote…

“Whatever journey you are on today, find something that gives you peace, encouragement and space to breathe. Sometimes we don’t need to change the journey – we simply need a little something to accompany us along the way.”

Let’s ‘FitBlitz’ 2026 Together! 💪🏼