Sam Radford

📚 I gave All Our Shimmering Skies by Trent Dalton a solid shot—made it about 30% through—but it’s just not clicking for me. No matter how much I try, I can’t seem to get into it, so I’m moving on to something that grabs me more!

Enjoying a relaxing spa day at Champneys Springs in Leicestershire with Rachel. Spent a blissful hour and a half making my way through FT Weekend—there’s still something uniquely satisfying about a leisurely newspaper read on a weekend. Informative, engaging, and a great companion to a day of unwinding.

📚 Finished reading The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose last night. Very enjoyable! The socially awkward yet endearing main character works well. In the best sense of the word, it’s just a really nice book!

#Arsenal just not nearly threatening enough. Not enough guile. Not enough pace. Not enough potency. Disappointing. There’s reasons, but still…

Great to see that Apple’s AirPods Pro hearing aid feature is now available in the UK.

🔗 You can now use AirPods Pro as hearing aids in the UK

🏉 Didn’t really deserve that, and a really inconsistent, bitty performance, but not going to complain about finally beating Scotland again!

There’s a reason the saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” has stood the test of time.

I am not sure what the “row“ is. This is basically Apple saying “screw you” to the UK government in response to their draconian, abhorrent request to undermine the privacy and security of millions of users.

🔗 Apple pulls data protection tool after UK government security row

📚 Currently reading: The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose. As with the first in this series, it’s an easy, comfortable read with just enough intrigue to keep me hooked.

⚽️ That was a tough game, but a fantastic win for #Arsenal! Who needs a striker when we’ve got Merino?! As for Sterling, it’s time to move on—sad to say, but he just can’t cut it at this level anymore. And Nwaneri… there aren’t enough superlatives. What a talent!

📚 Finished reading Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly late last night. As always with the Lincoln Lawyer series, it’s the perfect mix of the familiar and the unexpected that keeps me hooked. A gripping crime read—loved it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📚 Started reading The Great Search by John Philip Newell. Always appreciate Newell’s thoughts and insights. Looking forward to diving into his latest reflections.

⚽️ I don’t usually watch much football that doesn’t involve Arsenal, but I’ve got the Man City vs Real Madrid game on tonight. The best part? Both teams take throw-ins straight away! Wish Arsenal wouldn’t slow the game down so much.

📚 Switching gears! After the gentle-yet-gripping Intermezzo, I’m diving into Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly. Time for some classic crime, sharp twists, and a dose of legal drama—looking forward to seeing where this one takes me!

📚 I’ve finally finished reading Intermezzo by Sally Rooney. That it took me the best part of a month is no reflection of my enjoyment—quite the opposite. This is a novel to be savoured, and savour it I did. The richness and depth of the characters were a delight, with Rooney doing a great job capturing the complexities of two brothers navigating life after their father’s death. Her exploration of unconventional relationships is both subtle and thought-provoking, leaving plenty of space to reflect on life’s messy realities. A thoroughly rewarding read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🏉 There’s plenty of positivity in the media and online after England’s win over France on Saturday—I share it! But if we don’t back it up with a win against Scotland, have we really progressed? That’s the key game that will show if we’ve truly turned a corner.

🏉 Finally! England win a close game against a top team! Could have been very different if France took some of their chances, but the way we hung in there meant we deserved things to go our way for once. Hope this turns a corner for this side.

A stark exposé in The Economist on the rise of online scams like “pig-butchering,” now rivaling the drug trade. None of us are safe.

🔗 The vast and sophisticated global enterprise that is Scam Inc

This is a dangerous overreach. And it isn’t just about criminals—it’s about everyone’s privacy and security. The fact that it’s happening behind closed doors, without public debate, makes it even worse.

🔗 Home Office orders Apple to let it snoop on encrypted files

💭 A great reminder from designer and community builder Eso Tolson: Our work isn’t just what we get paid for—it’s what we contribute to the world:

We think our “work" is the job we go to or the place we get a check from. No. Your work is the very special thing that you add to this world. Your vision. Your light. Your love. What you share. What you create. How you make people feel. Etc. That, my friends, is truly our WORK.

A good reminder from Jason Fried:

Be curious about what’s new, sure. That’s expected. But it’s more interesting to be curious about what’s old. What stood the test of time? What worked before and still works now? What survived through all the jabs that you assumed would knock it out, but didn’t?

🔗 What’s still here?

⚽️ Gutted for #ArsenalWomen to lose right at the death tonight. Hard to argue that Man City didn’t deserve it, though. Apart from a questionable penalty, we never really looked like scoring.

🏉 Sad to see Dan Kelly leaving #LeicesterTigers. Hope the move to Munster helps him find his best form again. When he first broke through, I really thought he’d become an England regular, but injuries and form got in the way. Still time for him to shine!

🔗 Dan Kelly to depart Tigers at season’s end