Weeknote 130

A new furry friend, trip to The Greatest Gathering

• Last week started with a new furry friend, an affectionate Westie I'm pet-sitting at home for the next few weeks. True to his breed, he's been loyally shadowing me from room to room, never far from my side.
• On TV and streaming, I’ve been indulging in my oddly specific favourite genre: hotel-focused shows and documentaries. I’m currently enjoying the latest series of The Hotel Inspector, and recently watched a fascinating deep-dive into the Britannia Hotels chain by Scott from YouTube’s Planes, Trains, Everything. It stirred up nostalgic memories of the 1990s fly-on-the-wall series I watched back then about Liverpool’s Adelphi Hotel—a sharp contrast now from its former glory years.
• Saturday brought a rare treat: a trip to Derby for The Greatest Gathering, a once-in-a-lifetime event celebrating 200 years of train travel. It was pretty much access all areas and the sheer scale—hundreds of trains spanning generations, it really was a train fan/autistic person's dream! One highlight was a talk by Pete Waterman, where he shared stories from his dual careers in railways and music. He also spoke candidly about autism, offering a refreshingly positive perspective that challenged long-standing stigma.