My top 5s
I’m not naturally someone who talks a lot about myself in a work setting. So I thought I’d try something different.
Rather than writing a long “about me”, here are five top fives. A few things I like, a few things I’ve done, and a few things that might give you a better idea of who I am outside of work.
1. Places to eat
I’ve got a shortlist when it comes to food. These are five places I’d happily go back to. And, like everything else on this list, there’s a bit of variety.
Fuji Hiro: One of those places that doesn’t need to shout about what it does. Great food. Relaxed atmosphere. Somewhere I’m always happy to eat.
Forde: A favourite where the food is the main event. Quiet, focused, and always worth going back for.
HooYah: Definitely one for when you want a damn good burger. Completely different vibe, and one I really enjoy.
Ox Club: A Leeds favourite, and a great example of why sometimes you just need really good ingredients cooked well.
Prashad: A brilliant vegetarian Indian restaurant, and probably the one on this list that surprises people most if they know my usual food choices.
Honourable mention: Dans le Noir?, less about the food itself and more about the experience. Eating in complete darkness definitely makes you experience a meal in a completely different way.
2. Theatre shows
Next up, the theatre. Probably the category that gives away the most about my taste. A mixture of musicals, comedy, nostalgia, and things that are just a little bit different.
Avenue Q: Funny, rude, clever, and definitely not your traditional musical. One of those shows that stays with you for all the wrong reasons.
Blood Brothers: A classic. Great storytelling, brilliant music, and one of those shows that hits a little harder than you expect.
Sunny Afternoon: A brilliant celebration of The Kinks, with great music and plenty of energy. One for the playlist as much as the theatre.
Murder She Didn’t Write: Completely different again. An improvised murder mystery where the audience gets involved in deciding what happens. You never quite know what you’re going to get.
Blue Man Group: Hard to describe, but very easy to enjoy. Music, comedy, theatre, paint, and general chaos. What’s not to like?
3. Watches
I’ve also got a bit of a thing for watches. I’m not sure I’d call myself a watch collector. That sounds far too organised. But I do enjoy watches that have a bit of a story, or something different about them.
Heuer – Carrera 510.523: My grandad’s watch. I was fascinated by it as a child. The one that started it all.
Mr Jones Watches – &#!@?: Definitely the odd one out. And that’s precisely why I like it. Mr Jones do some brilliantly unconventional designs.
Christopher Ward x seconde/seconde/ – C60 Pool Diver: A proper dive watch with the slightly irreverent twist you’d expect from seconde/seconde/.
Seiko x Pink Panther – 5 Sports: Because sometimes a watch doesn’t need to take itself seriously.
Bremont x Bamford – S500: A very different beast again, and one of my favourites from the collection.
4. LEGO builds
When I’m not working, I build LEGO versions of supercars I’m unlikely to ever own in real life.
Ferrari Daytona SP3: One of my favourites to build. And, unsurprisingly, one of the supercars I’d love to have in the real world.
Lamborghini Sián FKP 37: A great-looking supercar and an equally impressive LEGO build. Lots of detail. Definitely one that takes a while.
McLaren P1: Another supercar. Another LEGO build. Another car I’m unlikely to own outside of plastic bricks.
Porsche 911 GT3 RS: A proper supercar build, and probably one of the most satisfying in the collection.
Bugatti Chiron: Big, complicated, and impressive. Pretty much everything you’d expect from a LEGO Bugatti.
Honourable mention: the Koenigsegg Sadair’s Spear, which could change the list, but I haven’t actually started building it yet, so I’m not counting it. For now.
5. Sports teams
And finally, if you ever want to know where my sporting loyalties lie, here are the five teams most likely to ruin my weekend.
Leeds United: The obvious one. Supporting Leeds comes with highs, lows, and a lot of “surely it can’t get any worse than this?” moments. Which is also what makes it so rewarding when things go well.
London Irish: A team I’ve followed for years. There’s something about supporting a club that feels a little different from the mainstream. London Irish certainly fits that description.
Boston Bruins: My slightly less obvious choice. I’ve always had a soft spot for the Bruins and, perhaps inevitably, ended up getting into ice hockey along the way.
McLaren: Motorsport has been around for a long time for me. Dad competing in Land Rover trials. Karting at school. Formula 1 followed, and McLaren are my team. British heritage, history, and the inevitable emotional rollercoaster.
Bradford Bulls: A bit of a curveball to finish. I’m a rugby union fan at heart, but I appreciate both codes. Bradford are my local team, so I try and attend matches when I can.
So, that’s me…
Or at least 25 small pieces of me.
Five places to eat.
Five theatre shows.
Five watches.
Five LEGO builds.
Five sports teams.
And looking back at the list, there does seem to be a bit of a theme:
Personality over convention. A bit of nostalgia. A bit of humour. And a slightly worrying willingness to repeatedly invest my time in things that can cause disappointment.
Hopefully you know me a little better now. Or at least you’ll know which teams to avoid mentioning on a Monday morning.