Christian Ainley my day to day

  Looking back on 2025 and my commitment to myself, firstly it was to maintain the achievements of the previous year, that being no nicotine which was maintained and I didn't regress. My other commitment was to getting fitter. Which I've tried to adhere to. I've visited the gym often and been on loads of walls and some cycling at the start of the year. I probably should look at my diet and try to reduce weight which is my weakness. I've got a good resting heart rate, good blood pressure but I'm a bit on the chunky side.  Self improvement, this was one of my main aims of this year and I think I've come a long way, I the first half of the year I earned my SIA Door supervisor license and the associated courses that go with it, First Aid at Work, Actions Counters Terrorism Awareness and Security as well as the five day course that’s mandatory. In the second half of the year I signed up for and completed my level 2 Customer service course over three months and I'...

  It’s back to the gym and I kicked off with rowing. Just a nice steady pace to get the blood flowing. It was 3743 meters in 30 mins.  On to tri press machine starting with 50kg going up to 60kg.  On to the cables next and starting with bar pull downs. I had to use a different machine today with different resistance to normal. It was 15kg to start up to 21kg  Overhead pulls next, 17.5kg up to 28kg  Rope pull downs 15kg to 21kg nice and slow.  Bars next and 20kg down to 17.5kg to kill it off.  It was a nice session not too heavy but I went. Have fun stay safe 👍

  The weather was bright and clear so I headed out for a walk, my first call was to see if the petrol can from my last walk had been picked up by someone on the farm as you can tell by the photo it had, or it was floating in the water trough ( I checked from a distance ) I think it was picked up though.  It was back across the fields and up Rowley path again listening to my new book. I wanted to change things up so came back via the side road to the hospital and I also found some balls there too. It was 13 balls in total and I came home and sorted them all ready to be listed in the spring.  It was a nice walk just under six miles in total and I stayed clean. Not sure what tomorrow’s plan with regards to exercise is but as it’s New Year’s Eve I’ll try to review the previous year.  Have fun stay safe 👍🏼

  It was back to the gym today and legs. I hit the cross trainer to start and intervals on 14 for 30 mins. 479 cals an 1.59km.  On to hack squats and again with just the resistance of the machine then adding 10kg.  On to calf raises next and starting with 40kg then adding 10kg Leg extensions next starting with 50kg going up to 65kg Leg curls next and a mirror of the extensions Leg press with the machine next starting with 70kg and going up to 95kg  I had some time and did some abs 65kg up to 80kg  It was a good work out, have fun stay safe 👍🏼

  It was an afternoon walk, I headed up to Rowley path as I feel there might have been a few Christmas golfers. I made it up to the top of the path and back. I found 11 balls today which was good going. The farmer had also been out with the chainsaw making the path safe by cutting some fallen trees. He’d left a can of two stroke petrol/oil mix near the tree so I grabbed it and left it on a fence post near to the farm for them to find in the daylight. It was a nice walk, I’ve finished Phoenix and I’m onto a new book so look out for a bad review.  Have fun stay safe 👍🏼

  After only a short walk yesterday, I wanted to make it count today so it was coat, headphones and sunnys on and out to get up the Long walk. It was busy today I guess people walking off their Christmas dinners but it thinned out closer to the statue.  I called in to Pizza Express I’m now one stamp away from the golden pizza and finding out why I actually get from that, I’ll be sure to post so everyone will know. It’s been a nice day.  Have fun stay safe 👍🏼

  I have a gripe with the plot, if you hone the police and state you have a baby that’s been abandoned then you’ll be placed as a high priority for the welfare of the baby and the welfare of the mother as time is vital in thirds cases. Ok that’s off my chest !  For comedy reasons I’ll let it slide, Rowan Atkinson is a brilliant comedian and brings a complete range of comedy to this series. Visual comedy, slapstick, situational and word play Atkinson is a master of them having honed them over the last 40 or so years. It’s brilliant family fun and well worth a look over the holidays. You don’t have to follow a complex plot just it it on and let everyone veg out !  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Have fun stay safe 👍🏼

  What are the motivations behind writing a book ? For some it’s the subject, they have a passion for it. It might be an object or subject that they want to add to. It could also be a genre, the author likes the research and digging into that subject. Well this book is written with love to remember a great man who lost his life to early.  In 1994 a Chinook helicopter carrying most of the high ranking police and security personnel working in Northern Ireland crashed into the Mull of Kintyre killing all those on board. It set the peace process back years and and killed a number of very important people. Amongst them was Ian Phoenix and this book is written to remember him and his life by his widow Susan and Family friend Jack Holland.  It takes you from his early days as a child in Northern Ireland on to joining the parachute regiment and then back to signing on as a police officer in the RUC. Always in the front line of the troubles this book is written from a unique persp...

  After reading that I'd passed my course, I decided to head out for a nice long walk. It was up Rowley path and around the lake in Black Park and then home.  It was 7.3 miles and it was nice and relaxing. I managed to finish Paris after liberation it was a good book. It's been a nice day.  Have fun stay safe 👍

In July 1940 Paris was occupied, the once free city renowned for its liberty and egalaty was under the boot. The population faced some difficult choices that would impact the rest of their lives. Should they continue as normal, should they aid the occupation or should the resist?  The choices made during the occupation would have consequences on and after the city’s liberation in August 1944. Those who had an easier time and fraternized and aided with the occupation would be singled out and. The members of the marquee who actively resisted the occupation try to leverage their political status to gain power and influence. With communist resistance volunteers now seeking to gain a political foothold there are tricky political issues to navigate.  Antony Beevor is of course is a genius putting the reader in the middle of the action, if it's a fine Parisian hotel or the rougher parts of Paris you feel as if your actually there experiencing the events as they unfold. With a collect...

  My final module has been marked and I've passed. That was the final module so I've passed the course, it's just a matter of of waiting for moderation and my certificate to be issued by the governing body.  It was great and fun to do, I would highly recommend doing a course to improve your skills and to add something to your CV.  Have fun stay safe 👍

  It was gym day yesterday and it was Rowing to start. It was a reasonable psce 3715m over 30 minutes.  On to back next and deadlift to start adding 20kg to a bar then another  10kg it was ok.  Rowing next and starting with 42.5kg going up to 57.5kg  Last pull down 50kg going up to 65kg whichwas tough.  Cable rows next starting off with 50kg then up to 60kg  Rear delts next and starting light with 7.5kg going up to 21kg.  It was a nice session.  Have fun stay safe 👍

  After staying in yesterday to finish off my course work I needed to get out for some fresh air today.  It was a walk around the estate to collect todays Wewards then up to Rowley path. It was 7 golf balls today and I’m nearly at the end of my latest book.  Have fun stay safe 👍

  I have submitted my final module for assessment of my customer service course. The last module has taken me the best part of 10 hours to complete so I'm hoping for a good out come.  It's not due until January 9th and then it may be subject to moderation before I finally get the qualification. Let's wait and see!  Have fun stay safe 👍

  Just a quick note to say thank you for your support and page views, reaching 4000 for a mediocre blog is all thanks to your patience. Thank you and hopefully sometimes it good ! 

  It's a return to the gym today and it's leg day again. I started off with cross trainer intervals on level 14, I was a bit of a slog and I only managed 1.55km and 470 calories.  On to hack squats and 57kg up to 67kg I know I’m stuck on these weights but they are a grind.  Leg press starting with 50kg going up to 100kg.  Leg extensions 50kg going up to 65kg, 65kg was a struggle tbh.  Leg curls next and a mirror of extensions.  Some quick calf raises 40kg going up to 50kg. It was a good work out, have fun stay safe 👍🏼

  After yesterdays gym effort it was out for a walk this afternoon.  I went straight up Rowley path and I had it all to myself today, it was a successful golf ball hunt with 7 golf balls added to my stock. I also got through a good chunk of my new book. I did get this nice picture of a Periwinkle and the footpath. Have fun stay safe 👍

  It's a return to the gym today and it was rowing machine to start off. Not a high pace but ok. 3865 meters in 30 mins.  It was machine curls to start starting with 20kg going up to 37kg  Preacher with an Ez bar adding 20kg then 5kg more.  Preacher with plates 20kg then adding 5kg it was tough going.  Cable curls next and starting with 12.5kg going up to 17.5kg slowly.  Bar curls next and 20kg going down to 17.5kg nice slow curls. Some lat pull downs to finish 35kg going up to 42.5kg just to kill it off.  It was a nice session.  Have fun stay safe 👍

  This film came out last year and it was widely publicised on release. Gillian Anderson did the circuit to promote it and I believe it did rather well.  It has since been the subject of much media speculation. The Observer investigation has turned up some evidence that the film and book contain large parts of fiction and clam that the author has painted herself in a more favourable light. Whatever the case may be this is a well acted film that will keep you engaged as you follow a plucky couple try to complete a coastal hike around Cornwall and Dveon. There are lots of twists and turns along the walk and you'll begin to get invested in the couple as they make their trek.  Worth a look, a small budget film so concentrate on the acting and characters  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Have fun stay safe 👍

  Netflix’s murder mystery is back bringing more Hollywood A listers to the screen. Daniel Craig of course leads the line and it's nice to see a return of Jeremy Renner after his horrific accident.  If this is new to you I would recommend watching the first two instalments of this franchise first as it sets a context for the series. But it is a stand alone film and doesn't require knowledge of the other plots.  It's very long two and a half hours long so be prepared to invest that much time. A murder mystery with some great characters to pull you along. I put it on because I'd watched the others and I was pleasantly surprised. It's got a nice easy slow pace where as some of the previous films had been rather fast and dynamic at times. I'd put it in that Sunday afternoon category after a big Sunday lunch, the family can just sit and relax and enjoy. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Have fun stay safe 👍

  After walking around London yesterday it's a return to the gym today. Starting off with cross trainer intervals on 14 it was 2.6km and 479 calories in 30 mins. On to hack squats and with just the machine first then adding 10kg  On to leg press starting with 50kg going up to 80kg to finish.  Leg extensions starting with 50kg going up to 65kg  Leg curls was a mirror of extensions.  Calf raises to finish starting with 50kg and then 70kg to end the work out.  It was a nice session today, legs a bit tight after lots of walking yesterday.  Have fun stay safe 👍

 If there is one stand out achievement of the 20th centry it would have to be landing a man on the moon. From the first powered flight at Kitty Hawk to Neil Armstrong setting foot on the moon was 66 years it's hard to find another technology that developed faster then powered flight.  If you're interested in researching NASA’s path from German V2 rockets development into the huge three stage Saturn 5 rocket used to propel the Apollo 11 mission then you can can access all the information as NASA has put a lot of it into the public domain.  If however you're looking for a brief run down of the project from its start to the mission return then this is a perfect choice. Maybe you have a child who's into space and NASA in which case this is perfect as it covers the main points with out going too deep into the science or politics.  A nice read and good entry in to NASA history and the story of the moon landing.  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Have fun stay safe 👍

Battersea Power Station Night! There's an exhibition oon at the Tate gallery, Turner and Constanle rivals showing work that hasn't been seen together for 150 years, if you include sketches then you can move that until they were first painted.  We got the train to Tottenham Court road and then the Northern line down to Battersea Power Station for a look around the shopping centre. It's a nice shopping centre it has to be said and I did spot a nice hat but the £280 price put me off.  We walked down the south bank past the National Covid Memorial, there's a heart for all the victims of Covid 19 and it's a very long memorial let me tell you. If a member of your family passed away from covid you can write their name in a heart. We walked to Pret near the London eye for a mocha and a chocolate cake then headed back to the Tate.  The Tate Gallery  It was a short walk to Millbank and the Tate gallery, we were early so had a look around the main halls if you have a free day ...

  Kathryn Bigelow is a stand out director in Hollywood bringing ‘The Hurt Locker’ and ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ to the screen the former winning best director Oscar in 2010. When the force is placed with more stand out talent in the form of Rebecca Ferguson and Idis Elba you can be sure that is going to be a gripping piece of cinema.  A thriller centred around a single missile strike that's aimed at central United States. We follow as all systems kick in to defend the United States and as decisions are made on how to follow up on the events. Of course Bigelow is a master of keeping suspense and fast dynamic editing helps build drama. Will there be a nuclear war? Watch and find out as the tension builds.  A great thriller and well worth a look  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Have fun stay safe 👍

 It was an afternoon at the gym yesterday. Starting off with rowing it was 3719 meters in 30 mins not my fastest.  On to the shoulder work out starting with iso press machine. 20kgs going up to 30kg  Lateral press machine next starting with 20kg going up to 25kg  Shoulder presses with a bar next starting with 17.5kg going up to 20kg. Upright rows using the same bars  Lateral raises with some plates 2x2.5kg and the 2x5kg to get those last burning.  Shoulder press on a machine to finish starting with 20kg going up to 26kg and failure.  A good work out 👍

Why read a book ? Surly if it’s any good there will be a film or. TV series commissioned?  Well by reading or even listening to a book it gives you a sense of being there, when it’s written in the first person you see the world through the characters eyes, or in the third person your a witness to the events unfolding but in your mind you see the whole scene with a good writer you get to feel the emotion even taste the food or the smoke in the air.  One of the greatest plot points is that of the journey or the quest, you know the stories ‘Treasure Island’, ‘20,000 leagues under the sea’, ‘The lord of the rings’ series and so many others. I’ve read or listened to lots of them it’s great being on an adventure.  ‘Kolymsky Heights’ by Lionel Davidson with out question has to be one of the best books I’ve read. From the start I was intrigued as to how the story would develop and once it kicked in I was hooked. Set in the dark days of the Cold War it has all the hallmarks of a g...

  My course work has now been marked all the way up to module 6 and I've passed all of them subject to moderation. I’ve made some progress on the last module, I’m just over a 1/3 of the way through. It's slightly longer than the others. I went for an afternoon walk in the rain it was very wet under foot but I was as to find 5 balls. I completed my WeWards for the day and I got in over 20000 steps too. Its been a nice day.  Have funstst safe 👍

  After a morning at the gym I wanted to get out for a walk collect some WeWards and get some fresh air and rain. I was also able to listen to some more of my new book which is really good so lookout fofthat review. Only 3.3 miles but it was good to get out.  I came home and started the last module of my customer service course. I took two hours and managed to get through the first four of 11 questions. Hopefully I can get through them quickly and finish the course before Christmas.  Have fun stay safe 👍

  It's a return to the gym and cross training to start intervals on level 14 and pushing hard with 53% in level 4 hear rate. 478 calories and 1.67km.  On to triceps and abs it was the cable machine to start. With a bar fitted it was 15kg working up to 25kg.  Over head pulls next starting with 17kg going up to 28kg  Rope pull downs next and again starting at 15kg working up to 25kg and failure.  On to the tri machine next starting with 42.5kg going up to 65kg it was my limit.  French press with two bars 17.5kg and 20kgnice and slowly.  Ab crunches next and starting with 50kg going up to 72kg it felt good. Have fun stay safe 👍

  When the first part in this film series came out 11 years ago it was vibrant and fresh the idea of a group of magicians using their skills to complete a sequence of bank robberies and then giving the money to their audience was new and it was fun, light and full of surprises and drama.  The down side to these types of movies is that you get used to the surprise and they are no longer as good. Of course there's a great cast and if you have someone who adores magic then this will be fun otherwise I'd skip viewing it and look for something a bit more fresh to watch!  ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Have fun stay safe 👍

  After a slow morning I decided to get out for a walk, initialy it was just going to be a short one but as it was raining and I had started a new book on audible I thought I'd tack on a few extra miles. This would also aid in my walking competitions on WeWards and Garmin too.    I went around the estate first to collect the WeWards then up Rowley path and a full loop of Black Park. It was raining but not that heavy, more of a drizzle. It was a total of 11 miles and 7 golf balls. I got three hours into my new book and it's a good one.  Have fun stay safe 👍

  If you are a student of economics or even a just casual investor then this book will be of great interest to you. The wall street crash of 1929 is with out doubt the most well known market correction in modern history. The author carefully examines the forces that bought the financial markets to that perilous position and the personalitys who had key positions and steaks within the market down fall.  It's a challenging subject to tackle as there are so many factors that lead to the eventual market down turn and the author pieces the narrative together so well that you are compelled to read on and stitch the next piece of the picture to the story in your mind. As with all stories there are heroes and villains, vultures and prey as you progress further into the book it feels as if you're living the events as small details are picked out for you to emerse yourself with the feeling of the time and the desperation of the events.  Yes there are times where it's heavy going, I...

  It was a return to the gym yesterday and it was leg day. Starting off with rowing I managed to get 3918 meters in 30 mins.  On to hack squats and with just the machine resistance then adding 10kg On to leg presses and starting with 50kg going up to 100kg  Leg extension next and starting with 42.5kg going up to 65kg which was a struggle.  For leg curls I had to use the prone machine and started at 43kg going up to 69kg which was failure.  It was a good session so much that I had to have an early night to recover. Have fun stay safe 👍

  It was a nice clear afternoon so I thought I'd get out for an afternoon walk. Around the estate to start collecting Edwards then up to Rowley path. I managed to get to the top with out slipping over. On the way back the night started to draw in. I got across Wexham Park Lane and into the field. I turned on my head lamp to see my way across. The resting deer were startled by the light and it was strange to see the light reflected back by there eyes in the darkness. As the night set in it started to rain oh and I only found 3 balls. I goit through a good chunk of my new audible book which was nice.  Have fun stay safe 👍

  It's a lunch time vist to the gym and to kick things off its onto the cross trainer and intervals. Level 14 I wanted to be kind to my knees. 1.67km and 418 calories spending 20% in zone 5 it was a good start.  On to chest and it was the chest press machine to start starting with 27kg working up to 35kg.  The main cable station was free so I grabbed it and set up some cable cross overs. Not heavy I know but starting with 7.5kg a side working up to 12.5kg a side nice slow flys.  On to incline chest press and starting with just the bar working up to 10kg a side and failure. Decline press next and starting with 5kg a side going up to 10kg a side.  Wide machine chest press next and starting with 26kg going up to 33kg this was becoming a struggle.  I had time for one last exercise and there's a machine called iso chest press it's a strange movement pushing up and away. I started with 5kg per side going up to 10kg per side and failure. I called it a day here....

  It was 23 years ago that the reboot of Top Gear hit our screens. It desposed of the tired old format of car reviews for fleet managers and consumer advice on buying a new cars and instead bought motoring entertainment to our screens. Putting the latest performance car sideways around a track and then getting a celebrity to drive around the same track in a piece of junk kept us tuning in week after week.  Behind the scenes Andy Wilman was in the driving seat and in this book he takes you on that journey from 8pm on BBC 2 Sunday night to global Streaming on Amazon prime. There are the stories behind the creation of the series and the format and how it developed into the challenges and episodes that will define motoring entertainment on TV and streaming forever, it's highly imitated by everyone on you tube but never bettered.  If like me you tuned in every Sunday for the next episode of this cult show then this book is a must for your Christmas list, or summer charity shop...

  I had roughly scheduled out today's activities last week and I stuck to that plan. I woke up and worked through some course work on my customer service course, I had the second half of module six to get through and I spent 3 hours wading through it. I had a little surf on you tube while I tried to get back to reality. I then put on my boots, jacket and headphones and headed out for a walk. The weather was wet and windy but with my headphones on I was in my own world and the miles were soon tumbling. I got into the Long walk in Windsor and it was mostly empty just the occasional member of the Coldstream Guards out for a jog subtlely they like to wear their regiment T-shirts when out jogging. I went to Pizza express for lunch, still working my way towards that golden pizza in the app! It was a wet walk home to chill for the evening.  Only one module to go on the customer service course before it's complete and then I'll look for a new challenge once it's been marked and...