As 2025 draws to a close, I’ve been reflecting on what has been a truly rewarding year.
Work
Last year, I returned to public speaking after a bit of an extended break. I was eager to continue this and 2025 was full of opportunities.
This year, I delivered talks at Front End Sheffield, Leeds PHP and dot Net Sheffield. I was also invited to speak on a panel about digital accessibility at a11y North.
I attended a couple of tech conferences. First as a backup speaker for Front End North; then later in the year I got my chance to deliver my first conference talk at Tech Mids.
Speaking at a conference hadn’t been on my bucket list at the start of the year. However, I realised I was ready to take public speaking to a larger audience and loved the experience.
I'm excited to see what new speaking opportunities 2026 will bring.
Life
Outside of work, my passion project, Street Art Sheffield, opened up several exciting experiences. Recognised for my knowledge of Sheffield’s street art scene, I was interviewed by ITV News and BBC Radio Sheffield. When I first set up my website, I never anticipated it leading to me featuring in the news.
In 2025, Sheffield hosted its first street art festival; Lick of Paint was organised by a couple of local artists, Peachzz and Alastair Flindall. They invited me to be part of the festival activities, running the official walking tours. I’ve run many tours before, but these felt special. The city buzzed with creativity that weekend and guiding people through the festival sites was unforgettable.
Despite all my personal highs of 2025, at times the world has felt like it’s been in a really dark place. This has impacted my mental health. It’s one of the reasons I have thrown myself into many things this year. Getting out and being part of the community has been really energising.
One other thing I’ve done to combat my anxiety has been to attend lots of live comedy gigs. Being in a room full of people laughing is very uplifting. Highlights have included Rhys Darby, Zoe Lyons, Russell Howard, Angela Barnes and a somewhat chaotic live performance of Johnny Vegas’ Ideal. Attending Sheffield's Crossed Wires podcast festival was also a lot of fun.
2026
2025 has been full of unexpected opportunities. I'm excited to see what 2026 has in store.