Epilogue

Tuesday 7 October 2025

The Victoria Memorial with its gilded statue shining in the sunlight in front of Buckingham Palace, London, on a clear blue day with crowds gathered around the monument.

I’m nearly home now. The first time I posted this holiday was from the airport in Taipei; I’m here again now on my way back. I’ll be home with Calvin and the dogs and my Nintendo Switch tomorrow morning.

I’ve only posted once since arriving in the UK. Since then, I’ve had a busy couple of weeks, hanging out with friends and doing stuff. It’s been fun, particularly after my solitary and relaxed time in Greece.

So: a quick summary of the last two weeks.

A pub with dark timber and whitewashed walls under a reddish-brown tiled roof, labeled “The Beachy Head.” Picnic tables sit on the paved courtyard in front, under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds. — The Beachy Head hotel

For just over a week, I stayed with Joe and Mark in Eastbourne. We hung out, watched telly, and ate. Joe and I recorded three episodes of Untitled Star Trek Project (episodes 166, 167 and 168), and an episode of Strictly Come Hamster. (It’s so much more fun doing this in person than over Zoom.) We wandered up to the Beachy Head with Rob to have lunch.We visited Brighton twice, once to have lunch and to visit famed genre merch treasure trove Snooper’s Paradise, and once to see a live podcast show called Uncanny. And one night, Col came down to join me for drinks and dinner in town.

A wide view of the foyer of the National Theatre, with people milling about and sitting on benches and café tables. The space features tall pillars, large windows letting in evening light, and a hanging sculpture of metallic leaves. — The National Theatre foyer

Then I stayed with Ange and Joseph in London for a few days. I first met Ange over thirty years ago, when I first started teaching at Grammar. It was great to just catch up and hang out, but we also went to see the Picasso exhibition at the Tate Modern, the new production of Euripides’ Bacchae at the National Theatre, and the exhibition on Marie Antoinette at the V & A.

A street in Amsterdam at night. The front of the Spijkerbar is visible, lit up in rainbow lights and festooned with rainbow flags. — The Spijkerbar

After that, two nights in Amsterdam with James, who happened to be over in Europe at the same time. We visited the highlights of the collection in the Rijksmuseum, ate some food and did some bar-hopping (including a visit to the Spijkerbar). It was not my first trip to Amsterdam, of course, but it was my first time travelling by Eurostar, so that’s another thing off the bucket list.

Finally, two nights in London at a hotel near Kensington High Street. The first day, I spent an afternoon with James and Conrad at the Fitzroy Tavern, meeting some new people and catching up with a couple of old friends. And then yesterday I went for a walk through Hyde Park to Buckingham Palace, before catching the Tube back to the hotel to pack. Then off to the airport for an evening flight.

Which brings me back here. It’s been another great trip, and after such a long break, I’m kind of looking forward to going back to work on Monday to catch up with everyone and to find out what’s been going on in my absence.

And after nearly thirty-two years at Grammar, I still have a bit of long service leave left. So, Deo volente, I’ll see you all back here in a couple of years.

2025 Long Service Leave