I’ve always had a weird attachment to years that end in five. From 1995 to 2020, each one turned out slightly better than the years around it (I know it sounds strange to say that about 2020, but on a personal level, it was great for me). I went into 2025 slightly nervous. It didn’t let me down.
Here’s my 2025, in a few facts and figures:
500+ — people now read Hypertextual. If you’re seeing this, please consider subscribing.
10+ — bags of litter I fished out of the small river in the park near my home. I also joined the park’s Friends group. In 2026, I want to run a small public education project there.
1 — I made my first game. It’s about birds in our local park. I learnt vibe coding along the way, and I plan to keep making things.
Silver — my team won a Silver prize at the Information is Beautiful Awards for a project on urban shade. We celebrated by starting a new media project about cultural heritage.
2 courses — I kept teaching my master’s course at ITMO, and I also helped create a Udemy course on AI in sustainability.
53 books — including all of Harry Potter (for the first time). Best reads: Ramesses, Loved by Ptah (Susanna Thomas), From Source to Sea (Tom Cheshire), Ian Fleming: The Complete Man (Nicholas Shakespeare).
35+ shows — lots of theatre, a couple of ballets, and symphonic concerts. Highlights: Ballet Shoes, The Seagull with Cate Blanchett, and Fiddler on the Roof at the Barbican.
112 places — cities, towns, villages. 111 of them in Britain. All great (except Wallingford).