July 9, 2023

City Guide

Jonathan Barrett

There aren’t that many places in the world that have experienced conflict within my life time that are now deemed relatively safe to travel to, on the scale of which Sarajevo experienced. The scars of which can still be seen today.

July 9, 2022

Life

Jonathan Barrett

Glastonbury - The Unofficial Ultimate Comfort ...

A few years ago, I wrote Glastonbury: The Unofficial Survival Guide. This was something I shared with a couple of friends who were going to be coming with me for their first ever Glastonbury who asked for some information on what it was like and some tips on how to get by. It must have done its job as they both survived

November 7, 2021

Life, Review

Jonathan Barrett

The Yoga Experiment

An ex-colleague, and member of my beach swim club alerted me to the fact that the yoga studio that she attends around the corner from me was doing a day of free trial sessions. I had done yoga before and thought it was alright but preferred Pilates. Partly because it felt like a workout while resolving my flexibility issues, partly because a friend is an instructor and therefore have to prefer it and partly because previous yoga instructors I had been in contact with fit the stereotype of hemp wearing vegans who could feel the universe flowing through a haemorrhoid if the planets were in alignment. I thought I would give it a go anyway. A free class is a free class after all.

June 29, 2021

Life

Jonathan Barrett

Experiencing the Hype-othermia

Like half of the population, I dipped a metaphorical and literal toe into the world of cold water swimming during lockdown. The reasoning for this was partly because a couple of friends and people I follow on the gram participate, partly because the health benefits are well documented, it was free and partly out of boredom and needed a new activity to involve myself in.

March 23, 2021

Life

Jonathan Barrett

The Lockdown Lessons - A year of National ...

Today marks a year since the government announced its first national Lockdown. In some ways it feels like the longest year ever experienced by anyone ever, in other ways it really does not feel like it’s been that long at all. It is funny thinking back to that time when no one will have predicted that we would still be here a year later.

Trek

Jonathan Barrett

March 30, 2019

Travel, Adventure

Nepal - In Search of Yaks and Yetis

Jonathan Barrett

March 30, 2019

Travel, Adventure

Back in 2015, I set out to conquer a small section of the Himalayas. Five years ago today we left Kathmandu to Pokhara, gateway to the Annapurna’s. These are the notes from that trip.

When I used to think of Nepal, it conjured up imagery of mountains, saffron clad monks, prayer flags and enough spirituality to choke a hippy. To some extent it lived up to this Tibetan-like view, but it is also so much more than that. I must admit I didn’t know much about Nepal before I left other than my desire to go there, so when one of my work colleagues at the time suggested a trip, I was quick to put my hand up and volunteer. I was working as an Assistant House Master and PE Assistant at a school when Rick sent the email to the staff for a two-week trip to Nepal, trekking the Annapurna region of the Himalayas the following year.

Jonathan Barrett

June 25, 2018

Travel, Adventure

Tatra Mountain Trek - Poland

Jonathan Barrett

June 25, 2018

Travel, Adventure

I travelled up to Luton the day before and stayed at the esayHotel, the easyJet hotel brand. The room can only be described as a prefabricated box with just enough room to swing a hamster but it was clean and comfortable. The evening was spent having a cheeky Nando’s and several drinks at the White House Weatherspoon’s getting to know the four ladies, Jayne, Debbie, Leanne and Fiona, who were to become my trekking mums over the next few days.