Fox Hunting: A Line I’m Drawing

This Isn’t My Usual Tone — But This Is a Line I’m Drawing

This isn’t my usual tone, and it’s not what this blog normally covers. I’m aware of that. I’m also aware it won’t please everyone.

I’ve seen a number of people on social media trying to justify fox hunting as a Boxing Day tradition. I’ve already made my view clear elsewhere, and I’m fully expecting some backlash because of it.

I’m addressing it here only because it keeps being framed as harmless, inevitable, or misunderstood. It isn’t. And after this, it doesn’t need further clarification from me.

So this is me stating my position plainly, once, in my own space.

I don’t support fox hunting. Calling it tradition doesn’t alter the act, and attaching it to a public holiday doesn’t elevate it. The ban exists because the practice was examined, challenged, and found indefensible. Disliking that outcome doesn’t make it temporary, unfair, or open for renegotiation.

I understand the arguments. I’ve heard them before. Repeating them doesn’t improve them, and I’m not interested in rehearsing them again here.

This isn’t a discussion about heritage, countryside identity, class, or other forms of wildlife management. Pulling those in doesn’t change the issue — it just avoids it.

This post isn’t here to persuade, debate, or “hear both sides.” It exists to draw a line. If that line makes people uncomfortable, that’s their problem to sit with, not mine to resolve.

This blog is not a forum, and this topic is not open for discussion here.

This position isn’t provisional.
It won’t be revisited.
There will be no follow-ups, clarifications, or replies.

This topic ends here.

27th Dec 2025 0

The Outlast Trials Hub Is Live

I’ve added a new hub page to the site for The Outlast Trials.

As the Survivor’s Dread side of the blog continues to grow, it made sense to give Outlast its own space — somewhere that keeps everything organised, easy to navigate, and separate from the calmer survival runs.

The hub brings together all Outlast Trials–related posts in one place, including logs, reflections, and anything else that emerges as the series develops. No hunting through categories. No guessing what order things came in.

You can find the hub here:

The Outlast Trials – Survivor’s Dread Hub

This doesn’t mark a change in tone — Outlast is still intense, uncomfortable, and deliberately unsettling — but it does give it a clearer structure on the site. A dedicated place for controlled panic, bad decisions, and learning the hard way.

As more entries are added, they’ll all live there. One page. One thread. No chaos in the navigation, at least.

If you’ve been following the Outlast content so far, that’s now the best place to keep track of it.

27th Dec 2025 0

The Quiet After

Christmas has passed. The noise has faded. The build-up is over.

Today doesn’t need to be productive. It doesn’t need to be exciting. It doesn’t even need to be memorable.

There are sales everywhere. Notifications, emails, countdowns, reminders that you could be doing something. Buying something. Starting something.

But you don’t have to.

It’s okay to move slowly today. To sit in the quiet after the storm. To let things settle before deciding what comes next.

I’ve been making a few small, quiet changes around the site as well — nothing major, just adjusting how things look and feel so they better match where the blog is now. Sometimes a little tidying helps things breathe.

If you’re looking for something familiar and unhurried, the Survivor’s Logs are always there. No rush. No pressure. Just notes taken along the way.

Rest isn’t falling behind. Stepping back isn’t missing out. Sometimes the most sensible thing you can do is nothing at all.

If today is just a calm pause between moments, that’s enough.

We’ll pick things up again when the time feels right.

26th Dec 2025 0

A Quiet Reminder for Today

If today feels loud, busy, or overwhelming, that’s okay.

Christmas doesn’t have to be constant noise, forced cheer, or non-stop interaction to count. It’s allowed to be quiet. It’s allowed to be simple. It’s allowed to include stepping away for a bit.

Taking a break isn’t rude. It isn’t ungrateful. It’s just knowing when you need a pause.

Whether that means finding a quiet room, going for a short walk, putting headphones on, or just sitting somewhere calm for a few minutes — that space matters.

The day doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be manageable.

If you need a moment of quiet today, take it. You don’t need permission — but consider this a reminder anyway.

25th Dec 2025 0

A Quiet Thank You, Before the Year Closes

With Christmas just around the corner, it felt like the right moment to pause and say thank you.

Not a big announcement. Not a recap post. Just a simple acknowledgement of everyone who has clicked a link, read a post, or stuck around longer than they had to.

This blog didn’t start with a plan, a schedule, or any expectations. It started as a place to put words somewhere instead of keeping them in my head. The fact that anyone else found their way here at all is something I don’t take lightly.

Whether you’ve been here since the early posts, discovered the blog through a game guide, or stumbled across it by accident and stayed for a bit — thank you. Every view, comment, and subscription is a quiet signal that the work landed somewhere.

I also want to thank the people who read without interacting. The quiet readers matter just as much. Not everything needs a comment to count.

The image above feels fitting: a warm drink, a handheld console, a notebook, and a sense of pause. That’s what this space has become for me — and knowing it might be that for someone else too means more than numbers ever could.

I’ll keep writing. I’ll keep sharing what I make. And I’ll keep doing it in a way that feels honest, calm, and human.

Wherever you are, I hope you have a peaceful Christmas — or at least a quiet moment to yourself.

Thank you for being here.

24th Dec 2025 0

The Biggest Influences in My Life

Who are the biggest influences in your life?

The biggest influences in my life haven’t always been specific people. More often, they’ve been patterns, ideas, and examples I’ve observed over time.

I’ve been shaped by watching how different people respond to pressure, responsibility, and change. Some examples showed me what to move toward. Others showed me what to avoid. Both mattered.

Consistency has been one of the strongest influences. People who show up, do what they say they’ll do, and don’t make a spectacle of it have always left a mark on me. Quiet reliability tends to stick longer than loud success.

I’ve also been influenced by creators, writers, and storytellers who focus on process rather than perfection. The idea that progress comes from small, repeated effort rather than big gestures is something I’ve carried with me.

Ultimately, the biggest influence has been learning to trust my own judgement over time. Taking lessons from the world around me, filtering them, and deciding what fits has mattered more than following any single voice.

Influence, for me, isn’t about imitation. It’s about alignment. Keeping what works, discarding what doesn’t, and building something that feels honest.

24th Dec 2025 0

The Year I Was Born

Share what you know about the year you were born.

I know the year I was born sat in an interesting point of transition. It was a time when the world was shifting, but hadn’t fully realised it yet.

Technology was present, but it wasn’t everywhere. Things still felt physical. Media was something you interacted with deliberately, not something that followed you around all day. Entertainment, communication, and information all required a bit more effort than they do now.

From what I’ve learned since, it was also a period where optimism and uncertainty existed side by side. Big changes were underway, even if they weren’t obvious at the time. Looking back, it’s easy to see how much of what we now take for granted was just beginning to form.

I didn’t experience that year consciously, but its influence is there. It shaped the environment I grew up in, the pace of change I witnessed, and the way I tend to approach new ideas — cautiously curious, but grounded.

It wasn’t a defining year because of the date itself. It mattered because of the direction the world was moving in. And that context has always felt more important than the number.

23rd Dec 2025 0

The Outlast Trials – Trial Log #1: Kill the Snitch

This is the video companion to my first real Trial in The Outlast Trials.
A full, uncut solo run of Kill the Snitch, set in the police station.

No highlights.
No edits.
Just forty-four minutes of slow movement, bad assumptions, and learning the hard way.

Viewer discretion advised. The Outlast Trials is intended for mature audiences and contains graphic violence, disturbing imagery, and psychological horror. This content may not be suitable for all viewers.

All Trials in this series are played solo.

The Trial

Trial: Kill the Snitch
Location: Police Station
Mode: Solo
Difficulty: Lowest available
Runtime: 44 minutes (full run)

Even on the lowest difficulty, the tension never really lets up.
Standing still feels dangerous, objectives act like bait, and the moment you assume you’re safe, the game corrects you.

The Video

This is a slow first run, and that’s intentional.
I wanted to understand the rules of the Trial before pushing difficulty or modifiers.

First Takeaways

Clearing an area doesn’t mean it stays clear
Objectives attract attention
Being stationary is often the most dangerous choice

When things went wrong, it was usually because I misjudged sound, timing, or commitment — not because the game pulled a trick.
That consistency is what made the Trial so unsettling.

Where This Fits

This video is part of Survivor’s Dread — survival horror focused on tension, pressure, and endurance rather than mastery.

I don’t know how many more Trials will follow.
If there’s another, it’ll be logged the same way.
If not, this stands as a record of the experience.

Surviving, not suffering — even when the chaos is real.

22nd Dec 2025 0

When I’m Most Happy

When are you most happy?

I’m most happy when things are quiet and steady. Not silent, just settled. When there’s no rush to be anywhere else and no pressure to perform or explain myself.

That usually looks like having time to focus on something I enjoy without interruption. Writing, playing a game, or working through an idea from start to finish. Being absorbed in something simple but meaningful does more for me than big moments ever have.

I’m also happiest when things feel balanced. When the day has structure, but not rigidity. When there’s enough space to breathe, think, and reset without feeling like time is slipping away.

It’s not about excitement or constant positivity. It’s about calm satisfaction. The feeling that nothing is demanding attention right now, and that’s okay.

Those moments don’t last forever, but when they show up, they’re enough. That’s usually where happiness lives for me.

21st Dec 2025 0

Super Mario 64 Randomizer – Log 7: Bowser in the Fire Sea Was Not the Plan

Super Mario 64 Randomizer Log 7: Bowser in the Fire Sea Was Not the Plan

Mode: Randomizer
Lives Remaining: 17
Stars Collected: 38
Stars Remaining: 82

With Tick Tock Clock finally behind me, I head back downstairs to see what’s lurking behind the entrance that should lead to Hazy Maze Cave. The answer, apparently, is Bowser in the Fire Sea.

To make matters worse, a quick look around confirms the red coins are floating over lava. That problem can wait.

Bowser First, Questions Later

After a few failed attempts getting my bearings, I respawn right next to the Bowser fight entrance. I briefly consider going for the red coins first, then decide against it. Survival comes first.

This somehow turns into the only time I’ve ever failed this fight. I misjudge my position, step where I shouldn’t, and Mario drops straight into the lava.

The second attempt goes as expected. Bowser goes down, the key is mine, and we all agree not to talk about the first try.

The Red Coins Problem

With upstairs now unlocked, I return to the Fire Sea red coins. Several attempts later, it’s clear this set is going to be a nuisance. Precision jumps over lava with a randomizer twist are not something to rush.

I leave them for another session — and another video.