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You are here: Home / General / Looking back at 2020

2nd January 2021 by Ben Barden

Looking back at 2020

2020 wasn’t great really, was it?

This Instagram post from Rhys Wynne resonated with me. Specifically the opening:

I was listening to a podcast and they said this year has been “Net Neutral” for them.

I read this after I’d started putting together a list of highs and lows – it feels very apt.

Covid was (and still is) an obvious low. Sadly we lost my grandmother as the care homes were getting hit. A small group of us were able to meet for the funeral, which was a rare opportunity to see some of my family that didn’t involve Zoom.

I turned 40, which I have mixed feelings about. Originally I wanted to throw a party but that was obviously not possible. I did see a few of the family for a barbecue – the only other time I’ve been able to see most of them.

Working from home has been mostly good for me. Day to day it’s been quite samey – and I do miss the buzz of the London office. But I don’t miss the time and money I was spending on commuting 5 days a week. I also don’t miss the regular delays and overcrowding. It feels like a long time ago!

A big achievement was finding a flat I could afford, and having an offer accepted. It’s been a bit delayed, but I’m hoping it’ll complete and I’ll be able to move in the next few weeks.

Another achievement was getting my music on Spotify. It’s pretty niche, so I’m not expecting a lot of listeners – but it’s something I’ve put a lot of myself into, and this has long been a goal of mine. Here’s a playlist of the tracks I’ve uploaded so far.

My Nintendo Switch hobby site (Switch Scores) has been coming along nicely, with collaborations and help from a few different people. The site has been running for nearly 4 years (originally called World of Switch) and it’s great to see that others are finding the site useful – it motivates me to do more with it.

2021 may well turn out to be more of the same – but hopefully as the year progresses, we can see people again.

Other than continuing with my projects (Switch Scores and my music) I’d like to get back into blogging this year. Famous last words. After many years of blogging on and off, I’ve reached the point where I’m not sure what to write about here – or who I’m writing for. Perhaps I’ll figure that out and go somewhere with it. Or I won’t figure it out – but I’d still like to blog anyway. It’s good writing practice. (I’m not sure what for…)

If you’re reading, thank you and I hope you have a Happy New Year.

Filed Under: General

About the author

Web dev, bug finder, writer of niche music
Founder/coder at switchscores.com
Product Manager at Octopus Energy / Kraken Technologies Read More…

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benbarden

I have some new music coming soon. 😁🕺🥳💥🦆 It's almost ready to submit to Spotify... once I've finished tweaking one of the tracks. In the meantime, here's the artwork.
Soft and comfy. #catsofinstagram Soft and comfy. #catsofinstagram
Winding path on a cloudy day. Winding path on a cloudy day.
Found this on a walk in #guildford . Found this on a walk in #guildford .
Check it out- brand new electric radiator! Just ar Check it out- brand new electric radiator! Just arrived. I have 2 in this size and a bigger one for the lounge. On feet for now but will be fixed to the wall at a later date. Once set up, no more ancient storage heaters to contend with!
It was a very nice day! I went for a walk at lunch It was a very nice day! I went for a walk at lunchtime.
One of my favourites. #pokemongo One of my favourites. #pokemongo
Out for a walk on my lunch break. Out for a walk on my lunch break.
An imposter in the fruit bowl! An imposter in the fruit bowl!
Rainbow! Rainbow!
The tea station in my new flat. The tea station in my new flat.
There's space for drinks in the window seat. There's space for drinks in the window seat.
View from the windows. View from the windows.
Setting up the new study. That's a wardrobe on the Setting up the new study. That's a wardrobe on the left. It is bigger than the pic shows but the rest of the room is a bit of a mess, as I still have some sorting to do.
Setting up the Switch is an important part of movi Setting up the Switch is an important part of moving.
It's been a long week, as I've been moving to a ne It's been a long week, as I've been moving to a new place. This was my final pic of the old flat, all boxed up and ready to go.
New music now on Spotify! It's a disco EP - well, New music now on Spotify! It's a disco EP - well, some of it. Search for GFD and look for this pic. Or use this link, but you'll have to copy it: https://open.spotify.com/album/04eiQOEeJZiOThpRyjm60w?si=gsRT8JHwQHeQFXIPqTyw_g&utm_source=copy-link
New disco/dance album, coming to Spotify etc in a New disco/dance album, coming to Spotify etc in a couple of weeks 😁🕺💥❤
I love this game. Very happy to have it on the #Ni I love this game. Very happy to have it on the #NintendoSwitch !
So much food, but it was good! So much food, but it was good!
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