A few questions about nice things...

Who do you most admire?

Collectively, my family. My mum’s side of the family is huge and we’re all close, despite me living 100 miles away in Birmingham. When I visit home I try and see as many of them as possible. They’re very welcoming, and are the nicest of people, and they will do anything to help one another (or even strangers) out.

What are your favourite possessions?

My favourite possession is an old photo album that belonged to my dad. We found it when going through his possessions after he died a few years ago. It’s a beautiful photo album with a grand boat on the front, it’s clearly very old, but has been kept in great condition, with all of the photos placed in the pages with photo corners to hold the photos perfectly in place. The photos were taken when my dad was in the Royal Air Force in the 1950s, when he fought in the Korean war as a young man. From what I gather from his photos, he travelled to Malaysia, Hong Kong and Thailand, amongst other countries. He never spoke about his time there, so these photos are really quite mysterious – and fascinating at the same time – and reveal a side of my dad that I know very little about.

Tell us about your perfect day or weekend...

My perfect day would start waking up naturally without an alarm, and still having an hour or so left in bed.

I’d go off on an adventure with friends: cycling into the city centre or a few miles out of town, or if we have more time, get a train further afield. Wherever we would end up, we’d spend the day appreciating our surroundings, visiting art galleries and museums, and taking a picnic for lunch or stopping off at a cute little café or cosy ‘old man’s’ pub for lunch.

We’d go shopping, picking out quirky gifts for friends and family in boutiques, charity shops and bookshops. After a steady cycle or snoozy train ride home, in the evening we’d go for a traditional Brummie balti dinner, and spend the rest of the night storytelling, laughing and generally being jolly.

What makes you happiest?

Being a graphic designer and blogger, I spend a lot of time in front of the screen. Luckily I have a great passion for design and really enjoy what I do, so it’s not too much of a problem – but I love nothing more than being outside. Whether that’s pottering down the garden to check on my growing plants, popping to the local baker for some bread, or going on long bike rides into the countryside. Being outside fuels my inspiration, and helps me focus on my day job.

What would you like to do in the future?

Travel, continue on my career path as a graphic designer, and one day have a family of my own. I’m lucky to be a freelancer so I meet all sorts of people and I have clients across the UK. One day I hope to work with clients further afield, so I can ‘two birds one stone’.

Image by Chris Swann