iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 29/09/2026

On-brand fuel for an all-day training session in the day job. I’m going to be a “dynamic presenter” after this, apparently (exact percentage increase in personal dynamism not quantified)

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 04/07/2026

Did a World Cup brew that’s ready just in time for the knockout stages ⚽️ An 8% American double dry-hopped IPA with seven different hop varieties involved in the build-up!

Photo of five beer bottles with a label reading “Hydration Break” and featuring an image of the World Cup on each bottle

Photo of a single bottle of beer next to a glass of hazy IPA on a lawn

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 24/05/2026

I regret the timing of my latest bottling day 🥵 however, (hopefully) delicious elderflower beer to drink within two weeks!

Photo of a number of brown beer bottles on a kitchen counter

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 12/05/2026

Eurovision week ➡️ Eurovision beers Timed my first all-grain brew to cater for our Eurovision party at the weekend! A pale ale single hopped with Mosaic 🍻

Photo of a number of bottled beers with the name “United by Mosaic” (a play on Eurovision’s “United by Music” slogan)

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 09/05/2026

Minor equipment upgrade for this month’s brewing session – having a better heater AND a thermostat control is making things a lot faster!

Photo of me next to a large 35 L kettle boiler on a garden patio.

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 02/05/2026

Fantastic weather for #EelDay in Ely today! For the unfamiliar, the giant eel of the fens was successfully placated by casting a few local children into its gaping jaws, and it was then driven back to the river for another year.

Photo of the giant eel of the fens rampaging through the streets of Ely and leaving wanton destruction in its wake

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 12/04/2026

Phew, I guess they call it a brew day for a reason. Took a while but it’s now happily fermenting away! Now time to sit back and drink to Orbán’s electoral demise 🥳

Photo of me holding a fermenting bucket of beer in my kitchen

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 12/04/2026

First brew day since before kids! And first time attempting all-grain brewing. Aiming for a fairly straightforward mosaic pale ale in time for a Eurovision party next month…

Photo of brewing prep: two large bags of grain, a packet of mosaic hops, yeast, and a large stainless steel stock pot.

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 07/03/2026

Had fun making some mini sushi stamps with the kids this morning and then adding colour with acrylic paints 🍣

Photo of a page of sushi stamp prints (a mix of maki and nigiri)

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 03/03/2026

Want to learn more about oracy in chemistry education? At next week's free @cambridgeocr.bsky.social OCR webinar, Naomi Hennah will share insights into how purposeful talk aids student understanding in chemistry. Sign up here: events.teams.microsoft.com/event/aa142e... #ITeachChem #ChatChemistry

Promotional image with the caption "Come along to our free teacher network"

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 03/02/2026

Sadly a few print issues with this layer which means I’m not entirely happy with it. Came out a bit patchy – may have been too much paint. Will try and salvage some tomorrow…

Photo of six copies of the print in the previous video.

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 01/02/2026

Second layer done! A few prints lost to misalignment along the way – seems my cheap 3D-printed paper registration method didn’t quite cut it…

Photo of six two-layer linocut reduction prints of a pair of tufted ducks. The first layer is light blue and the second is a darker blue.

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 31/01/2026

First layer of what might end up being an overly ambitious reduction print. I’ve made ten to start with in the hope that I end up with one or two decent ones!

Photo of a number of light blue prints of a pair of ducks on water, placed on a table. The Lino block used to make the prints is also visible.

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 23/01/2026

Proud of the 6yo’s birthday Pokémon punning here

Drawing of the Pokémon Articuno wearing a party hat, next to a birthday cake. Titled “Partycuno”.

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 22/01/2026

One week until the free @cambridgeocr.bsky.social webinar looking at what the Curriculum and Assessment Review means for science! We'll look at what the review said and what's coming next. Join here to make sure your thoughts are heard: bit.ly/45a1wHp #ChatChemistry #ChatPhysics #ChatBiology

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 20/01/2026

Some more linocut experimentation yesterday evening. Still keeping stuff relatively simple while I play around – might need some better rollers based on the slight patchiness on this one!

Photo of a linocut print of a snowdrop. The print is on white paper and has a slight gradient from light green at the top to dark green at the bottom.

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 19/01/2026

The clouds in Cambridgeshire cleared long enough for a brief auroral cameo

Photo of a pink-coloured night sky with a bank of cloud on the horizon and the silhouetted houses and trees

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 17/01/2026

The results of my first attempt at linocut printing today. Pretty pleased with how these turned out!

Photo of two prints of a dahlia made using linocut. One print is two colours (light cream and red) on white paper, the other is a gradient of white, yellow and orange on black paper

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 14/01/2026

Non-galanthophiles may not know that there are hundreds of different cultivars of snowdrop – here are a few of my favourites!

Photo of a drawing of a range of snowdrops. The flower of each is shown along with its name. Cultivars featured:
Common
Crimean
Elwesii
Flore Pleno
Moses Basket
Anglesey Abbey
Anglesey Candlelight
Richard Ayres
Blonde Inge
Wendy's Gold
Midas
Lady Elphinstone
Merlin
Morgana
Wasp

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 09/01/2026

At #ASEConf26? Come and see @amybrewer.bsky.social, @mikeycaer.bsky.social and me at the @cambridgeocr.bsky.social stand! We’ve got examples of our purposeful practical resources, and, more importantly, a huge tub of Lindor 😋 Plus you can vote on what’s your biggest challenge for GCSE reform 🗳️

Photo of Amy, Mike and me at the Cambridge OCR stand

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 06/01/2026

A beautiful icy morning in the fens ❄️

Photo looking across a snow-covered field with the sky a blend of blue, orange and yellow as the sun rises

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 04/01/2026

It’s a weird time of year to visit the pub. But deserted pubs do make for good book proposal writing spots!

Photo of my laptop on a pub table with an open document visible on screen. “Insert book proposal here” is written if you look closely, which is definitely a joke to conceal the actual content which I’ve absolutely written copious quantities of

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 04/01/2026

A busy work week to start off 2026. I’m in Bath overnight, ahead of visiting Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership tomorrow. Then towards the tail end of the week it’s off to Nottingham for the @associationscied.bsky.social conference!

Photo of me in front of Bath Abbey, which is lit up for Christmas with a Christmas tree in front of it

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 04/01/2026

Snow rarely reaches Ely, so we ventured to Blickling in Norfolk yesterday for a snow day! Here are the results of the kids’ hour or so of snowy labour @midsandeastnt.bsky.social

Photo of the house at Blickling Estate. Snow is on the ground and three dumpy snowmen are visible in the foreground

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 31/12/2025

The kids are in bed and now the challenge of reaching midnight without falling asleep begins. Deploying the secret weapon: espresso martinis 🍸

Photo of an espresso martini with blurred Christmas lights in the background

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 27/12/2025

It’s been a tough year for Thomas the Tank Engine

Photo of a kids’ fairground ride that’s a blue tank engine like Thomas but which has a haggard face with a rictus smile and dead eyes

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 26/12/2025

“Excuse me, I heard there was turkey” #CatsOfBluesky

Photo of a grey tabby British shorthair cat with yellow eyes, sat on a kitchen floor and rearing up towards the camera with one paw on a drawer handle

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 19/12/2025

Out of office is on, the beer fridge is stocked. Time to do a Christmas 🎄

Photo of a selection of beer cans in a fridge

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 19/12/2025

A friend 3D printed and painted these brilliant Pokémon Christmas decorations for the kids. Must resist the urge to impulse buy a 3D printer…

Photo of four pokemon Christmas baubles. From left to right: Bulbasaur festooned with Christmas lights, Squirtle in a Christmas hat, Snorlax in a Christmas hat, and Pikachu in a Christmas cloak with antlers.

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 17/12/2025

Putting wax seals on our Christmas cards like it’s 1899

Photo of a lump of wax being heated in a metal holder over a tea light

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 14/12/2025

Latest craft project: made some coasters from old beer can labels

Photo of a set of drinks coasters. Each is made from a beer can label which has been cut out and stuck to a wooden coaster.

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 12/12/2025

Saw the eye doctor this morning and he got a little carried away with the yellow dye stuff, so I travelled back from Cambridge looking like I’ve been crying jaundiced tears

Photo of me with yellow staining around my eyes and streaming down my cheeks

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 11/12/2025

I think my early new year resolution might need to be better forward planning. Hitting Cambridge Winter Beer Festival alone after discovering that the people I planned to meet with couldn’t actually make it after I arrived 😐

Photo of me at Cambridge winter beer festival

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 08/12/2025

Had a go at snow art. Definitely harder than it looks on YouTube tutorials!

Photo of a three-panelled window decorated with snow spray art. The leftmost panel features snowy pine trees, the middle panel has two candy canes and the right hand panel has a large snowman.

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 05/12/2025

Always a pleasure to attend The Salters' Institute annual awards ceremony on behalf of @cambridgeocr.bsky.social. A great opportunity to congratulate and celebrate all of the award winners including those for OCR Salters’ Chemistry A Level!

Collage of two photos, one showing me standing in front of a Christmas tree, the other showing the Salters Annual Awards Ceremony 2025 programme.

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 30/11/2025

I baulked at the price of the official Pokemon advent calendars, so I’ve made my own for the boys by getting cards off of Cardmarket. Looking forward to them starting on this tomorrow!

Photo of a range of Pokemon cards set out on a table

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 19/11/2025

The Cambridge observation wheel virus has spread to Ely

Photo of a large observation wheel in front of Ely Cathedral

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 19/11/2025

Field blewits, a lonely inkcap and some clustered mushrooms (maybe mica caps?) on the school run this morning #FungiFriends

Three photos of mushrooms. The top-left mushrooms are field blewits, with chestnut caps and purple-veined white stems. The right-hand photo is of an inkcap mushroom. The bottom-left photo is of a cluster of light brown mushrooms, possibly mica caps.

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 17/11/2025

A bumper haul of field blewits finally showed up locally after the weekend rain

Photo of a number of field blewit mushrooms on a chopping board.

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 31/10/2025

This year’s pumpkin carving efforts, inspired by the boys’ Pokémon obsession 🎃 Mine on the left, @vidosanna.bsky.social’s on the right, and our eldest’s Bulbasaur pumpkin in the middle. Happy Halloween everyone!

Photo of three glowing carved pumpkins. One is of Gastly, Haunter and Gengar, oneis of Pikachu, and the third is a kid’s carving of Bulbasaur

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 25/10/2025

Bought the cats a cheap secondhand cat tower and, in a shocking development, one of them is actually using it. Of course, the other cat couldn’t care less, but one out of two’s not a bad return #Caturday

Photo of a grey British shorthair cat sitting in a bowl-like portion of a cat tower

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 21/10/2025

I love this time of year when sunrise coincides perfectly with nursery drop-off time. Here’s this morning’s sunrise over the outskirts of Ely 📷

Photo of the sun rising across a flat field. The sky is orange and a hay bale tower is visible on the left of the photo. Lens flare is visible around the sun in the centre of the photo.

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 18/10/2025

After completely failing to find any in the forests of East Anglia last year, we found a whole colony of fly agaric today! #FungiFriends

Three photos of three fly agaric mushrooms. The first two have closed caps while the third is flat and curved slightly upwards

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 01/10/2025

It’s been a few years since I topped up the sloe gin reserves so I’m making up for lost time with a quadruple batch

Photo of four jars of future sloe gin sitting on a kitchen counter

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 13/09/2025

I took the familiar walk down Bathwick Hill and along the canal to the train station for the first time in a number of years this morning. Bath really is a ridiculously beautiful place!

Photo of the canal in Bath looking towards the church in Widcombe with canal boats and Bath stone buildings visible

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 13/09/2025

It was great to be back in Bath yesterday for a fantastic day of talks at #BathChem25. Thanks to @bathchem.bsky.social for the invite and for putting together such an enjoyable and engaging day!

Photo of me presenting in a lecture theatre in front of a slide titled “making sense of molecules” showing two depictions of the molecule caffeine.

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 12/09/2025

Back at Bath for #BathChem2025 today and look what I found in the chemistry building!

Photo of me standing in front of my IYPT2019 periodic table posters in the Bath Chemistry building

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 11/09/2025

I travel through London much more rarely but I did have an interesting route that took me past this National Chemistry Landmark this morning #ChemSky

National chemistry landmark sign which reads:

National Chemical Landmark
Chemistry Department
University College London
During the period 1930-1970
Professor Sir Christopher Ingold
pioneered our understanding of the electronic basis of structure, mechanism and reactivity in organic chemistry, which is fundamental to modern-day chemistry.
28 November 2008

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Andy Brunning @andy.compoundchem.com · 11/09/2025

Picked up a new breakfast time insult while navigating around London’s tube strikes this morning

Photo of a cafe in London named “eggslut”

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