iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Mark Picken @picken.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

We now have a secure garden. Next stage is to make it look pretty, sometime early next year

The completed structural work in the garden. It comprises of two massive walls and two block-work steps.

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Mark Picken @picken.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

I say 'doctors', Claire says 'surgery'. My background is Midlands, it's what my family say. Obvs, Claire from Cwmbran.

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Mark Picken @picken.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

The cats are going to be sad when the work is finished.

Our ginger cat sat on top of a pile of breeze blocks.

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Mark Picken @picken.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Oh yes! All about the crumble and the little jug of custard. A real shame that the Crown Inn at St Ewe is shutting in a few weeks. Love their Sundays roasts.

A dish with crumble on the left, next to a small jug of custard.

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Mark Picken @picken.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Checked out the old retaining wall on the middle level complete with a nice big hole 😬

My hand in between rotting wooden retaining wall posts.

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Mark Picken @picken.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

The builders have made good progress on the first wall today. And we have ‘useable’ steps. The steps will stay like this over winter with the plan to do the finishing in spring.

A much taller breeze block wall with an array of blocks piled up like a solid game of Jenga.

The steps, which are useable, they just don’t have slabs on each one to finish them.

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Mark Picken @picken.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

We have the beginnings of the first wall and steps.

Breeze blocks piled up on our patio. There is the start of a wall, which will act as a new retaining wall.

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Mark Picken @picken.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Thinking about scrapping the garden rebuild, and using this lot to make an AI bunker… bsky.app/profile/pick...

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Mark Picken @picken.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

And as there's no access for vehicles at the back of the house, each one of those 800 blocks has to be lugged up the back stairs…😬

Our back stairs. They run up the side of the house. The builders have to carry 800 blocks up there as there's no other way to do it.

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Mark Picken @picken.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

There’s a delivery of 800 blocks on the way for the walls and stairs. 800 BLOCKS!! 👀

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Mark Picken @picken.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

It’s been one of those ‘we should really get this done’ jobs. We’ve had patch up repairs, but now is the time. Most of the neighbours have had there’s done as well.

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Mark Picken @picken.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

While we’re waiting for the flood repair to be done, we decided to get moving with the structural work in the garden. Top tip kids: avoid buying a house that uses timber posts for retaining walls…

Our three tiered back garden. It has wooden posts for retaining walls.

The builders have taken away the broken wooden steps, and dug footings next to the existing retaining wall.

Looking at the retaining wall. Timber posts have rotted away to reveal a membrane that is holding in the whole garden.

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Mark Picken @picken.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

14 weeks after our flood, we have finally got the scope of work agreed to get the repairs done 👀 It's been so painful. At some point, I'll do a thing on the user experience. Now we're waiting for dates to have our stuff put in storage and get the work started… bsky.app/profile/pick...

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Reposted by Mark Picken

Ben #ActNow 🔥🌳🌊 @benaldo.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

New job role at GDS: Deputy Director for Digital Standards and Inclusive Design. Deadline end of 8th October. Public sector only... Come be my boss! If you're nice, and good. www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/index.cg...

civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk

Quick Check Needed

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Mark Picken @picken.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

20 mile time-on-feet training run on a school night finishing at 10pm. Recovering with a non-alcoholic beer 🍺

My hand holding a can of Bavaria non-alcoholic beer.

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Mark Picken @picken.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Amazing. Look forward to seeing more pics as it progresses.

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Mark Picken @picken.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

How long will it take to make?

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Mark Picken @picken.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

I remember the Cardiff Half making a big push around sustainable travel to the event, as well as plastic and cups on the course. Then Whizz was announced as a sponsor…

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Reposted by Mark Picken

the babahuck @tylerhuckabee.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

god this is good

flight of the concords scene with murray, brit and jemaine.

"How's this, then? Ed Sheeran, beloved by all, left without an opening band at present. Enter you two."

"What if we want a free Palestine, Murray?"

"I reckon you'll get lots of things for free when you're proper rockstars. This might be your ticket."

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Mark Picken @picken.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

* goes off to complete Canadian citizenship paperwork *

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Mark Picken @picken.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Always like seeing it when driving to Edinburgh.

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Mark Picken @picken.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Won £1 on the Octopus Enegry spin a wheel thing. Thinking about retiring now.

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Mark Picken @picken.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Tucked down an alleyway in the centre, just down from the Basilica. maps.app.goo.gl/v4zpYMJhrYey...

maps.app.goo.gl

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Mark Picken @picken.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

The final dessert of the trip: tartlette au abricot 😋

A delicious looking apricot tart. The apricots are sliced and glazed. Some have dark markings from baking. They nestle in glorious pastry. Thank you Brittany Ferries.

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Mark Picken @picken.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Love Nantes too. Third year in a row there (and fourth stay in five years). There’s a pub called The Cornishman we discovered last year. Unsure on limits. We’ve only bought back four bottles of Cremant.

The outside of a bar in Nantes called The Cornishman.

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Mark Picken @picken.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Waiting for the ferry to depart for Plymouth. Obligatory stops en route to Roscoff at the big E’Leclerc at Morlaix, drive down the Avenue de Truro, and a picnic overlooking the beach at St Pol de Leon.

The beach at St Pol de Leon. The tide is right out. The clouds are big and low.

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Mark Picken @picken.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Two nights in Nantes, including seeing the elephant again and a first trip to the Musée d’Arts de Nantes, done ☑️

A converted boulangerie with an old sign saying ‘Le Pain Quotidien’ (the daily bread).

A tile sign on one of the Lu biscuit factory buildings. It’s of a young girl dressed as a milk lady holding a biscuit and a bottle of milk.

The stairs in the Musee d’Arts de Nantes. There is a yellow strip running down the handrail.

The machine element at Les Machines d’iles de Nantes.

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Mark Picken @picken.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Stocking up on French shower gel before heading home on Thursday.

My hand holding Le Petit Marseillais shower gel before heading

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Mark Picken @picken.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

This is how to do a lunch meal deal: massive sandwich, tarte framboise, Orangina. €7.90 💪🏻 🇫🇷

My lunch. A massive baguette, a tartlet with raspberries on, and a can of Orangina.

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Mark Picken @picken.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Last full day in La Rochelle: Bunker Museum; tarte fraisbriezh; aquarium.

An exhibition artefact of a time bomb made in an alarm clock.

A strawberry tart on a plate. Perfection.

A sign in French warning readers to beware of piranhas.

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Mark Picken @picken.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

More La Rochelle street art.

A street art cat that looks like Deadpool.

A Playmobil stencilled girl releases a red heart ballon. It says ‘This is not a Banksy’.

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Mark Picken @picken.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Rented bikes from the hotel then went on an unplanned 30 mile ride across to Ile de Re and back. Coffee in Rivedeux, lunch in Le Flotte de Re, Orangina in Saint Martin de Re.