Adrian Phelan

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Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a beta male

Posted on April 12, 2026 by Adrian Phelan

Adrian Phelan

Post 28

Wrong Coat Season update

I won’t complain about the weather this week. I’ll take the colder ending to it for the 25C we had on Wednesday. Although in the spirit of Wrong Coat Season I was totally over-dressed. The queue in Gregg’s was like that bit in Notting Hill when Hugh Grant walks through all four seasons in the one scene. The temperature plummeted again on Thursday mind, when I did wear the lighter clothes, so I looked silly then as well. You can’t win.

Late development: I’ve just bought a new coat, which is designed for better weather. I promise not to give it its own blog section, but I can’t promise there won’t be regular updates.

Welcome home Artemis 2

Talking about a team who must wear the right clothes, I stayed up to watch the Artemis 2 crew return to Earth on Friday night. I’ve totally bought into the mission. Everything about it was cool and I agree necessary. The team were a PR dream as well. They looked great. The picture of the mission for me is the one I’ve used for this piece. The moon has clearly been used for target practice suggesting we’ve had it easy.

It does look like we will see a team take a visit to the moon over the next couple of years and I do hope it is another opportunity for us to learn more about our planet and ourselves.

I also hope we will see opportunities for our children to get involved. It might be worth keeping an eye on the UK Space Agency’s website for developments in that area.

The friendly bit

We had a wonderful Easter Sunday and Monday, spent with friends who did us amazing spreads and were great company; even their cats. We’ve been very lucky to meet like-minded people at the time when our kids were very young and then to share our lives as we watched them grow up together. Friendships like that can seem seamless, quite frankly because they are.

Reading that back it reminded me of the lyrics to an Aerosmith Ballad from the 90s. As I’m in danger of becoming over-sentimental, I should say they can also be very annoying. That’s not true.

New music

Talking of friendships, new live music has always been my friend, but it’s been years since I’ve been to a new music showcase. However I had a rare Thursday window this week and popped to see one at our local band venue. Despite being at least 20 years older than most of the people there, it was brilliant. I saw three of the four bands and was impressed by all of them (Decorum, Slumber, Kontra, Give me your teeth); in particular Kontra who had everyone in the palm of their hand. I would describe them as palatably heavy. They threw in a Korn and a Muse cover, which might give you an idea of their influences. But all of the bands are worth a Google. Other search engines are available.

The filim bit

I was in two minds about doing the filim bit this week as I saw the movie Fuze and there will be little for anyone to gain by me doing a review. It wasn’t very good. With a few twists and turns, it’s about the discovery of an unexploded supposed WW2 bomb at a building site in Paddington, just outside central London and the army/police drama that unfolds around that. Simultaneously, a bank heist is taking place in the area (which is naturally evacuated) and the film works towards showing how both are connected. It has a relatively unknown cast. You might recognise Gugu Mbatha-Raw from Dr Who back in the day or Theo James from The Inbetweeners Movie. The film is far-fetched, disjointed and the conclusion completely implausible. The only positive thing I can say is that it is not boring. For that reason I give it two stars. You can wait until it comes out on TV, however and if there’s nothing else on, give it a whirl.

Do Good Well

I posted last month about a fundraiser for the London Irish Centre and as the half marathon Gary Dunne is undertaking is this weekend I’m posting a link to his page again. Please support him and the centre if you can.

Saturday was also World Parkinson’s Day. Check out the website for more information.

Goodbye and thanks

Thanks for reading. A slightly more modest length this week, but we keep going. Here is a link to my CV. If you have any projects you think I can support, get in touch for a chat.

Socially viable

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Past posts

5 April

29 March

22 March

15 March

8 March

1 March

21 February

14 February

7 February

1 February

23 January

16 January

9 January

2 January

26 December

20 December

12 December

5 December

28 November

21 November

14 November

7 November

31 October

24 October

17 October

10 October

3 October

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a beta male

Posted on April 5, 2026 by Adrian Phelan

Adrian Phelan

Post 27

The week that was

If you’re reading this you’ve survived April Fool’s Day, the first week of losing an hour in bed and you’ve probably smudged your phone screen with chocolate having opened your first Easter Egg early. That’s ok. You’re among friends.

We’re posting on Sunday, so Happy Easter, particularly to my Christian friends and family. Enjoy your services and so far so good for the weather. I hope you get out for a few nice walks as well.

I had a three-day working week this week. I spent Thursday in Coventry, taking in a trip to the cathedral which I think is one of the most historically significant sites in the UK. We also went to Kenilworth Castle which I’d barely heard of but really enjoyed. I give it a section below.

I briefly mentioned in last week’s blog that I fell over doing Park run, and it’s a humdinger. Left ribs done in. I can’t grab enough breath to sneeze, or sleep on that side. It’s a right pain, ironically; and will most-likely linger for a few weeks. It really is one for people who don’t like me. You can enjoy a chuckle. Not you, Mam.

But let’s park the self-pity for now.

We have a winner

The winner of the half-year comp was Jonathan Bown. He is now the proud owner of a £20 book token (as he is UK based). The answer to the question (What was number one on 29 September 1976?) was of course Dancing Queen, by ABBA. If you haven’t heard of the song, it’s one of those weird avant-garde numbers that graced the charts very briefly and was never heard of again.

Up, up, and away

It was very exciting to see Nicola Fox, who grew up in our town doing the comms for the Artemis II mission which successfully launched during the week and is heading to t’other side of the moon as I write. I’m not a deep space person but I like close space stuff like this and always try and catch the International Space Station when it passes over. I once had the pleasure of meeting Tim Peake, so I have shaken the hand of someone who has done a spacewalk.

I hope the Artemis crew have a safe and successful mission and I’m looking forward to following along and seeing what the legacy is over the coming weeks and years. It will hopefully inspire some more local kids to consider a career in the space industry.

April Fools

There weren’t many April Fools jokes this year but one of the best was a fake picture of the Beatles in the Botanic Gardens in Dublin in 1964. I fell for it hook, line and sinker, and in my head was planning to go and find the spot, as it’s near my parents’ house. Then realising it was a hoax, I did feel like an idiot but thought, as long as I don’t tell anyone my credibility should remain intact.

Castles in the air

We went to Kenilworth Castle on Thursday, and it was great. I’d scarcely heard of it but I’m glad we took a punt on it. We were in Coventry anyway and it was in the right direction for heading home. There was lots to take pictures of and cool castle walls to climb which offered great views of the surrounding area.

It’s run by English Heritage, and it might be the poor relative to Warwick Castle, but it was packed with foreign tourists and that was no surprise. It’s also not that expensive, so check it out.

The filim bit

I went to see what must have been the first showing of ‘The Drama’ on Saturday and it was very good. It stars Zendaya (Emma) and Robert Pattinson (Charlie). Zendaya, you should remember from Spiderman. The third star really is the direction and editing. I haven’t seen other Kristoffer Borgli films but he ekes every drop of talent out of each of the actors in this, both lead and supporting.

The film is based around a bombshell that is dropped just days before Emma and Charlie get married, with the drama unfolding from there. I can’t say much more than that without giving too much away but I would say it’s worth the ticket price. We can debate the ending at another point but it’s a very good film. Go see it.

Do Good Well

I know cancer charities get more than their fair share of coverage, but it is Testicular Cancer Awareness Month which is a dedicated health awareness campaign that runs annually. It aims to break down the stigma and embarrassment that often prevents young men from checking themselves or seeking medical advice.

I hope, at 49 I’m in still in that ‘young men’ bracket but suffice to say if I did find a lump, I would act.

Do spread the key messages where you can.

Goodbye and thanks

That’s everything for now. Thanks for reading and thanks to everyone who entered the competition.

You can view my CV online and as ever, do keep me in mind for any projects or campaigns you have that need a lead for comms and engagement.

Socially viable

Connect with me on Facebook and:

Instagram: @adrian_phelan1

Bluesky: @adrianphelan.bsky.social

X: @AdrianPhelan1

TikTok: @adrian.phelan

Threads: adrian_phelan1

Past posts

29 March

22 March

15 March

8 March

1 March

21 February

14 February

7 February

1 February

23 January

16 January

9 January

2 January

26 December

20 December

12 December

5 December

28 November

21 November

14 November

7 November

31 October

24 October

17 October

10 October

3 October