20 Oct 2025 — Alan's Roundup
Recent changes to my publication, and a collection of stories for you
Updated 29 October 2025: Renamed from Alan’s Update to Alan’s Roundup
Simplified
To minimise the number of emails you receive, I’ve decided to publish my stories on the Substack website/app without emailing them to subscribers. (This also gives me a chance to fix typos!)
Every 2–3 weeks, I’ll email one of these roundups containing links to recent stories. The exact timing will depend on how quickly they build up.
Once I run out of imported stories, I’ll probably revert to emailing new stories directly again. But that could take a year or more.
Stories
Click the titles to read
All stories are free unless otherwise noted (💎 for paid subscribers)
Free stories are currently paywalled after 6 months — that’s why I republish old stories using a recent date, so they’re free to read once more
Travel
Choosing the photos for this piece is what took the time, but I got there in the end!
I cheated, of course. I shoved a load more on Instagram! (Well, you didn’t really expect me to become highly selective with photos all of a sudden, did you?)
Back to London: 21 Years Later, With My Son (Part 2)
Making new memories: HMS Belfast, Imperial War Museum, and a sunny walk across Westminster Bridge
Funny
It’s strange how things change with time. When I was at college in the ‘80s, it was very stressful to skip PE every week. But now it’s quite funny to look back at those days!
As for the story told by my first car. Well, I daren’t comment!
How Skipping PE Shaped My College Life
A story from the 1980s about avoiding PE and reclaiming my mornings
What Would My First Car Say About Me?
An angry little Fiat from the ’80s finally gets his say
Weird Workplace Series
It wasn’t easy to decide what to do with this series, but I’ve finally started republishing it on Substack.
My boss was quite a character, and it’s only now that I look back that I realise what good times they were. (Well, apart from when my health and safety was at risk in later stories.)
Weird Workplace Stories 0: The Job Interview
The story of how I got my first job in the 1980s — and the underpowered car that eventually got me there
Weird Workplace Stories 1: The Trousers
A bizarre moment at my first job that I could never have predicted!
Weird Workplace Stories 2: The Chair
When a furniture failure couldn’t stop the conversation
Old Technology
I decided to put out a pair of Apple II-related pieces together. The first is about my personal recollections, and the second is a more technical look at the different models.
Remembering the Apple II Series
The first computer I ever used at school was also a familiar sight at college and work in the 1980s
The Apple II Series: A Brief Overview
The evolution and features of the Apple II line from 1977 to 1988
Life Changes
I wrote this quickly today, and I hope it does not come across as showing off.
I know I’m lucky to be able to get by when retiring at 57, when others have to keep working until they are older. On the other hand, there are those who have the kind of gold-plated final salary schemes I can only dream of — the ones that ended a few years before I could join.
OMG — Have I Retired Without Realising?
It took me a while to realise
Vocal Media
I’ve also published one or two poems on Vocal Media. But they are just experimental/fun, so I’ll not list them here.
(Okay, I’m hoping to win back the cost of my Vocal+ membership! But the odds are slim.)
Until next time
I hope you enjoy these stories!
As always, your reads, likes, shares, comments, subscriptions, and tips are much appreciated.
Thank you!
~ Alan ~
Thanks, Alan.