dan-stewart.co.uk
Welcome to my
Website
Thank you for taking the time to visit my website. I appreciate
your interest and hope you find some of the information somewhat entertaining
and perhaps even a little useful. My aim is to be able to give you a little
insight into who I am and what I do, and can do, and indeed have done. You will
find links to various other locations on the internet where I have a virtual
presence and maybe some to other websites that have helped me a little or that
I’ve found of particular interest too.
Currently I am working as an apprentice
at XPO in Barnsley. I’ve only been there a short while, but I’ve met some
interesting characters. The work is a little taxing, as I’ve let myself get
into really poor shape, but I’m hoping that by putting
in a solid effort I’ll soon be striding down the aisles, working quickly and
effectively!
2016 – Three Great Cities
So 2016 was an interesting year for me.
As well as everything else going on in my life, I was lucky enough to visit
three of the greatest cities in the world. In May 2016 I spent a few days in
London meeting up with friends from my online gaming days and to watch the
premiere of the Warcraft movie. They were a fun few days and I had time to see
some of the sights, including the London Eye, the Tower of London and a few of
the museums. I also took part in my first escape room experience. It was really enjoyable. The company certainly helped.
In
July 2016 I had one of the greatest experiences of my life so far. I went to New
York for eight days. Although my luggage was lost on the flight and I didn’t
get it back till the Tuesday (I arrived Sunday night), it was still a great
trip. The hotel I stayed in was in Downtown Manhattan (the tallest Holiday Inn
in the world) and I spent the first few days just staring up at the giant
buildings all around me. I went on the ferry to see the Statue of Liberty, I
went up to the observation deck of the Empire State Building, I saw the
millennium tower and the monuments to the twin towers. I took a helicopter ride
around the city, I went on a rooftop bar tour and I saw the Lion King on
Broadway. I walked the length of Central Park and across the Brooklyn Bridge
(and back again). I did so much more in those few days as well. It was the greatest
trip of my life. If you do ever visit, there’s a pub at the very bottom of
downtown Manhattan that has a great view of the bay.
Then, in August 2016, just two weeks
after my trip to New York, I spent a week in Amsterdam. Another amazing city.
The water that surrounds you everywhere is so calming. I didn’t waste my time
there either. I visited dozens of sites, trying to tick as many off of the “I Amsterdam” card list as I could. Amongst my
favourite sights were the zoo and the Hermitage museum. I enjoyed the science
museum and the diamond factory tour as well. I visited Rembrandts house and the
nautical museum, Vondelpark and the sky lounge. One
of the highlights of the trip though was the day trip to Efteling
Theme Park. Such an amazing place. I even jumped on a few of the more thrilling
rides, a little out of character for me. It was a beautiful day and a wonderous
place. Should I ever go back to Amsterdam, I think another day out to Efteling would be worthwhile, as well as a visit to the
Heineken brewery, something I missed out on last time around.
Away from Work
Over the last couple of years, I’ve
also done a couple of events for charity. I’ve taken part in both the Major
Series – completing a 5k run and later on a 10k run – and Ultra White Collar Boxing. For those that don’t know, the Major
Series is an obstacle course that is run over either 5km or 10km and often
involves getting very muddy. The first time I took part, I was invited along by
a couple of friends to try the 5km course. It was good fun, and all to raise
money for the British Legion. I decided to go again a few months later with
another friend and try the 10km course. It took me about the same length of
time it had taken me to do the 5km, so I had definitely
improved, but there’s still some way to go before I can consider myself
to be in shape!
The
Ultra White Collar Boxing was good fun too, with the
event raising over £11k for Cancer Research UK on top of ticket sales. While it
was a great experience, and I had a lot of fun preparing for it, it was also a
little daunting. Fortunately, everyone taking part was doing so for the right
reasons and with a positive and friendly mentality. It’s something I’m proud I
got involved in and I’m glad I saw it through. There was a worrying moment when
I had my chin split open three weeks before the event, but it healed up well
and I was able to have a fantastic, if somewhat nerve wracking, evening.