I don't think I'll be able to get out and about again this year in any major capacity due to work and Christmas etc so I figured I'd begin the traditional end of year posts a little early.

What a strange, turbulent year 2020 has been. For me, it started with so much promise back in January. I knew I was going to be made redundant due to the impending closure of my workplace in March and was putting together some amazing plans for a long trip to the States soon after that to make good use of my payout. Of course as it got closer and closer to March, the world slowly went into absolute turmoil and the Sunday before I was due to fly out, my trip was cancelled and postponed indefinitely. 2020 is the first year I've not been to the States since I first started going in 2014, and I was majorly bummed - I still am, but perhaps it was wise that I didn't get stranded out there, and will just have to make the most of 2021 (all being well).

Of course by the middle of March the UK population was in panic mode and at the end of the month we went into a lockdown which lasted until June, I then decided to make the most of the next few months cramming in as many trips and things as I could. The summer consisted of a great many trips all around the country, topped off by a five day excursion to the far far northern Scottish isles for a delivery job my friend had to do, which we combined with exploring. During all this time we had talked about starting up a business together and the groundworks for that began being put in place in the middle of September, with us 'starting' as such at the beginning of November. All that hard work has meant exploring took somewhat of a backseat from October onwards with only limited time to spend doing it - not helped by another month long lockdown during November!

I look back on life before March and it seems like a totally different world, my only hope for 2021 is that things slowly begin to improve - I miss all my American friends deeply.

As far as exploring goes, it was a good year. I don't think I did anything truly 'epic' - although the bomb proof records rooms visited on one of the hottest days of the summer were fantastic - but I found a bunch of new things nobody knew about, revisited some old spots and had a generally enjoyable time with some great people. It was also a bad year for losing sites in the UK but that will be a topic for the '2020 Demolition Thread' whenever that goes up.

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So that's that...stay safe everyone.

Aha! I was wondering who would post the first year in review and should have known it would be you. I'm sorry our country could not host you this year, and I sincerely hope we get our shit together enough to have you next year. Great job still getting out though!

62 especially stood out to me.

Came for year in review and i was served, some really interesting and neat spot in there!

Posted by IndoAnomaly Aha! I was wondering who would post the first year in review and should have known it would be you. I'm sorry our country could not host you this year, and I sincerely hope we get our shit together enough to have you next year. Great job still getting out though! 62 especially stood out to me.

I really hope I can get back over next year, I need my fix! This year has felt totally incomplete.

Great shots! You should do a decade in review thread, seeing all your stuff from the last decade would be wild

Your photo collages never disappoint! So many great photos.

Abby

Stellar stuff sir! This is my favorite time of year, seeing these reviews, and you always bring it. Through all the pain, horror, and just generally stupid crap 2020 has brought us, it's refreshing to know there was still awesomeness; thank you for capturing it!
To you, and to us all, good luck in 2021...it's gotta be better...right...please??
And those cooling towers are still my favorite!

Not bad for a year spent away from the US! Glad you were able to get so much done on the home front. Hopefully 2021 looks better for everyone.


I was considering not doing a YIR post but now I feel inspired. It will be the quickest one to put together!

Posted by Kurt Great shots! You should do a decade in review thread, seeing all your stuff from the last decade would be wild

That would be one big task to single out the best stuff from a decade...but watch this space as you never know ;)

Posted by EsseXploreR Not bad for a year spent away from the US! Glad you were able to get so much done on the home front. Hopefully 2021 looks better for everyone. I was considering not doing a YIR post but now I feel inspired. It will be the quickest one to put together!

It was alright all things considered, I managed way more than I thought I would back in the spring when things all went to crap and I thought the year would be a total write off.

You should totally still do one even if it'll be much more concise than previous years!

Wow! That's quite the portfolio. I'm a bit jealous.. 2, 15 and 73 are my favorites.

Posted by mookster That would be one big task to single out the best stuff from a decade...but watch this space as you never know ;) It was alright all things considered, I managed way more than I thought I would back in the spring when things all went to crap and I thought the year would be a total write off. You should totally still do one even if it'll be much more concise than previous years!

Actually as it turns out I managed to hit 96 places so far, including 2 this morning and I may not be done yet today. Fingers crossed i'll keep the triple digit streak alive.

Posted by EsseXploreR Actually as it turns out I managed to hit 96 places so far, including 2 this morning and I may not be done yet today. Fingers crossed i'll keep the triple digit streak alive.

You kept that quiet! Did better than me this year that's for sure haha.

Some good places here!

Great shots, looks like you got into a lot more residential stuff than usual.