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Recovering a Blog

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Hiking Homesickness

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Must have gear for long distance hiking (2020)

Camping Guides

Camping with a broken limb

  • Personal

    Recovering a Blog

    Arghhhhhh. In an unfortunate series of events revolving around me changing bank cards and missing unpaid invoices to hosting…

    16 June 2020
  • Hiking, Personal

    Hiking Homesickness

    Taking on a challenge like the Anglesey Coastal Path continuous hike last year, I really thought that I’d given it…

    4 November 2019
  • Hiking

    Must have gear for long distance hiking (2020)

    I’ve been getting a lot of messages on Instagram asking about which kit I carried on my 8 day…

    10 October 2019
  • Camping Guides

    Camping with a broken limb

    Sarah fell off a climbing wall at the beginning of July. She fractured her ankle and cleaned the tendons…

    13 June 2019
  • Personal

    Out of the mist

    I’ve been stuck for a few months on the blog. The last piece I wrote was after completing the 8…

    19 March 2019
  • Hiking, Personal

    We did it!

    I’m home. Between October 4th to the 12th I backpacked the 130+ miles of the Anglesey Coastal Path.  All to raise…

    18 October 2018
  • Hiking, Personal

    Why hike the Anglesey Coastal Path?

    I’m not really sure where the spark came from for this. I guess I just quietly couldn’t face the summer…

    8 September 2018
  • Days Out

    Beginners Guide to Crufts

    Last weekend was the 2019 Crufts dog show in Birmingham, UK. We’re all really big dog lovers in our house…

    16 June 2018
  • Hiking

    The Fairy Glen, North Wales

    An Easy Family Walk around The Fairy Glen, North Wales. Bit slow on posting this as things are a…

    5 March 2018

A bit about me…

A bit about me…

My name is Matt Thomas, Skip and Jump is a space for me to share lifestyle and experiences as a working photographer and human trying to do better. Based on The Wirral, UK and found all over.

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You'll find us here on our spare days from now on. You'll find us here on our spare days from now on. (not camping, just sheltering) - - - #wirral #getoutside #getoutstayout #kidsactivities #polishlavvu #wildandfree
June, we hardly knew ya. Got a question for the We June, we hardly knew ya. Got a question for the Welsh gang that follow me though.... July. Big month innit. I've seen 3 or 4 polls of people overwhelmingly state they won't be rushing to pubs or restaurants this weekend. Rightly so. I feel for the businesses but they're going to be rubbish fun, so I'll continue to support whatever way they have diversified during this time. Wales reopens soon. That's the thing I can't wait for. The space, smells, coastal air, walks, swims and sights. If you're living or working in Wales how do you feel about reopening? Desperate for us non-locals to come back or worries it's too soon? What's the general consensus? I don't wanna rush back there if you all feel like it would put too much pressure on your towns and villages. Curious to know how you feel. I know that when people pile into my town and beaches it can get frustrating (as many disrespect it) do you feel the same? (you can pm me too if you'd prefer) Have a good Wednesday folks. Big love x - - #lockdown #wales #northwales #discoverCymru #northwalestagram #llynpeninsula #lifestyle #liverpoolphotographer #wirralphotographer #isolation #isolationdiary #Rhiw #abersoch #snowdonia #snowdon
Bit of a throwback to last summer in #Lanzarote, s Bit of a throwback to last summer in #Lanzarote, such a stunning alien landscape unlike anything I've seen. We only spent a day exploring in a hire car (the rest was spent submerged in a pool) and in regret not spending more time photographing the place. Maybe we'll get back there one day. 🥺 - - #lanzarote #canaryislands #travelphotography #somewheremagazine #moodygrams #exploremore #explorepage #travelblogger #familytravel
Fully into this heatwave, spent the day swimming i Fully into this heatwave, spent the day swimming in the estuary. Pulling the kids around on bodyboards, duck diving and doing dreadfully ungraceful handstands. Bathwater warm in the shallows too. Close your eyes and you can be anywhere in the world here. #westkirby #wirral #visitwirral #getoutside #visitwales #findyourepic #wales #riverdee #hilbre #canon
Father's Day spent by the River Dee with my folks Father's Day spent by the River Dee with my folks and family. We took the magnet fishing kit (link in bio) that my brother got me and the kids willfully tossed and retrieved it for hours. We mainly pulled out rusty nails and old fencing but the jackpot was a penny from the 90s (which seems like ancient England to the kids 😭). I've shot my first job this week and been feeling positive about the rest of the year. We're treating everything with the same caution though given lockdown restrictions being eased. We won't be rushing into pubs, no matter how much I want a draught pint of Gamma Ray. 🍻 I think the only real difference to us is that we will finally be able to escape and I now have 3 trips in place, I cant wait. We've been so lucky to live near the river and some lovely wide outdoor spaces, I can't imagine what it's been like for people without access to it. I've been exclusively using my @fujifilmx100v for candids (another link in bio) and am totally besotted with it. I can't wait to travel and use it. So freeing, quick and creates beautiful snaps, whilst being flipping beautiful. Where's the first place or what's the first thing you're doing on July 4th/6th? - #chester #wrexham #fujifilm #fujifilmx100v #x100v #adventureswithkids #adventure #magnetfishing #getoutside #visitengland #wirral #liverpool
Please dont use the hashtag BlackL***sMatter, it's Please dont use the hashtag BlackL***sMatter, it's downing out the actual protest footage, the vital information. #dontbesilent #blackouttuesday
RIVER TIDES - A quiet hour in the estuary tide. My RIVER TIDES - A quiet hour in the estuary tide. My heart sings in these moments. ♥️ - 📸 @djiglobal Osmo Action - #westkirby #wirral #visitwirrallater
A beach that I've lived by for most of my life but A beach that I've lived by for most of my life but never spent a whole day at in the same way I would whilst on holiday. Idyllic and unbelievably lucky to have it. Been beavering away on the new website. It's nearly ready. 😊 Thinking a lot about the long game now, future work, personal direction. Another lockdown eye opening day to remember. 🖤 #westkirby #wirral #visitwirral #fujifilmx100v #fujifilm
Had some rolls of 35mm developed from my Olympus M Had some rolls of 35mm developed from my Olympus MJU-II 💕 #filmphotography #mjuii #olympus #filmisnotdead
😁🐕 #isolationdiary #westkirby 😁🐕 #isolationdiary #westkirby
💕 #westkirby #wirral #isolationdiary 💕 #westkirby #wirral #isolationdiary
Fell out of love for posting this past week. I've Fell out of love for posting this past week. I've ripped the studio apart and made it nicer to be, I feel more inclined to work in it. Had some really bummer work news which sucks but I guess it's another kick up the butt to change course a little. I had my birthday which was different, saw my folks and family via a Zoom call whilst eating amazing pizza from @forzapizzabarwestkirby. Walked out to Little Eye at 6am, not a soul around and it was bliss. (please note Hilbre Island is closed currently) The weather has been too good! I keep forgetting what I've done for longer than a day, feels like measuring stuff in weeks is more apt, especially when some days nothing happens. I wrote a blog at last though. It's linked in the bio, filled with photos and a bit of a catchup. I feel loads more positive overall I guess but it goes upppppp and dowwwwwwwwwn 😜 Are you doing OK week 4? X #hilbreisland #littleeye #wirral #westkirby #isolationdiary
Day 10. So great to hear from loads of you yesterd Day 10. So great to hear from loads of you yesterday. We really are in this together 💕 Getting up and out super early is so great this time of year. Totally recommend giving it a shot, you can always go back to bed after 😉 (silver linings) Not much done today apart from setting up my gaming/photo stream and finishing an edit. I've found this diary to be a good motivator to do stuff. Our routine is taking shape a bit. Walk dog. BREAKFAST, PE with Joe, EAT MORE FOOD RELENTLESSLY GOTO BED. Might name the stream CHONKCAM. 🎂🍲 Two new surprise ambient, instrumental albums from @nineinchnails made my day. Always there for us @treznor 🙏 Have a good day gang x #isolationdiary #wirral #hoylake
Eight! Kickstarted our day with live PE class with Eight! Kickstarted our day with live PE class with @thebodycoach after a solid walk with Jasper. Really enjoyed it! The kids did most of it too but honestly, I'm just gonna keep doing it regardless. It's my level 😁 Got a fair bit of work done, at last. Kids baked a few bits. I ate them all. (Hi again @thebodycoach) Tidied studio, prepping for painting it a bit over the next few weeks. Finally got up the hill for the sunset to see how bad the fire was the day before. Its pretty bad but that hill is so resilient. It burns in some form every year and finds a way to grow back bigger and more beautiful. The gorse is super yellow out there too, smells amazing. Also. One of our cats lives on this hill, he walks with us if we go up. 💖 #wirral #westkirby #isolationdiary
Day 7. Yesterday was weird wasn't it. I thought th Day 7. Yesterday was weird wasn't it. I thought that a massive fire on the hill outside our house would of been the most dramatic thing but it wasn't was it? 🙃 Kudos to the multiple firecrews who dealt with it (and then ended up in Birkenhead on an even bigger blaze). #westkirby #wirral #isolationdiary
Day 6. Today started with an epic dog walk / Pokem Day 6. Today started with an epic dog walk / Pokemon Go sesh and picked up whatever was left in the local shop to make dinner for the kids that night. (Bacon / Ham and cheesy mash). The absolutely useless traffic sign in our village that has been telling everyone about the same (now permanent) road closure has changed. It freaks me out a bit but I wish people yesterday had really took note (pic 4). Dog walking at 6am isn't new to me. I see more people now. As much as I love the emptiness of walking at that time, it's the right thing for people to be doing if they must get outside for a walk. Spread the times out and don't go to the usual busy places. The government told us we would lose them today if we carry on being intensely close. 😭 In better news, we got to work on tidying and making all our bedrooms a little nicer. I found a sweet potato that looks like an arse and we did our evening iso way out on the beach at Red Rocks for sunset 😍🌅. I also got the brand new DOOM Eternal and I'm going to stream playing through it on twitch next week if you wanna come hang out together and watch me and my aged gaming reflexes get battered by hell. ❤️ #westkirby #hoylake #wirral #isolationdiary #canong7x
Day 5. I only took one photo today. It was of some Day 5. I only took one photo today. It was of some eggs 🍳, I started writing down things a bit more comprehensively for a blog. Just too much and my thumbs are cack on this phone. The day was a little overwhelming, floored by peoples kindness at several points. 💖 Anyway. The first photo made me smile. The second was, well, eggs and that's fine. 😊 X
Day 4. Made big process on my penultimate job to e Day 4. Made big process on my penultimate job to edit. Hung out with friends on our Discord channel whilst I edited which was nice too. Trying to get all the work out the way before I can really plot the new daily life. Still no announcement for the self employed or renters but there was a pretty hefty financial offer for all employed, though this is all should of been done 10 days ago, it's definitely welcomed. They shut all the pubs which should of been done ages ago too. So sad to see people being selfish and not distancing. Positives tho yeah! We nipped out in the car to Red Rocks, tried to see a sunset but nothing sadly. Great being outside together though. Lots of others too, keeping apart. Slowing down, getting to grips. After I had a brill delivery from @theblacktoadhoylake with a few treat beers for the coming weeks. They're doing amazing takeout and even delivery if you're local. Finally we played our first ever Dungeons and Dragons game over Skype/Discord and it totally worked. 💖 Great to see faces and have a laugh. Feel like the days are blurring though. Get these jobs done and start getting a routine in order ASAP! 😁 Loved yesterday's lifestyle tips. What's your new normal? X #wirral #isolationdiary
Day 3. I finally managed to sit down and edit a jo Day 3. I finally managed to sit down and edit a job. It took me all day compared to usually an hour or two but I finally did it. Each time I've sat down to work I have been so utterly distracted it's just been impossible to do anything. Now though I've had a glimpse at what our new adjusted life will be. The bit I'm most excited about and the most keen to get going is sharing and connecting more with my friends and family but also with forging better relationships with people I've met online too, people on insta, people on twitter etc. We're all in this together and ideas are flowing to help make us feel less isolated whilst isolating / distancing. I'm excited. I saw a really nice post reminding us that it's OK to feel and process this is anyway we want. Do loads, do nothing, whatever works to help you keep your head right. Still nothing from government directed at renters and the self employed, so callous. See such wonderful heroes in our frontline NHS and keyworkers. I love you all. We all do. . We wait. Inside. ☺️ . . Anyone got into the swing of the things yet? Anyone got any hot lifestyle tips? X . #isolationdiary #wirral #
ISO day 2. Walk. Lots of napping. Trying to get my ISO day 2. Walk. Lots of napping. Trying to get my Dungeons and Dragons game onto Skype too ☺️ Lots of fake news flying around today on WhatsApp. It's rampant. WhatsApp is totally unchecked and a breeding ground for anonymous forwarded nonsense. Please, check things out before you forward. I swear I'm seeing more harm from sharing crap than this virus ever would. Will post some great reliable sources later and some great people debunking things constantly throughout the day. They're amazing. Anyway. Today I've got edits to do. Usual walks and some Fifa with Erin. Playing Overwatch with Finn too ❤️ Have a good day gang, distance, clean hands, use your head. 😁 X
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