July 2026. Proms, Penalties, and a Proper Summer
I am unsure if that was the fastest or slowest July I have ever had. I cant believe it's now August.
This July was the date of Alix's had prom, and I was very proud to take her and see her off after finishing her GCSEs. It is one of those moments that makes you stop and realise how quickly time moves. One minute they are small, the next they are dressed up, stepping into a room full of people, carrying themselves with more confidence than you expected.
Now we wait for results day with bated breath. The hard work has been done. The exams are finished. The prom has happened. Now comes the part where you try not to think about envelopes, grades and what comes next.
Easier said than done.
England, again
The World Cup came and went with the usual England pattern. Some good moments. Some average ones. Then, when it really mattered, poor and toothless.
Disappointment has been tied to the national side for too long. It changes shape, but it does not really leave. For years it was penalties. Then it was mistakes, red cards, lapses of discipline and moments where the pressure seemed to eat the team from the inside.
Now it feels different again.
It is not just about talent. England have talented players. It is not just about systems either, although that matters. The problem seems to live somewhere deeper, in that place where belief either holds or breaks.
Having been involved in coaching at FA levels 1 and 2, and in leadership training within professional clubs, I worry that too many players do not have the grit or desire to push through the mental block when it matters most. That is not about running around shouting or pretending effort fixes everything. It is about the ability to stay brave when the game narrows, when you are one nil up, when the easy decision is to retreat, protect, and hope.
That challenge might be the toughest one of all.
You can practise penalties. You can drill shape. You can build set pieces. But teaching a team to keep its nerve when the country expects collapse is something else entirely.
Windermere
We got away as a family to Lake Windermere, and it was exactly what we needed.
The weather was fantastic. Proper summer. Warm days, clear skies and long evenings that reminded me of German summers. There is something about that kind of heat when it's rising off the floor even in the evenings. Feels like you're on holiday. People slow down. Food tastes better. Sitting still feels like an activity.
Windermere was beautiful. The lake, the views, the chance to step away from work and reset for a while. Sometimes you do not realise how much you need a break until you are standing somewhere quiet and your shoulders finally drop.
We took the dog as well, although she seems to be getting either very lazy or very old. Possibly both. Courtney ended up pushing her around in what she called a doggy buggy.
It was a pram.
I am not dressing that up. It had wheels, handles, and a passenger who had decided walking was now optional. That is a pram. But the dog seemed happy enough with the arrangement, and Courtney was committed to the branding, so everyone won.
Lance Jack
On the writing front, July was productive.
I finished the first draft of Lance Jack. It came together well, which is always a relief because first drafts do not always behave. Some books fight every page. This one still needs work, but the shape is there, and that matters.
Now I am into the edit.
The plan is to have it ready for alpha readers by the end of August. That gives me time to tighten the structure, sharpen the dialogue and make sure the young version of Knox feels right.
This is Knox at the beginning. First posting. Less certain. Less armoured. The instincts are forming, but they are not polished yet. That is what makes it interesting. He is not the man from Protegimus or Knox Investigations. He is becoming him.
Getting that right matters.
Closing
July was family, football, summer and writing.
Alix stepped out of GCSE season and into prom. England reminded everyone why hope and football are a dangerous mix. Windermere gave us sun, space and a dog in a pram. And Lance Jack finally reached the end of its first draft.
A good month, overall.
Now we wait for results, keep editing, and see what August brings.
Exemplo Ducemus.