One Shot Trilogy

I've just watched all three of Scott Adkins' One Shot films: One Shot (2021), One More Shot (2024) and One Last Shot (2026). What a brilliant trilogy of action movies!

What makes these films rather different is the way they're shot and edited. Through some clever camera work and carefully hidden cuts, each film appears to have been filmed in one long, continuous take. It's a technique that really pulls you into the story, giving the action an almost real-time feel.

And I absolutely love it.

So many modern action films rely on frantic editing, shaky cameras and endless quick cuts, often making it difficult to work out who's hitting whom. These films do almost the complete opposite. You can actually follow the tactical combat, appreciate the fight choreography and see exactly what's happening. It's clean, relentless action without all the unnecessary visual chaos.

Scott Adkins is superb throughout, and the continuous-shot approach makes his fight sequences even more impressive. There's something wonderfully satisfying about watching properly choreographed action without the camera cutting away every couple of seconds.

So, did I enjoy them?

Well, all I can say is that after watching all three, I'm absolutely desperate for them to make another one.

I just hope One Last Shot doesn't really mean the last shot!

Cheat Fajita Pasta Recipe

This cheat fajita pasta recipe came about after I had the Vegan Fajita Pasta at Slug & Lettuce and really enjoyed it.

The Slug & Lettuce version is described as penne pasta in a Sheese® sauce with onion, peas and mixed peppers, finished with spring onion. The one I had seemed a little different though. I don't remember any peas or any peppers, but it did have sun-dried tomatoes in it.

Either way, it gave me the idea to make my own quick fajita pasta at home.

I wasn't bothered about keeping mine vegan, so I went for a simple vegetarian version using cream cheese, Cheddar and a ready-made fajita seasoning mix. No measuring out cumin, paprika, chilli and garlic... hence the word cheat.

It turned out to be a lovely tea, and from start to finish it only takes about 20 minutes.

Cheat Fajita Pasta Recipe

Serves: 2
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Calories: 650kcal per portion

Ingredients

• 200g penne pasta
• ½ onion, thinly sliced
• 50–60g sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
• ½ pepper, thinly sliced – optional
• A small handful of peas – optional
• 3 teaspoons fajita seasoning mix
• 100g full-fat cream cheese
• 50g grated Cheddar - optional
• A splash of milk
• A little pasta cooking water
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• A squeeze of lime
• 1 tablespoon oil, ideally from the sun-dried tomato jar
• Black pepper

How to Make Fajita Pasta

1. Cook the penne according to the packet instructions. Before draining it, save a little of the pasta cooking water.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a frying pan and gently cook the onion for a few minutes until it starts to soften.
3. If you're using pepper, add it to the pan and cook for another couple of minutes.
4. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, then stir in the fajita seasoning. I used 3 teaspoons, which gave the pasta plenty of flavour while keeping it fairly mild.
5. Turn the heat down and add the cream cheese, grated Cheddar and a splash of milk. Stir until everything has melted into a smooth, creamy sauce.
6. Add the cooked penne along with a splash of the reserved pasta water. Stir everything together until the sauce coats the pasta properly.
7. If you're adding peas, stir them through now and give them a minute or two to heat through.
8. Finish with a squeeze of lime, plenty of black pepper and the sliced spring onions on top for decoration.
9. Serve straight away.

Chicken or Quorn Fajita Pasta

This works perfectly well as it is, but you can easily turn it into a more substantial meal by adding chicken or Quorn.

If you're using chicken, slice it into small pieces and cook it thoroughly before adding the onion and continuing with the recipe. Quorn pieces can be cooked in much the same way, following the packet instructions.

Either option works really well with the creamy fajita sauce and turns this into an easy chicken fajita pasta or Quorn fajita pasta without changing much else.

A Few Notes

The peas and pepper are both optional. The Slug & Lettuce fajita pasta description mentions both, but the dish I was served didn't have either.

I did use half a pepper in my homemade version and thought it worked well, but the sun-dried tomatoes were the ingredient I definitely wanted to keep. They add a slightly sweet, savoury flavour that works brilliantly with the creamy cheese sauce and fajita seasoning.

If you are feeling adventurous, you could, of course, make your own fajita seasoning using garlic, smoked paprika, cumin and chilli powder, but that rather defeats the point of this recipe.

This is supposed to be a quick and easy fajita pasta inspired by the Slug & Lettuce Vegan Fajita Pasta, and the ready-made seasoning does the job perfectly.

Maldron Hotel Liverpool Review

Stayed: 21st-22nd Sept 2026
Room type: Executive King Room
Overall score: 9.5/10

We stayed for one night at the Maldron Hotel Liverpool while spending a couple of days in the city (a birthday trip from my wife for the both of us).

She booked an Executive King Room, which comes with the added bonus of bathrobes, slippers and our own coffee machine.

The standard rooms are already very well appointed, with air conditioning, complimentary Wi-Fi, flat-screen TV, hair dryer, complimentary toiletries, ironing facilities, in-room safe and tea and coffee making facilities.

The room itself was VERY comfortable, but that's only a fraction of the story.

Accommodation

Before we arrived, I was slightly worried about noise.

The Maldron is right on the edge of Liverpool city centre, with some pretty busy roads close by, and the Liverpool ONE coach station, so I expected the usual city hotel hustle and bustle through the night. Loud people talking in the hotel corridors, late-night revellers coming back, screaming kids, the general noise of a hotel operating 24/7... and, of course, the ruddy bins being emptied somewhere at some ungodly hour.

There was absolutely none of it.

I'm usually an early riser and the slightest noise can wake me from a deep sleep. Not here. I slept until just gone 8am.

That's almost unheard of. It probably helped that the bed was so incredibly comfy too.

We could honestly have been staying in the middle of the countryside, it was that quiet.

Staff and service

The staff were really friendly and helpful throughout our stay, and check-in was an absolute breeze.

They even left a personal Happy Birthday message for me.

As it was my birthday, we were also given a complimentary drink each in the bar, which was a lovely touch.

Bar and dining area

The bar and dining area is lovely and relaxed, with huge windows looking out onto the busy Liverpool streets outside.

It's a nice place to sit with a drink and watch the city going by, without feeling like you're sitting in the middle of it.

Location

Location is another big tick.

You're right on the edge of Liverpool city centre, so it's only a few minutes' walk to the bars, restaurants and the Cavern Quarter.

If you're driving, discounted parking is available at the John Lewis Q-Park, just a couple of minutes' walk from the hotel.

Breakfast

Breakfast was very good.

It's buffet style, which is always my preference for this sort of hotel stay, with plenty of hot and cold food plus a good selection of drinks.

My quick test as a vegetarian is always whether there's enough choice for me without breakfast becoming toast, beans and another slice of toast. The Maldron passes that test easily.

There was one small disappointment.

We were shown to a table where there had obviously been a recent spill, so the floor around us was still damp. I later noticed there was also some scrambled egg left on the floor.

Had I spotted it straight away, I'd simply have asked for another table, but I was a little surprised we'd been seated there in the first place.

That's where the missing half point went.

The Verdict

This was a genuinely excellent stay.

The Maldron Hotel Liverpool is comfortable, exceptionally quiet, brilliantly located and has some of the friendliest hotel staff we've come across.

The thing I'll remember most is probably just how peaceful the room was. For a hotel sitting so close to the centre of a busy city, the lack of outside noise or hotel noise was remarkable.

Add in a very comfortable room, good breakfast, relaxed bar area and the fact you can walk into the heart of Liverpool within minutes, and there really isn't much to criticise.

Apart from that slightly soggy breakfast table floor, we'd struggle to fault it.

A superb city-centre hotel that somehow manages to feel remarkably peaceful. We'd happily stay here again.

Sisu

Just watched Sisu and Sisu: Road to Revenge, amazing movies that are wildly entertaining in a brutally bloody, and entertaining gory way.

These are two action movies that have been described as a Finnish, World War II-era mix of Rambo and John Wick, and I find it hard to disagree with that accessment; and I'm sure thatt 82.5% of fans of these movies woukd like Sisu.

Private London: A Good Read, I Just Expected More

Private London by James Patterson and Mark Pearson is another entry in the ever-growing Private series, and once again the short, punchy chapters keep the pace moving quickly.

I enjoyed the story overall, but this one felt a little uneven compared to the others I’ve read so far.

It actually started very strongly, then seemed to take a bit of a nosedive before a decent plot twist in the middle pulled me back in again.

By around the two-thirds mark I’d pretty much worked out what had happened, which spoiled some of the tension towards the end.

One thing that also stood out was some of the "high-tech" elements in the story. The book is around 14 years old now, and some of the technology that once felt futuristic now feels a little dated.

That said, it’s still a decent, easy-to-read thriller and another solid holiday read. Just not quite as gripping as the other books in the series that I’ve picked up so far.

Score: 7/10

 

Others in the Private series I have read and reviewed:

#1 Private
#2 Private London
#22 Private Dublin

H10 Salou Princess Review

Stayed: 2–9 May 2026
Room type: Half Board, double room with twin beds
Overall score: 8/10

We stayed at the H10 Salou Princess in Salou (Spain) from 2–9 May 2026, in one of their double rooms with twin beds. There were no double bed rooms available for our stay.

From the moment we stepped into the lobby, the hotel had a more grown-up feel to it, which we liked straight away.

This stay also felt a little different for us, as we are starting to look at areas in Spain for retirement. Salou, or the surrounding area, may well end up on our shortlist.

The room was a typical size for this kind of hotel, with a TV, air conditioning, fridge, safe box at €3 per day, free WiFi, and a balcony. The bathroom had a bath with shower over it.

Our room looked out over the front of the hotel onto a busy main road. The road starts to get busy from around 7:30am, and traffic noise is only  slightly noticeable during the day, but we did not think it was too bad at all.

Accommodation

The room was clean and well appointed. It was a typical size for this type of stay, and nothing felt old or worn out.

Everything worked as it should, and the room felt properly maintained throughout our stay.

It would have been nice to have a couple more power sockets. We had three, which was fine, but there were no USB charging points, so bring plug-in USB chargers or a power supply. First world problems, I know.

Pools and facilities

There is one large main pool with a kids pool next to it, and plenty of loungers around the pool area.

The pool was clean, and the lifeguards were attentive. Towels were available from reception for a small refundable deposit.

They also have four Balinese beds, also known as Bali beds. We used them on three of the days we stayed, at €25 per day.

They added a lovely touch of luxury around the pool, and as it was my wife’s birthday, it felt like a nice treat for her too; plus up by the top beds (#3 and #4), it tended to be very quiet.

Food and drink

The more grown-up feel carried through into the dining area. It was well laid out and served buffet-style food, but the whole experience felt calmer and more relaxed.

Breakfast was a typical mix for this kind of European hotel, with both English and Continental options.

There was fresh fruit, sausage, eggs, bacon, beans, mushrooms, yoghurt, pastries, cereals, cold meats, cheese, and a surprisingly good choice of alternative milks, including plant, oat, and almond milk.

Hot drinks and fruit juices were included at breakfast.

Dinner had the usual mix of soup, pasta, salads, fish and meat dishes, fried food, chips and wedges, plus a show cooking area.

Drinks were not included with dinner. We stuck to the 1 litre bottles of filtered water at €2, which was enough for the two of us.

This is where the different clientele at this hotel showed. Lots of people were drinking water, soft drinks, or wine. It was not families downing pints of cheap Spanish lager.

Sweet treats were always available, including ice cream, small cakes, puddings, and fresh fruit.

As a vegetarian, I did find the choice a bit limited. There was always something to eat, but it was not always especially interesting. Salads and pasta are fine, but over a longer stay it would become repetitive.

Surely it cannot be too difficult to put on a couple of proper vegetarian dishes, such as curry, lasagne (strangely a day after putting this review live, a lovely vegetarian lasagne was available!), or something similar.

My carnivore wife liked the food and the surroundings so much that we ended up going Full Board for the last four days.

BTW, if you want to upgrade from Half Board to Full Board, do it officially at Reception rather than paying for the extra lunches in the restaurant, it was a much cheaper way to do it).

Because the dining experience felt more formal, there were no overloaded plates and very little waste to be seen. Overall, it was a decent dining experience, apart from the lack of vegetarian options.

Busy times for the restaurant:

Breakfast busiest after 9:30
Lunch wasn't particularly busy at all
Dinner busiest after 20:30

Staff and service

As you would expect in a good hotel today, the staff were friendly and helpful throughout our stay.

In the restaurant, the waiting staff were attentive, and we were always seated very quickly. Plates were cleared fast, and the service felt well organised.

Atmosphere

The atmosphere was quiet and chilled.

It seemed to attract a slightly older clientele, which gave the hotel a more relaxed and informal feel. That suited us perfectly.

Other facilities

I think the hotel wristbands are new for 2026. They act as your room key, but you can also add money to them and use them for payment around the hotel.

The hotel seemed to have live entertainment most nights, including local bands and tribute acts.

The Legends Sports Bar reminded me of a mix between an old, dark English pub and an Irish pub. It was cosy, with dark beers and Spanish beers available.

If it is still on, the Bock Damm Negra Munich is a gorgeous beer. Voll-Damm is also a lovely beer.

There was also a small café by the pool for quick bites, opening from 12:30. It served things like chips, hot dogs, pizza, soft drinks, and alcoholic drinks.

There is apparently a sauna and gym in the hotel, but we did not use them.

Top tip: when we were there, the top terrace, past the first two Bali beds and up the steps, was nice and quiet.

The Verdict

H10 Salou Princess is a clean, friendly, and well-located hotel with a slightly older clientele and a relaxed feel.

It felt more grown-up than some of the family-heavy hotels in Salou, and that made a big difference to the stay.

The room was clean, the staff were excellent, the pool area was pleasant, and the food was good overall.

The main downside for me was the limited vegetarian choice. It was not terrible, but it could be much better with just a bit more thought.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable stay, and it is definitely somewhere we would consider returning to.

Scores

Accommodation: 8/10
Location: 9/10
Food and drink: 7/10
Staff: 9/10
Atmosphere: 8/10

Overall score: 8/10

A clean, friendly, well-located hotel with a more grown-up feel. Relaxed, informal, and a very good base for a stay in Salou.

A Move to Spain!

We are actually considering a move to Spain, follow our journey here.

Private: A Fast-Paced Start to the Series

I’ve just finished Private, the first book in the series, while away on another break in Spain. I tend to only read fiction when I’m on holiday, and this time I brought this and Private London with me.

Written by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro, this feels like a strong introduction to the Private series. It’s a fast-paced crime thriller and another real page turner.

Set in Los Angeles, the story feels very cinematic. I’ve never actually been to LA, but it all felt clearly laid out, almost like watching it unfold on screen.

What stood out most was the way multiple storylines move along at a quick pace. The authors trust the reader to keep up, which keeps things engaging without over-explaining.

That said, the plots aren’t especially deep or complex. But I’m on holiday, and this is exactly what I want. An easy, exciting read that keeps the tension moving and tightens nicely towards the end.

Another Patterson book that I couldn’t put down until I’d finished it.

Score: 9/10

Others in the Private series I have read and reviewed:

#1 Private
#2 Private London
#22 Private Dublin

Ponient Dorada Palace, Salou Review

Stayed: 15–26 September 2025
Room type: Self-catering apartment
Overall score: 6.5/10

We stayed at Ponient Dorada Palace in Salou (Spain) from 15–26 September 2025, in one of their self-catering apartments.

The hotel is affiliated with PortAventura World, which shapes the feel of the place. It is around a 20-25 minute walk to PortAventura and around 15 minutes to the beach, so location-wise it worked well for us.

The apartment gave us plenty of space, with a small kitchen and balcony. That made a real difference over an 11 night stay.

The room we had was on one of the sides if the hotel with a view of Portaventura World (and a big carpark), but the neighbourhood was quiet.

Accommodation

The apartment was clean, spacious, and well appointed. Nothing felt tired or neglected, and everything worked as it should.

We had a walk-in shower, which was a nice bonus, and the room felt properly maintained throughout the stay.

Pools and facilities

There is one large main pool with a kids pool next to it, plus a smaller pool around the side of the hotel.

The main pool was lively during the day, with water aerobics, water polo, kids’ activities, and entertainment on the small stage. Great if you have children, less relaxing if you want peace and quiet.

The smaller pool was close to the stairs near the top of the restaurant. It sat in a little suntrap and was much quieter, with fewer children around.

Both pools were clean, and the lifeguards were attentive. Towels were available for a small refundable deposit.

Food and drink

The restaurant was clean and mainly served buffet-style food. It felt and sounded more like a cafeteria, cheap and cheerful.

Breakfast included fresh fruit, bacon, eggs, yoghurt, pastries, and the usual hotel breakfast options.

Dinner usually had pasta, pizza, meat and fish dishes, salads, and a show cooking section. There were also themed nights, such as Mexican, Chinese, and Italian, with dishes linked to that country.

There was a dedicated kids section at child height, usually with pasta, spaghetti, meatballs, fish fingers, pizza, burgers, and similar options.

Sweet treats were always available, including ice cream, small cakes, puddings, and fresh fruit.

As a vegetarian, I did find the choice a bit limited at times. There was always something to eat, but over a longer stay it became a bit repetitive.

The worst part of the dining experience was not the food itself. It was the waste. Lots of plates piled high, a lot of food left untouched, and children wasting far too much. Not nice to see night after night.

Staff and service

The staff were friendly and helpful throughout the stay.

In the restaurant, the waiting staff were attentive, and we were always seated very quickly. Tables were cleared fast, and the service felt well organised.

Atmosphere

Because the hotel is part of PortAventura World, there were lots of families and young children around.

That is not a criticism in itself. It is clearly a family-friendly hotel. But it does mean the atmosphere is busy, lively, and not always relaxing.

If you want a quieter stay, the smaller pool is your friend.

I used a book as my escape from the noise, Private Dublin review.

Other facilities

There was a roof terrace, although we did not use it.

Some of the PortAventura World characters popped in from time to time.

There was also a small poolside café for quick bites, such as chips and hot dogs, plus soft and alcoholic drinks etc.

The Verdict

Ponient Dorada Palace is a good, clean, well-run hotel in a handy Salou location.

The accommodation, staff, pools, and location were all strong. For families visiting PortAventura, it makes a lot of sense.

For couples, it still works, but you need to accept that it is a busy family hotel. The main things that dragged the score down were the dining atmosphere, the food waste, and the limited vegetarian choice over a longer stay.

Scores

Accommodation: 8/10
Location: 8/10
Food and drink: 5/10
Staff: 8/10
Atmosphere: 5/10

Overall score: 6.5/10

A clean, friendly, well-located hotel that works best for families and PortAventura trips. Good stay overall, but not quite a peaceful one.

A Move to Spain!

We are actually considering a move to Spain, follow our journey here.

Private Dublin: Couldn’t Put It Down

I’m not a typical reader of books. In fact, I generally only read when I’m on holiday.

I actually forgot to pack a book this time, so I picked one up at the airport. Mainly because the cover art caught my eye. Luckily for me, it turned out to be Private Dublin by James Patterson and Adam Hamdy.

I’ve never read a book from the Private series before, nor anything else from these two authors, but this was an excellent story. What a page turner.

I couldn’t put it down. As someone who rarely finishes a book on holiday, I had this finished after a touch over a day by the pool. Page turner is an understatement.

Being number 20 in the series, I was worried I’d miss out on the back story of the characters. But they are painted in such a realistic way that I felt I knew them almost immediately.

Yeah a few plotholes and a little unrealistic action, but it is fiction after all!

The plot is fast paced and intense, and while this is part of a long-running series, it can easily be enjoyed as a standalone read.

I enjoyed it so much that, after Amazon wouldn’t deliver more of the series to our hotel here in Spain, I spent a few hours trying to find more in local bookstores. Alas, I didn’t find any.

Score: 9/10

Others in the Private series I have read and reviewed:

#1 Private
#2 Private London
#22 Private Dublin

ABBA Voyage Review, London

Strange but true, the day after seeing Iron Maiden live at the London Stadium, we went to see ABBA Voyage on Sunday 29th June 2025. Heavy metal one night, cheesy pop the next... it was certainly a weekend of contrasts.

That was partly the idea. Iron Maiden was mainly for me, while ABBA Voyage was mainly for Debs, so it seemed a pretty good way of making a full weekend out of the trip.

This was the 2nd time I'd seen ABBA Voyage and probably the 3rd or 4th time Debs had been. It was originally set up as something of a pop-up event and, if I remember rightly, there was talk of the show eventually travelling around the world. Instead, it seems to have found a permanent home in London, at least for the time being.

When I first heard about bands being recreated using holograms and digital avatars, I imagined something like a glorified video screen, or perhaps an image projected onto glass or smoke. ABBA Voyage is nothing like that.

The digital versions of Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid genuinely appear to move around the stage, walk towards the audience and interact with each other. Huge screens help give the whole thing the scale of a proper arena concert, while the lighting, sound and acoustics add enormously to the illusion. There's also a live band on stage, which makes a bigger difference than you might expect.

Honestly, within about 10 or 15 minutes you completely forget that the four members of ABBA aren't actually standing in front of you. You just buy into the whole thing.

I love the venue too. The purpose-built ABBA Arena somehow manages to feel fairly intimate despite holding a lot of people, with a mixture of standing areas, normal seating and the more private dance booths or 'pods'. We've tried both standing and seated tickets now and, for us, standing wins. You can dance, move around and get more involved, whereas the seats make it feel slightly more relaxed and theatre-like.

The audience certainly plays its part as well. Every time we've been there have been plenty of sequins, platform boots, flared trousers and long wigs. The ABBA avatars are based on how the group looked in the 1970s, so all of that dressing up just adds another layer of nostalgia to the night.

The set isn't completely fixed either. Songs are changed from time to time, so if, like us, you go back every so often, there's usually something slightly different to see.

What really impresses me is how much thought has gone into the whole experience. From arriving by train, to the photo opportunities, the bars and the purpose-built arena itself, everything has been designed around this one show. It never feels like ABBA have simply been dropped into an ordinary concert venue; the entire place exists to make the experience work.

And it really does work.

We've already seen ABBA Voyage several times between us, and I can't imagine this being the last. We'll definitely be back.