https://russellfutcher.com/ Projects, opinions and updates from a UK independent en Mon, 09 Nov 2026 01:41:19 GMT https://russellfutcher.com/folding-table-standard-village-hall-website/ https://russellfutcher.com/folding-table-standard-village-hall-website/ A wet Saturday behind a trestle table taught me more about running a small personal site than most analytics dashboards ever have. Here is what a UK village hall market revealed about clarity, pricing, conversation and trust — and what I changed on my site afterwards. Russell Futcher Side Projects Mon, 09 Nov 2026 01:41:19 GMT https://russellfutcher.com/boring-mechanics-website-that-lasts/ https://russellfutcher.com/boring-mechanics-website-that-lasts/ Once a year I give russellfutcher.com a quiet once-over: domains, backups, dead links, privacy, accessibility and the few analytics that actually help. It is not glamorous, but it is the reason there is room for the good stuff. Russell Futcher Side Projects Sun, 08 Nov 2026 22:33:34 GMT https://russellfutcher.com/quiet-pint-of-nothing-thinking-alone-in-a-pub/ https://russellfutcher.com/quiet-pint-of-nothing-thinking-alone-in-a-pub/ The corner table at twenty past two on a Tuesday is the most productive square metre in Britain, and it costs about four quid. A field guide to the solo pub visit as a working ritual — etiquette, timing, and how to stop looking like you've been stood up. Russell Futcher Opinion Sun, 08 Nov 2026 17:26:17 GMT https://russellfutcher.com/five-pound-rule-charity-shop-find-seven-days/ https://russellfutcher.com/five-pound-rule-charity-shop-find-seven-days/ A self-imposed challenge: walk into a charity shop, spend under a fiver on something you didn't plan to buy, and turn it into a finished thing within a week. What a box of strangers' holiday slides taught me about constraints, deadlines, and why random starting points beat waiting for the perfect idea. Russell Futcher Side Projects Sun, 08 Nov 2026 17:26:17 GMT https://russellfutcher.com/pinned-torn-trusted-noticeboard-local-feed/ https://russellfutcher.com/pinned-torn-trusted-noticeboard-local-feed/ A wet-weather tour of the library boards, laundrette corkboards, village hall pinboards and café windows that still organise British local life — and why a curled A5 flyer with tear-off tabs teaches small publishers more about trust than any hyperlocal app. Russell Futcher Opinion Sun, 08 Nov 2026 13:26:14 GMT https://russellfutcher.com/ledger-where-returns-arent-money/ https://russellfutcher.com/ledger-where-returns-arent-money/ One small project of mine has made almost nothing and still earns its keep. A practical, slightly awkward case for tracking trust, introductions and useful connections alongside revenue — without pretending that goodwill pays the electricity bill. Russell Futcher Side Projects Sun, 08 Nov 2026 13:26:14 GMT https://russellfutcher.com/work-diary-dull-bits-left-in/ https://russellfutcher.com/work-diary-dull-bits-left-in/ From this month I’m publishing a short weekly work log on russellfutcher.com — not a highlight reel, but a plain record of drafts, admin, fixes and stalls. Here’s why ordinary progress is worth documenting, what I’ll include, and how I’ll stop it becoming another performance. Russell Futcher Side Projects Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:26:13 GMT https://russellfutcher.com/six-human-scale-uk-websites/ https://russellfutcher.com/six-human-scale-uk-websites/ A short tour of independent British sites that feel like people rather than content machines — and one practical lesson from each that you can borrow for your own corner of the web. No growth hacks, no 47-step funnel, just good manners and useful archives. Russell Futcher Opinion Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:26:13 GMT https://russellfutcher.com/quiet-build-why-im-not-building-in-public/ https://russellfutcher.com/quiet-build-why-im-not-building-in-public/ Build in public has become the default setting for UK independents, but the habit can turn early ideas into content before they are ready. Here’s the case for working privately, protecting the messy middle, and publishing once you have something worth sharing. Russell Futcher Opinion Sun, 08 Nov 2026 05:29:58 GMT https://russellfutcher.com/library-card-productivity-working-public-libraries/ https://russellfutcher.com/library-card-productivity-working-public-libraries/ A practical, affectionate field guide to using UK public libraries as free workspaces, from wifi and desk realities to booking meeting rooms and why the silent reference section can beat any café for focused work. Russell Futcher Side Projects Sun, 08 Nov 2026 05:29:58 GMT https://russellfutcher.com/your-website-doesnt-need-a-newsroom/ https://russellfutcher.com/your-website-doesnt-need-a-newsroom/ Running a personal site like a media brand looks tidy from the outside. In practice, it quietly turns one person into publisher, accountant and compliance officer. Here’s my 2026 audit — and the three boundaries that stopped the whole thing eating my week. Russell Futcher Opinion Sun, 08 Nov 2026 01:28:41 GMT https://russellfutcher.com/small-strange-podcasts-audience-2026/ https://russellfutcher.com/small-strange-podcasts-audience-2026/ A personal listening list of six UK independent podcasts that reframed audience-building for me in 2026 — less broadcast, more conversation. Includes the episodes that stuck and why they matter for freelancers. Russell Futcher Side Projects Sun, 08 Nov 2026 01:28:41 GMT https://russellfutcher.com/sorry-im-booked-british-politeness-freelance-time/ https://russellfutcher.com/sorry-im-booked-british-politeness-freelance-time/ A polite 'yes' can cost more than a rude 'no'. Here is how British niceness drains solo creators, plus the scripts I use in 2026 to protect my week without turning into a monster. Russell Futcher Opinion Sat, 07 Nov 2026 21:33:05 GMT https://russellfutcher.com/small-bets-big-lessons-2026-side-project-audit/ https://russellfutcher.com/small-bets-big-lessons-2026-side-project-audit/ Five modest experiments, one crowded spare-room desk and a pile of notes that a flashy launch could never have taught me. This is my honest 2026 audit, plus a simple framework you can use on your own ideas. Russell Futcher Side Projects Sat, 07 Nov 2026 21:33:05 GMT