Harvey was more than a dog—he was a shadow, and a show-stealer. Loyal to his family every step of the way, Harvey’s life was one filled with love, laughter, and unbreakable companionship. From caravan holidays where he effortlessly became the centre of attention, to the quiet comfort of following me around the house, Harvey was always exactly where he was meant to be: by my side.
His gentle presence and unwavering devotion made the ordinary extraordinary. Whether trotting through caravan sites or curled up at home, Harvey reminded everyone that true greatness lies in love given freely and moments shared deeply.
He leaves behind paw prints not just on the carpet, but on hearts. Sleep well, Harvey—you were truly the very best of boys.
Can I just say as a club Newcastle united are absolutely cooking btw just check out all of these announcements and highlights from the past month and a half!!
Men’s Team Highlights
Dan Burn was voted Player of the Season for 2024/25. Alexander Isak was nominated for the PFA Players’ Player of the Year.
Premier League fixtures for 2025/26 were released, with a blockbuster opener against Aston Villa on August 16.
Pre-season friendlies announced: Celtic, Espanyol, Arsenal, and Atlético Madrid.
Transfer activity: In: Anthony Elanga (£55m from Nottingham Forest) and Antonio Cordero (free from Málaga).
Out: Lloyd Kelly (permanent move to Juventus), Callum Wilson, Jamal Lewis, and John Ruddy (all released)2.
Behind-closed-doors friendly: Newcastle beat Carlisle United 4–0, with academy players and Joelinton scoring.
Hugo Ekitike pursuit: Ongoing negotiations for a potential record signing.
Women’s Team Highlights
Back-to-back promotions confirmed; now competing in the Women’s Championship or WLS 2 for another season.
New signings: Jemma Purfield (former Southampton full-back). Molly Pike (goalscoring midfielder from Southampton). Amy Andrews (striker from Durham). Deanna Cooper (ex-Chelsea and Reading defender). Jordan Nobbs (England legend) linked with a potential marquee signing.
Season tickets for 2025/26 went on sale and we got 4
.
Club-Wide Updates
Retained list published: Callum Wilson, John Ruddy, and Jamal Lewis released.
Mark Gillespie retained via contract option.
Lloyd Kelly’s loan to Juventus made permanent.
Paul Mitchell, sporting director, confirmed departure after securing Cordero’s signing.
New Head of Football Strategy: Jack Ross appointed.
Champions League qualification and Carabao Cup win celebrated as part of club’s strongest season in decades.
🧙 My Lightsaber Is Actually a Remote: The Jedi Arts of Channel Control
In our galaxy, the remote is more than tech—it’s a wand, a peacekeeper, a beacon of compromise. And wielding it? That’s pure Jedi.
I used to think I had control. Then came Bluey marathons and YouTube wormholes. Channel sovereignty became a rare artefact, like the Darksaber—spoken of, seldom seen. But here’s the trick: Jedi don’t dominate. They persuade, guide, and sometimes make room for Ewok dance breaks if it brings balance to the Force.
I’ve learned to rotate screen time like a training regimen—cartoons one day, nature docs the next, with detours through football replays for parental sanity. Sometimes, we co-watch and I sneak in dad jokes that would make Yoda groan.
And when the tiny Padawans clash? That’s when my calm Jedi dad voice comes out: “There is no fight, only sharing.” It doesn’t always work. But neither did Obi-Wan’s first try with Anakin.
🛠 Guardsman to Dadnaut: Discipline That Still Works
Before nappies, there were night watches. Before storytime, there were standing orders. I traded a regimented life in uniform for the whirlwind of parenting—and oddly, it didn’t feel all that different.
The discipline drilled into me as a Guardsman didn’t vanish the moment I strapped on a baby carrier. Instead, it evolved. The early routines? Gold. Nap schedules are like operations briefs: don’t overcomplicate, don’t deviate. Gear checks became nappy bag inspections. Early on, I realised that the same calm under pressure I needed in uniform was the very thing that got us through the “poonami” on aisle 7 of Tesco.
But it’s not about barking commands. It’s about presence. A soldier’s presence matters. So does a dad’s. When my kid melts down at bedtime, I channel that same stillness I used to stand ceremonial post. When I say “no,” it’s not sharp—it’s grounded. Confident. Respectful.
Turns out, you can turn a parade square mindset into a playroom strategy. Discipline, done right, isn’t about control—it’s about consistency, compassion, and showing up the same way every time. So while the tools have changed, the mission stays the same: protect, provide, and lead with honour.
There’s something electric about looking ahead—counting down the days to those big moments in gaming, TV, and film that you know are going to leave an impact. Over the next 18 months, we’re getting sequels we never thought we’d see, fresh takes on iconic stories, and a few surprise comebacks that have me genuinely hyped.
Here’s a rundown of the 10 titles that have claimed top spots on my anticipation radar:
🎮 1. GTA VI – May 26, 2026
Vice City returns. Lucia and Jason take the wheel. Rockstar is leveling up with the expansive state of Leonida and a narrative that already feels legendary. It’s been a long wait—but the neon-soaked chaos will be worth it.
🌌 2. The Mandalorian & Grogu – May 22, 2026
Din Djarin and the little green legend make their big-screen debut. Jon Favreau is back in the director’s chair, and if the series was anything to go by, this movie might just leave the whole galaxy buzzing.
🧇 3. Stranger Things Season 5 – Nov 26, Dec 25, Dec 31, 2025
The final chapter arrives in three parts. Hawkins, Eleven, and the Upside Down face off one last time. Emotions? Checked. Flashlights? Charged. Ready to say goodbye? Not remotely.
🧙 4. Harry Potter (HBO Series) – 2026/27
A full reboot of the books, bringing each chapter to life with room to breathe. New cast, same magic. And with Rowling on board as an exec producer, it’ll be fascinating to see what gets reimagined.
🕷️ 5. Wednesday Season 2 – Aug 6 & Sept 3, 2025
Jenna Ortega returns in a season that promises more gothic weirdness, less high school romance, and a deeper dive into Addams family lore. The tone’s getting darker—and I’m here for it.
☢️ 6. Fallout Season 2 – Dec 2025
We’re heading to New Vegas, and the Wasteland just got more chaotic with Macaulay Culkin joining the cast. After the sleeper hit that was Season 1, expectations are sky-high—and radioactive.
🧸 7. Toy Story 5 – June 19, 2026
Just when I thought the toy box was shut for good… Woody and Buzz are back, facing off against a villain named Lily Pad in a tech vs. toy showdown. Bring tissues. Pixar never misses.
🌊 8. Moana (Live-Action) – July 10, 2026
Catherine Laga‘aia teams up with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in this reimagining of the oceanic epic. Visuals are expected to be stunning, and if the music hits like the original—we’re in for a wave of nostalgia.
🔫 9. Borderlands 4 – Sept 12, 2025
Vault Hunters, assemble. A new villain, the Timekeeper, sets the tone for a full-throttle co-op experience across a brand-new planet. Get ready for mayhem, loot, and bad jokes aplenty.
🕵️ 10. Mafia: The Old Country – Aug 8, 2025
Step into Sicily, 1900s. Play as Enzo Favara and rise through the Torrisi crime family. It’s giving Godfather meets Red Dead, and every part of that sentence makes me want to pre-order.
🗣️ What Are You Excited For?
That’s my hype list—but what are YOU most looking forward to? Is there an under-the-radar release I should have on my radar? TV, movie, game, anime—I’m open to it all.
Hit me up on socials or drop a comment below. Let’s build the ultimate fandom watchlist together. 👇
The first item of baby clothing I bought? A mini NUFC shirt. Not a bottle, not a onesie. A Toon top. Because for me, football isn’t just about sport—it’s about belonging.
Welcome to The Toonverse Chronicles, where passion meets parenthood, and raising a Newcastle fan becomes an emotional training montage worthy of the empire strikes back—but with more wafer thins.
🪄 The Magic of It All: Our bedtime stories alternate between Alan Shearer and Albus Dumbledore. We celebrate goals like spell-casting victories. Somewhere between match replays and wand battles, my little one started to get into it.
⚽ Lessons from the Gallowgate End: – Loyalty isn’t about never losing—it’s about never walking away. – Tradition matters—rituals like wearing black and white or doing silly half-time dances are part of family identity. – Hope, even when we’re 2–0 down in life, makes everything worthwhile. – Raising the little one like the Carabao Cup whilst she is giggling and I like every other Geordie is on cloud nine – Priceless.
💡 Favourite Moment: The day I got to put my youngest in her first proper toon top. there is nothing like it.
🏁 Full-Time Thoughts: It’s not just football. It’s not just parenting. It’s shared belief. And that, to me, is a kind of magic. It is going to be a magic we all feel when we start going to the lasses matches next season as the youngest is just about old enough now.
Launching Dadnauts has been less about building a brand and more about capturing a feeling—a mix of chaos, love, curiosity, and creativity that defines my life as a dad. Somewhere between sleep-deprived snack negotiations and late-night idea scribbles, I realised I wanted to share the experience—not just as a diary, but as a creative project. Something that reflects the weird, wonderful balancing act of raising a child while holding on to your own identity. The journey gave shape to four recurring blog series, each a chapter in this ongoing mission.
The Dadnaut Toolkit 🛠 was the first concept that landed. Born out of the deep desire to make sense of the madness, it’s where the Guardsman in me gets to shine. I wanted to share what I’ve learned (and what I’m still figuring out) about time, structure, and staying afloat as a parent. These posts will offer practical strategies for managing the circus of dad life—whether that’s blocking out creative time between nappy changes or building routines that actually leave space for joy. It’s not about being perfect—it’s about having the right tools when the pressure’s on.
Wands, Wookie’s & Wipeout’s 🧙♂️🪄 is where the playful side of parenting gets to run wild. I’ve always loved the way stories shape us, and now I’m watching them shape my kids too. Whether we’re pretending to be Jedi on a school run or sorting Hogwarts houses based on snack preferences, this series explores how fandom blends into family life. It’s equal parts chaos and charm—like watching your toddler wield a lightsaber in pyjamas while demanding a snack in Yoda-speak. These posts let me celebrate the magic and madness of building a home full of imagination.
Mission Logs 🚀 are the emotional core of Dadnauts. These weekly dispatches are more reflective and raw—less about tips and more about truths. Sometimes it’s a quiet moment at 3AM, other times it’s a total meltdown (theirs or mine). This series captures the pulse of parenthood as it re1ally happens, offering space for honesty, laughter, frustration, and growth. I hope other dads (and parents) see themselves in these entries—not perfectly polished, but deeply human.
Finally, The Toonverse Chronicles ⚽️🥅 bring my NUFC pride front and centre. Football has always been part of my identity, and now I’m sharing it with my little one. These posts aren’t just about matchdays—they’re about legacy. About building rituals, passing down values, and watching your child fall in love with something you’ve always held dear. Through the Toonverse lens, I explore how family and fandom intertwine—how wearing black and white becomes more than colours; it becomes a connection.
Dadnauts is a creative map of everything I care about—fatherhood, storytelling, structure, silliness, and shared joy. It’s messy, meaningful, and evolving—just like the journey itself.
Stay up-to-date with our future blogs on our X @dadnauts
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