It’s been a funny year. Feels like it has passed by in a blur while at the same time feeling like it has taken 3 years to move from 2024 to the cusp of 2026.

McGST has done surprisingly well and recorded its highest visitor and traffic numbers since 2019. Indeed, both stats are nearly 10 times what they were in 2024, but I guess that’s due to more content being added recently.

The most popular post was the Amazfit Helio Strap review which continues to receive more traffic than I expected. Second place went to the mini review of the Casio ABL-100WE-1BEF from back in February and in third was, strangely, the Citizen AT2100-09E Watch Review from December 2016. Explain that to me.

Of the top 20 posts in 2025, only 1 was not about a traditional watch or a smartwatch- in fact 16 of the top 20 had a traditional watch as the main subject. Seems my political ranting is not so popular and neither is the pure tech stuff these days. I get that because there are so many much bigger sites that focus on tech and no blog can possibly complete with them.

Tom has commented MUCH more than anyone else and I do appreciate the efforts he makes to add his thoughts. What I don’t understand is why I get 10 times more emails than online comments? I would have thought that commenting is much more efficient, but maybe the traditionalists like to remain traditional.

On the subject of emails someone contacted me a couple of weeks ago to ask why I mention my ME/CFS on the site? They said that people do not want to know about other people’s illnesses and that it may upset some people.

The reason I mention it is that this particular illness is not talked about enough. 400,000 people in the UK have it yet there is virtually no investment in research, no proper support from the NHS and this is replicated in so many other countries from the US to the Far East. Only Germany and Australia seem to be trying.

I am mostly housebound now with very occasional trips outside and I seem to be heading to the moderate category of ME which will likely entail me having to give up work. And yet there is no medical support, a really tough process to get any financial support and my wife and I have to manage everything on our own despite having paid full taxes for +30 years. I will not ignore or stay quiet about something so impactful to me.

My best purchases of the year are kind of tech related, at a stretch. The Levoit 20dB Quiet Pedestal Fan is amazing and worth every penny in my opinion. It’s so hard to find a fault with this product.

And the MUSICOZY Sleep Headphones have proved excellent value at £16. I can now sleep in the afternoons with light music playing in my ears and I am, crucially, able to sleep on my side.

Have a great Christmas and New Year to those of you who celebrate, and if it is a hard time of year for you, please reach out and get some support. It could make all of the difference.

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