Gutting to read this. Thoughts going out to all Reach staff either facing redundancy or feeling survivor's guilt.

Here's my piece for @theobserveruk.bsky.social on Cracker Barrel, rebrands in the modern era, phone screens, Leeds United and Pepsi. observer.co.uk/news/the-sen...

Utterly obsessed with the newest Billie Marten album Dog Eared. She's been stellar for years but this is leaps and bounds more captivating than anything else I've heard this year.

I've written this piece for @theobserveruk.bsky.social looking at why the argument for building Heathrow's third runway is different now, whether that matters, and why the price of expanding airline emissions is considered worth paying, even as the world burns. observer.co.uk/news/the-sen...

Brilliant that Chris Spargo (who is brilliant) has done a video involving Pitsea Tesco (which is and always has been brilliant). Brilliant! youtu.be/yTWD7qULzA4?...

I like to think I know 95% of everything there is to know about the history of Basildon - so it always excites me when I learn a new noteworthy thing! Today I found out that the first Premier Inn hotel (opened under the Travel Inn name) was the one by The Watermill pub!

🚨 Exclusive 🚨 “We have only days left, literally days.” In their first public statement since resigning, I spoke to two former directors of Morecambe about the madness of the last month and their fears for the future of the club. theuglygame.wordpress.com/2025/07/14/w...

Yeah the internet is in a great, great state.

Watching England beat Colombia on penalties here (Chelmsford Walkabout 2018 World Cup) in a packed room will forever be one of my favourite football memories. ☹️ www.essexlive.news/whats-on/wha...

Heartbroken.

Lol

New Tube map means new "ewwww" moments. Tottenham Court Road and Goodge Street now look like they're both labelled to the dash on the Northern Line. And where is Oxford Circus now? I can't tell what it's supposed to be linked to. As always information is more important that aesthetics - but jeez.

I've written about escalators for @theobserveruk.bsky.social - because they're absolutely essential but also a 40-tonne infrastructural headache. Read here: observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

Hear hear

What a story. www.echo-news.co.uk/sport/251880...

I'd say give Kevin Maher the freedom of the city of Southend but he already bloody has it! Unbelievable. What an amazing club. What an amazing man. WEMBLEY COME ONNNNN

NEVER IN DOUBT

All that transparently naff "it's going away" marketing just for this weak redesign? Genuinely upset.

Portugal erasure smh.

This club just does not know when it, is, beaten.

MIGHTY MIGHT SHRIMPERS COMEBACK OF THE CENTURY GET IN

Called it.

New from me for @theobserveruk.bsky.social - how Labour nurtured an environment perfect for a theme park, and why it is a big deal actually. observer.co.uk/news/the-sen...

WE NEVER MAKE IT EASY FOR OURSELVES

If Zhao nabs this last frame of the session, it is the most impressive World Championship win ever. Cold after 20 months off, multiple Q Tour tournament wins, four qualifying rounds, breezing through every round proper. A final where he has not once looked like losing. With a session to spare.

The Snooker World Championship Final has begun! I have words about it and the state of snooker in today's Observer - grab a copy to read!

Zhao's win tonight is an absolutely seismic moment. What a story. If he wins on Monday - snooker will never be the same. The China opportunity is just too big.

Music to my ears. www.southendunited.co.uk/news/2025/ma...

What a frame from Luca Brecel there - when he's running hot you don't want to watch anyone else.

And we're off!

Couldn't put my finger on this until just now. Gone from absolutely hating them to thinking they're okay! How interesting.

BIG DAY

Yikes.

Really loving this at the moment. Visceral and wistful in equal measure. youtu.be/xbszSHAZwh4?...

This song tickles a part of my brain that is filled with a persistent dread about the state of modern social media algorithms. Plus it's catchy! youtu.be/MdJtjQNI6SI?...

Here's a piece I've written for @tortoisemedia.bsky.social about poker! I'm all in. www.tortoisemedia.com/2025/04/15/s...

Two stories from me for @tortoisemedia.bsky.social today: 1. A new postbox? Built with parcels in mind? In this economy? Go on then: www.tortoisemedia.com/2025/04/11/r... 2. The unstoppable charge of Aldi (personally a Lidl man myself): www.tortoisemedia.com/2025/04/11/a...

What an all-round victory for middle England, the government and the UK's theme park enthusiasts. My piece for @tortoisemedia.bsky.social on Universal's plan to open a park near Kempston. www.tortoisemedia.com/2025/04/10/a...

Many have tried and failed to make a gigantic, ground-up theme park resort in the UK Universal is probably the most likely to succeed. Huge news - might be enough to get Merlin to buck its ideas up, finally.

London’s first new road across the Thames in more than 60 years will open to motorists today. The Silvertown tunnel (between Greenwich and Silvertown) aims to fix a problem centuries in the making: poor cross-river connectivity in east London. ✍️ @bradleygray.bsky.social Read: torto.se/3XPLXRs

A new river crossing opens in London today. It has cost more than a £1 billion, is mainly for cars, and you have to pay for the pleasure to use it. You'll have to pay to use its tunnel neighbour too. Read my Sensemaker for @tortoisemedia.bsky.social. www.tortoisemedia.com/2025/04/07/s...

The lights around the advertising hoardings on the Elizabeth line can change colour to fit certain adverts - this is very fun! I wonder how much extra it costs.

👑 Kevin Maher: 635 Tomorrow, the boss breaks a club record for combined games as a player and head coach. To mark the occasion, King Kev reflects on the milestone 📺 youtu.be/sM-Ktu-ywpA

Band On The Run is so complete man. Paul was out of this world. The Beatles would have made Run For Your Life 20 times without him.

New Lucy Dacus record is incredible. The lyricism displayed on Come Out is second to none, not a syllable wasted. youtu.be/MjNh2zPmD6E?...

Here's my Sensemaker for @tortoisemedia.bsky.social on Labour's plan to nationalise the railways. Aging infrastructure, bureaucratic structures and sky-high prices leave the British public with a rotten deal. Making our trains less miserable is no small task. www.tortoisemedia.com/2025/03/31/w...

Damn, stratas dropping like flies. www.ocregister.com/2025/03/28/s...

The fire at Heathrow wouldn't be too bad if all of England's flight infrastructure and most airline infrastructure in Europe didn't rely on its airport operations to work absolutely perfectly all of the time. The Day Britain Stopped remains persistently relevant. www.youtube.com/watch?v=vM3e...

Happy birthday to one of my favourite albums ever! Dead Fox is still a big time sing-in-the-shower song.