It's a bit grim (clue's in the title) but the setting and cinematography are great. 4 Russian geologists in Siberia are looking for diamonds... www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPSc...

Just super. Hestercombe Gardens.

I collect pictures of gate latches. The endless minute variations and human ingenuity appeal to me greatly, and the countless hands that have moved them. This one is between Near and Far Sawrey, Lake District and has a lovely combination of textures between the iron, wooden gate, and stone gatepost.

View from Stanage Edge towards Mam Tor. #peakdistrict

#3: Wonder who on earth lives here?

If the boss doesn’t use ‘reached out’ for ‘sent an email’ I’m on their side.

The Picasso Bug (Sphaerocoris annulus) looks like it has been hand-painted. 🎨🖌 Native to Africa, this little shield-backed bug uses its bright colors as a warning, telling predators that it’s not a safe snack. Each one has an unique abstract pattern. 😍 #bugs #insects #nature #wildlife

I'm 99% certain that Nick Cave has based his whole career on the opening few bars of Out of Town by Max Bygraves youtu.be/VqV9IQ9vJ0c?...

I really think we should look at lifestyle racism in the UK. Because, in the way that late capitalism does, racism in the UK is increasingly a lifestyle. It's something miles away from legitimate concerns. It's something people get a return on, either socially or financially. And we keep feeding it

Thank you Brewer’s Phrase and Fable for introducing me to dog tongs.

@gralefrit.bsky.social You have to see these! A friend of mine has been collating a series of images entitled "Things my students have written turned into Philomena Cunk quotes" and they're just glorious.

Honey bee on Rudbeckia 'Goldstrum'. Very nice plant with loads of flowers but it's the only one in the bed that's needed constant watering this year. ('Will cope with drought once established' says the RHS).

Well, that’s a coincidence. Nobody mentions chitons for years…

I’ve only seen one chiton. Can’t think of another class - or even species - of animal where I’ve only ever seen 1 individual.

The Black Shuck rabbit hole has lead me to learn that there have been 4 ‘sightings’ in Sheffield. Also this website where I learned about a ghost chip shop. www.paranormaldatabase.com/hotspots/she...

Brace yourselves. It’s the 448th anniversary today of the documented and very real appearance of the Terrifying! Satanic! One-Eyed! ghost dog Black Shuck at two churches in Suffolk, where he wilfully murdered “two persons, as they were kneeling uppon their knees, and occupied in prayer”

Microforests in Elizabeth, New Jersey (gift link, hopefully) www.nytimes.com/2025/07/22/c...

Rowans planted 2 1/2 years ago on the car park bank. These were nothing more than metre long sticks when planted, Cost about £2.50 each. Planted 4. One was killed by careless strimming so I put cages on the rest. One was snapped by vandals (?) but I splinted it and it lives.

Rudbeckia (and ladybird), echinacea (and bumble bee) on the car park flower bed.

Great bit of hope from reading this today as well www.newyorker.com/news/annals-...

Watered the plot today, first time since Tuesday morning and it's all, except for one small brassica that succumbed, surprisingly unaffected by the weather. I think the no dig/chipping mulch approach has helped.

Holly blue (I think) on echinacea in the car park flower bed.

How about an album of slow, moody, Lynchian guitars, bass, drums instrumentals? Wobbly, twangy, reverby. Snoozy surf. Darkness on the edge of town. After after hours. Here it is. Please pass on if you know anyone who might enjoy it. Ta. pvintin.bandcamp.com/album/nether

Midnite Moodz yeah? How about an album of slow, moody, Lynchian guitars, bass, drums instrumentals? Wobbly, twangy, reverby. Snoozy surf. Darkness on the edge of town. After after hours. Here it is. Please pass on if you know anyone who might enjoy it. Ta. pvintin.bandcamp.com/album/nether

43 days on which it rained or snowed in #sheffield first half of this year. Previous lowest (where the record is complete) 138 days all year (1959)). To equal that it has to rain every other day for the rest of the year. Usual is c200.

Spleenwort. Castle Pendragon nr Kirkby Stephen.

Another gate counterweight photo for the fans. See 75 (75!) other counterweight photos here: flic.kr/ps/8tCQn

Sheffield United are apparently dabbling in AI as a recruitment tool and have just signed someone with the middle name ‘Success’. The prompt might need some refining.

On the balcony: Hosta (Patriot). Berberis (can't remember). Heuchera (Silver Scrolls). Wild strawberry.

Salvia nemorosa. Nice plant. Bees love it. Earliest one to flower after the bulbs. Does get big, sprawls and collapses very easily though, like this.

New today! Oriental poppy. Managed to grow 1 plant last year. Seed from that, scattered in the autumn, has produced loads this year. Who knows how it all works? Wasn't going to grow them again as the flowers don't last long but I'll probably let them do their thing.

Spiraea (bed #2). This was in a pot on the balcony and not very happy. Didn't want to chuck it so it became the first thing I planted in the verge. It sulked for 2 years but it's got going this year.

What’s the incessant instruction to peel root ginger with a spoon all about? Who benefits?

I’ve inadvertently created a ladybird hotspot. All seem to be 7-spots with no harlequins.

Golden bloomed grey longhorn beetle (less Google friendly name) on a hollyhock in my mum's garden.

Seals off Ravenscar a couple of weeks ago (that's them, the dark dots in the middle of the rock). Never seen so many in one place.

Great tit pair and fledglings on the balcony this morning.

Black and yellow longhorn beetle (actual name as my Google search) in the park today. The brambles are covered in bees. Also saw baby wrens but they didn't want to be photographed.

Car park flower bed #3. Half of this reclaimed earlier this year. Flowering salvia and erigeron from last year. Planted in May: cosmos, cowslip, gaura and verbena bonariensis (from self-seeders in bed #1).

Car park flower bed #2. Not sure what I'm doing with this one. 1 1/2/ galliardia (of 5) survived the winter. Spirea (shrub) about to flower. Originally on a pot on the balcony where it wasn't happy. It's taken 2 years for it to get its mojo back. Geraniums also former balcony plant.

My patch of sky has reached zero swifts this year. :( 20 years ago there would be half a dozen most days. Last year I'd see a couple every two or three days. This year I've had a couple of fly-throughs and that's it.

Something beautiful to start the week! A rare rock crystal tool made by Neanderthals between 200,000 - 40,000 years ago. From a Mousterian level at Merveilles rockshelter, Sergeac, Dordogne, France. 6 x 3.3 x 1.5 cm. Musée d’Archéologie Nationale, Saint-Germain-en-Laye 📷 by me #Archaeology 🏺

Usually avoid it but was up there a month ago. Article a bit sniffy about it being a crap walk. The ridge is good, just mostly too busy to enjoy.

In west Texas, storm chaser Laura Rowe captured this fantastic shot of a mature supercell thunderstorm, illuminated at varying heights by the setting sun.

On the balcony.

Unusual visitor. I'm guessing mayfly.

I have a Redbubble shop (my art on T-shirts, prints etc.). Here is a Venn diagram showing my curious global sales split.

The rusty downpipes of Horncastle, a series.

I travelled half a world to find this: a rare and endangered species of desert hyacinth (Cistanche deserticola; 肉苁蓉; ròucōngróng), seen today in the wilds of the Mongolian Desert.