We’ve just moved into an old house where the carpet underlay seems to consist entirely of copies of the Times 1965-1970, and it’s kind of reassuring to find the headlines (arms sales to Israel, teachers’ strike, rows about some MP calling another MP a drunken buffoon) are so utterly relatable

The area directly south of Bristol Bridge was once meadowlands owned by the 12th century Knights Templar church in the area. For many centuries it was referred to as “Templars’ Meadow” and it is from this that modern-day Temple Meads train station derives its name.

The answer to “Why is Christmas December 25th?“ is “because the Annunciation is March 25th”*, but it’s amazing how many regular churchgoers haven’t worked out the connection. * yes, almost certainly that way round.

yeah we're into LLMs (Large Lamb-bridge Models)

1/ The 1975 replica of Locomotion No. 1 and its consist getting ready to leave the coal drops at Shildon late this morning. All📸©️: Graeme Pickering

The Isle of Wight’s Havenstreet Station achieves Grade II listing as railway heritage #iwnews #IsleofWight

Mrs R: "There was a woman on the ward today who didn't want to take paracetamol. We've had to explain that we're not giving it to her because she's got a fever and we want her to feel better, but because she's got a fever and if we don't get her temperature down then her baby is going to die."

I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again. Ignore the haters, London is the 🐐

It literally has boundaries.

To ‘ultra-crepidate’ (19th century) is to lecture others on subjects you know very little about.

A locksmith told me a few years back that burglars were only really bothering if they could nick some decent jewellery, ideally gold. The effort to reward ratio for a lot of stuff they used to target just wasn't there any more.

A pair of freight HSTs dragging a MK1 and a steam loco (backwards) Trains are getting weird.

ITV celebrates 70 years on air by broadcasting lots of archive content – featuring the likes of Sir Bruce Forsyth, who was lured out of retirement to host 1955’s opening night

always loved this photo because man she was not done justice lol

Err, That's Dawlish Warren! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Anyone seeking out my Rail Atlas of GB & Ireland 16th edition (aka the 'Baker') and seeing it unavailable, the first print run flew off the shelves but rest assured @crecyrail.bsky.social are on the case and the reprint will be available from 10 October: crecy.co.uk/product/rail...

I’m on TV tonight! Check out the first episode of Britain’s Railway Empire at 8pm on Channel 4. It’s a new, two part series about the history of the railways, starting with the Victorian Era. It’s not just a story about tech and engineering, but covers the social and cultural impact too.

If your faith in humanity is being tested right now: my MacBook and satchel (and entire contents) were waiting for me safe and sound at Waterloo Lost Property. I genuinely thought them lost forever.

@geofftech.bsky.social Hi Geoff, Just watched your Tottenham Hale video. My theory about why the original footbridge only has an escalator on the Southbound platform is that it was so people coming from Stansted wouldn’t have to struggle up the stairs with their luggage.

An actual quote from the Secretary of State for Business and Trade Too often people go to university to ‘explore research and knowledge’ Look forward to Wes S saying 'too often people go to hospital to have operations' or Heidi Alexander saying 'too often people go to the station to catch a train'

No one trolls with street names quite like Prague.

#OnThisDay 93 years ago the Piccadilly Line extended from Finsbury Park to Arnos Grove with intermediate stations at Manor House, Turnpike Lane, Wood Green and Bounds Green. Poster: LT Museum collection buff.ly/iPIqzxm

"It's so dark in here that I can't see the First Lady. Could you switch on that lamp?"

thinking once again about one of the all-time great newspaper mixups, when Dennis the Menace and The Far Side got their captions swapped

Do you have a lot of annoying admin tasks or household chores you need to accomplish, but never seem to find the time for? Then may I suggest: setting aside a day to do nothing but write, you will be amazed at how many such tasks you can accomplish.

Two teenagers charged over huge cyber attack on Transport for London

BBC news showing the Trump protest in London, Sylvester McCoy has just appeared on a vox pop.

The Seventh Doctor being iconic

Let them watch Hey Duggee on an iPad

Yes

Hoe Street station, Walthamstow. 📷 Early 20th cent postcard from VHM collection, available in our Searchroom. Opened by the GER in 1870, Hoe Street station became Walthamstow Central in Sep 1968, when the underground Victoria line opened from Walthamstow Central to Highbury & Islington. #Railway200

We had a quick trip outside to turn the bearings on 507001, so we took the opportunity to drop in on a relative.

Spot the difference: John the Baptist from the Hours of Joanna I of Castile and our Community Engagement Officer remembering how many emails he has to respond to

Bluesky isn’t perfect but at least its owner isn’t demanding violent insurrection in the UK from thousands of miles away

Map of Tingham, UK

For some weird reason just had a dose of nostalgia for when batteries looked like this:

Absolutely this. Pick any Crusade. Total incompetence and folly, the lot of them. I’m reading Villehardouin on the 4th Crusade right now and however bad you think the leadership was, it’s worse. Shockingly poor. Oh and the Simons de Montfort (junior and senior) can get in the sea, what awful men

One of organisations for whom I volunteer in the shadows, very kindly forwarded a thank you voucher last Christmas, which I’ve got round to spending on a book on my wish list ‘Upgrading the Isle of Wight’s Railway: All Change at Ryde’ by @rclongauthor.bsky.social, which arrived in today’s post. #IOW

It's seven years today since we posted on Twitter that Sting had been in to return his books.

I'm amazed how thin the boundary is for many people between "I think" and "I know"

Class 03 locomotives can also be found in service with the Swindon and Cricklade Railway and the Mid-Norfolk Railway. https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2025/09/former-island-shunter-returns-to-the-isle-of-wight.html #class_03 #IslandLine #IsleOfWightSteamRailway

Walthamstow/chingford if you were on the 23.33 train out of Liverpool Street yesterday evening and saw a man being punched by someone on the train who then got off at central station ( with me chasing him shouting!) please contact my office.

Breaking: Irish broadcaster RTE says that Ireland will not participate in Eurovision next year if Israel does. "RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation would be unconscionable given the ongoing and appalling loss of lives in Gaza." about.rte.ie/2025/09/11/r...

OOH I LOVE BOOKSHOPS!!! shrieks customer as she walks in. This, as all booksellers know, means she won’t buy anything

Is it “being the queen’s only daughter”

In case anyone was wondering where we keep our most prized objects, it’s not here.

The iconic diesel locomotive 03 179 returns to the Isle of Wight after restoration #iwnews #IsleofWight