In a parallel universe where Sunak’s plans hadn’t been quietly abandoned, we could be having culture wars about what gets depicted on the Royal Mint NFT. Richard Attenborough’s favourite apes, perhaps.

Two choruses of ‘Big Sciota’. #flatpicking

From the NY Times in 1932: Benjamin de Casseres to write a magazine by, and entirely about, himself. "It will be a magazine of aggressive individualism," he added, somewhat unnecessarily.

‘As a couple, Andrew and Sarah Ferguson have always been too stupid to understand the vulnerability of the institution that supports them, and they began wrecking it from the inside as soon as they met.’ Andrew O’Hagan on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, in the next issue. www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

LRT: I was actually looking for a trombone emoji the other day, and now I have absolutely no idea why.

‘Hairy creature’. This is Bigfoot erasure!

It occurred to me earlier that you don’t hear much usage of ‘Oojamaflip’ —for a person or object whose name you’ve forgotten*—these days. Can TikTok bring it back, perhaps? I’m not sure how these things work.

I’ve been keeping a close eye on the New Men’s Trousers for 2026 and I’m starting to get hints that there may be an Acid Jazz revival on the way. #futurology

Misty morning, Deptford Creek.

@panchoballard.bsky.social How about some Disco Stickers? www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...

Oh no the Iranian regime is going to get absolutely roasted on TikTok for going with a nepo baby

Got this to takeaway from @thegreengoddesspub.bsky.social, where they also had a stout on tap called ‘Fast Gary’. That’s a thing you’d never have had a few years ago/when I was a young man: the opportunity to order a pint of Fast Gary (and it be a stout).

Lovely bit of #cans packaging here.

Didn’t think think this quite hit like Drive Your Plow overall, but did have some quite dizzyingly good bits. #reviews

Woolwich, London - March, 2026. We need a fund to improve the public realm that will pay to remove previous improvements to the public realm that have not aged well.

Mayfair, London - March 2026

Went to the Photographers’ Gallery. ‘We Others’ by Donna Gottschalk and Helène Giannecchini was very good. thephotographersgallery.org.uk/whats-on/we-...

This afternoon I’ve been measuring up dining chairs in a West End department store, with a tape measure I took into town myself, like a newlywed man in a 1920s novel.

Blimey.

Digging the banjo and fiddle playing of Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson this morning. youtube.com/playlist?lis...

Visited a paper bag exhibition then went to a paper bag mask workshop.

3 points at the Valley vs a solid but uninspiring Birmingham City, plus your correspondent won the half-time jackpot draw (🎉): a good Saturday afternoon. #cafc

Flag of Confused Identity

I completed my 250th Parkrun this morning. An actual life achievement! Speech to follow.

There are currently FOUR very good photographic shows on in London’s Swanky Mayfair™️: - Gordon Parks at Alison Jacques - Bernd and Hilla Becher at Spruth & Magers - Richard Avedon at Gagosian - Nan Goldin at Gagosian, Davies St. All for free. These are, relatively speaking, good times, photo-wise.

Working on a new sticker set.

Liverpool - Nov 2018

Had not really considered ‘lengthy period of rainfall’ in my day off plans, but never mind.

I also went to the Bernd and Hilla Becher show at Spruth & Magers (another free one). An opportunity to see the late, lamented East Greenwich gasholder again!

‘Gordon Parks: We Shall Not Be Moved’ at Alison Jacques gallery on Cork Street is 🔥fantastic🔥 and also free. Just opened and on until mid-April, I feel strongly that you should go and see it.

Alright, Carl Trousers? How’s it going?

Got the day off work, haven’t I?

Amused by County Durham’s low attachment rating vs the rest of the NE. I can’t put my finger on why it makes sense to me, but it absolutely does.

Just had a quick pint outside the George IV pub by the LSE, like a RADICAL STUDENT.

Two choruses of ‘Whiskey Before Breakfast’ at ~180bpm

I’m generally a bit averse to the old Magical Realism, but I am enjoying this. It’s slightly demented, which is a good quality in fiction, imo.

@areamancm.bsky.social You probably know about this, but just in case… www.faber.co.uk/product/walk...

“We are living at a time where there’s tremendous retreat from the civil rights era… this exhibit is both timely and urgent. Because it speaks to the way Gordon Parks confronted these very same circumstances” — Bryan Stevenson. www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...

Cats digging Horace Tapscott last night.

Good evening www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Get yer stickers here! adarrenrileypainting.com

I’ve been obsessed with the “school wars” meme, what it says about London, the very real fears of parents, algorithmic school rumours… and why almost no other news outlets have just sent people to stand and see what happened. Here’s where we’ve ended up. www.londoncentric.media/p/school-war...

In 'catching up with last year's TV' news, over the weekend I watched the Grand Designs where the matching-gilet couple spent (literally) several millions of pounds building what they kept insisting was a 'castle' on top of a low hill in Warwickshire(?). Other peoples' lives are incomprehensible.

Ron Carter :: The Aquarium Drunkard Interview aquariumdrunkard.com/2026/03/02/r... Dig that.

It's pretty cool what you can do with cameras #thesedays

A premium-grade MASSIVE FULL MOON over the rooftops of SE7 rn.

Fond of this painting in the National Gallery - a portrait of Giovanni Agostino della Torre and his son Niccolò, by Lorenzo Lotto, not least because it looks like a Christmas day video call with your dad and your brother.

Some truly incoherent musical programming on 6 Music while I make my dinner. Ambient noise to 90’s Bruce Springsteen in two clunky moves.

Me, a moron walking down Upper Street earlier and noticing a preponderance of red and white scarves: “surprising amount of Charlton fans around here!”

I enjoyed my first visit to the Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art. The Alessandro Mendini exhibition, permanent collection and the cafe were all decent. (Cafe maybe could have done with some mad Italian pop music and a tv with constant gameshow playing).