Enjoying this.

If you are going to be out and about in London between now and Wednesday, and you want to hunt down kindness, beauty and wonder would you please consider joining me in a tiny experiment? More detail in the image below, survey link is here: form.jotform.com/260223076797...

Experience: I dined across the divide at the pub that changed me

Xhosa Cole FREEMONK at Cafe OTO this evening. First set: what if we coolly and calmly abstracted some Monk tunes over 50 mins? Second set: what if we did it again, on fire, with some trumpet then a vocalist? Great stuff.

Welcome to the jazz-driven revolution, er, Country Life magazine!

Charlton Athletic’s last owner wrote and recorded a song in the heavy rock genre called “Addicks to Victory”, to be played as the teams came out on to the pitch. It turns he may actually have committed even greater crimes than that, though. #cafc www.justice.gov/usao-ri/pr/f...

I need to buy a new kitchen sink tap. Who are the good vendors of kitchen sink taps in Starmer’s Britain?

Go home, Instagram, you're drunk.

Someone on here recommended this recently and I cannot remember who. Thank you to whoever it was, I enjoyed it. (Not sure ‘enjoyed’ is quite the right word but it’s the least worst one I can think of at the moment)

@rolandbates.bsky.social I think you were talking ‘Sextant’ earlier ↘️

Obvs, the Blue Monday stuff is unscientific cobblers but it’s been a challenging week so far, joie de vivre-wise.

Good of the therapists to reveal this closely-guarded facet of human relationships. Many of us had assumed that this was the first time this had happened in history.

Not convinced America is really that rich if the president has to travel by a malfunctioning old 747. Might be worth checking their accounts?

YES! There's a ridiculous episode of this where a car has the fingerprints of a bad guy on the roof. Steed tapes/glues his bowler hat to the roof to protect the prints and they spend the rest of the episode driving a hat-wearing car.

“Ooh look at my northern lights” Whatever.

I was a bit sceptical about the 50th anniversary remaster of Neil Young’s ‘Tonight’s the Night’ (not just because of the terrible re-working of the cover with the aesthetic of a west coast reggae jam band) but it turns out it sounds amazing. Well done to whoever did it.

AND IT’S ONLY WHEN DREAMING / THAT I SEE YOU GLEAMING

Vijay Iyer at Cafe OTO this evening: man sure can play the ol’ joanna. Beautiful stuff; I feel quite lucky to have been there.

Waiting for piano.

Where I live it’s quite useful to know what’s on at the O2 Arena, so you can avoid inconveniences like being kettled with 25,000 Lady Gaga fans when you’re on your way home from elsewhere. What is not helpful is Google’s “I’ll have a bit of a guess for you ” AI summary when you try to find out.

Any mutuals going to Vijay Iyer at OTO tonight? See you in the mosh pit?

You think you’re getting used to pub prices in the inflationary era, then you get charged £15 for a Guinesss Zero and two halves of soft drinks in Tourist Greenwich.

@ure.bsky.social Unexpected onion news: www.theguardian.com/environment/...

I never noticed this wonderful bit of London transport history captured in Mission Impossible. ‘DLR now open at weekends’ on the side of the bus.

Friends fear he’s earwormed himself daft for the rest of the weekend, and probably beyond.

🎉🎉💪💪 An unconvincing win against 9 men! Saturday night starts here! 💪💪🎉🎉 #cafc

*Interesting* first half at the Valley, where Sheff Utd had approximately 1,000 decent chances to score but have now had two players sent off with straight reds. 0-0 HT.

A quick peek inside the West India Dock impounding station. Just one pump currently keeping enough water in the Canary Wharf docks, apparently (and therefore keeping the foundations of the many skyscrapers stable)

Various citruses and citrus-adjacent fruits, this morning.

1. The recipe does not align with the photo. Where are the sails, damnit? 2. Was it common for people to have boat-shaped patty tins handy in the 1970s? 3. "Mixed fats" 4. Homeopathic quantity of Tabasco 5. Bon appetit!

Lots to complain about Instagram in This Day And Age but you can still find eg someone in Japan posting daily paintings of jazz records that will spark some joy. www.instagram.com/tokyotaku_dr...

GOOD MORNING! Here's the weekly round-up with notes on the perfect mid-shift pub kitchen BLT, formidable Yorkshire landladies, and the pub as third place. 🍺🍻 boakandbailey.com/2026/01/news...

London crew - is the Museum of Brands any cop?

A not-unpleasant winter morning here in the Eastern Hemisphere.

@zemblamatic.bsky.social it’s ya boy youtu.be/H4uzympZPx0?...

Delighted to announce that my new album, Library Music, is now available to preorder on vinyl. Released on or around April 3rd, initial copies will also get an A5 Jack Regan print and a random sticker of Keith Mansfield, Alan Hawkshaw or Ronnie Hazlehurst. ballardpop.bandcamp.com/album/librar...

Iiiiii’m waiting for my [handy]man [Glen]

Incredible piece of Search Engine Optimisation

It's all about Moist January nowadays.

I have been out in London’s glittering West End and I’d have to say there wasn’t much evidence of Dry January inhibiting pub life.

It’s all I can do to send a post about bins.

every month features a headline saying "Boost/Blow to Rachel Reeves as GDP SURGES/COLLAPSES 0.1%" and then you read on and it's entirely dependent on whether Jaguar Land Rover have managed to turn on their computers

@rolandbates.bsky.social Relevant to your interests: thebluemoment.com/2026/01/14/m...

January beer. 🍻

“Within just a few hours, the police were unable to help us.” And that’s the Met Police Guarantee!

She has broken her silence at last!

Did you design that cover picture of Americana's hottest band? Sure boss, absolutely fucking terrifying, like a movie poster for the most demented folk horror creepfest imaginable, just like you asked

Looks like the residential population of Greenwich Peninsula has finally hit a significant tipping point.

No matter how I try, I cannot frame ‘taking up trampolining inside my house’ as a “small change” www.theguardian.com/thefilter/20...