Duolingo’s French course quietly imparting important information. 🙂

Down to White Hart Lane for tonight’s football as Haringey Borough take on Wormley Rovers at Coles Park. Apparently there’s another game on down the road.

Since this is apparently a resigning matter, I’ll just leave this here… www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Brexit is bad for our health (as predicted). There’s an urgent need now to repair the damage done and get health research and provision back on its feet. www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

That’s #parkrun no. 227 in the books on a perfect Spring morning. A few seconds quicker (40:45) than last week so hurrah. Followed by another lovely #parkfaff with the @allypallyparkrun.bsky.social team. #loveparkrun

Sorry to bid farewell to @petroc.bsky.social from BBC Radio 3 Breakfast, but looking forward to welcoming @tommckinney.bsky.social from next week. 📻

🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🚨 In a shock U-turn, @transportforlondon.bsky.social spokesperson Joe King has confirmed to LCC that the new Silvertown Tunnel will in fact be opening only for walking, cycling and public transport! More on this as we get it... 👀

Hmm. Now might be a good time for the UK to strengthen relationships with our European neighbours 👀 By rejoining the Customs Union, the government could begin to overcome the obstacles that small businesses have faced in trading with our closest neighbours since Brexit www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Another Saturday and another parkrun (at Ally Pally), and another 3 points for the Bees. My time of 41:01 was a nice surprise, I was aiming at sub-42 so job done! 🙂 Barnet’s 3-1 defeat of Gateshead sees us requiring just 8 points to clinch the title. All very satisfactory. #loveparkrun #barnetfc

Blossom on a north London street under blue skies. #blossomwatch (Taken yesterday- it’s not so nice today)

After this morning’s Ally Pally parkrun I am officially 90% of the way to my 250 milestone (225). Another walk/run in 42:04 so a smidge faster than the previous outing so I’m happy with that. The antibiotics might be working! And the Bees march on the National League title! #loveparkrun #barnetfc

Hello Spring! Despite the still bare branches there’s definitely a hint of things about to happen. The sky above Ally Pally.

💩 Thames Water dumped 50% more raw sewage into rivers last year than the previous 12 months. 🤯 That's 300,000 of sewage discharge. 🤬And they want us to pay for the cleanup by increasing our bills. 🚰 Time to stop rewarding failure. Time for water be back in public hands.

As if to welcome the sun and some warmth returning after the winter, our Cropredy tickets have arrived! Roll on August. #faiportconvention #cropredy

Thames Water's £3 billion loan will include £898 million in consultancy fees and interest payments. And they plan on forcing customers to pay for it. We can't keep rewarding them for failure. Public ownership of our water is the only option.

I’d like to say I remember it well but I’m not sure I do! My 96th parkrun at the time. That 100 milestone took a while to come around.

A day late … 8/15 Got off to a good start then slumped. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

Given it’s gone all grey and gloomy again here’s a not very good picture of some blossom against a blue sky. Taken yesterday after junior parkrun funnel “managing” at @prioryparkparkrun.bsky.social.

A sunny Saturday of parkrun (42:14 at @allypallyparkrun.bsky.social) followed by a 93rd minute winner for the Bees to defeat Dagenham & Redbridge in a lunchtime kickoff in front of a bumper crowd to maintain our lad at the top of the table. All very enjoyable in the end. #barnetfc #loveparkrun

14/15 - 😀 A bit annoyed that the one I got wrong was the TV sci-fi question!

In a world far away from FIFA and their wretched idea of a World Cup final half-time show the Bees are now 9 points clear at the top of the National league after putting five past Yeovil last night. All rather enjoyable. 🐝 #barnetfc

This afternoon’s “entertainment” was at Coles Park where Haringey Borough lost to Gorleston in their latest must-win game. 🙁 Meanwhile the Bees continued on their merry way winning away at Oldham. 🙂

Not up to actually doing @allypallyparkrun.bsky.social today so got my parkrun fix by scanning, with a bit of first lap marshalling. It was a chilly misty start to spring - quite a few cold hands trying to present their barcodes and tokens. My scan total, 96 out of 322 finishers. #loveparkrun

13/16 Not too shabby. 🙂 Foodie thefts, lottery wins and Roman rulers – take the Thursday quiz www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

The basics: We start at 0900 every Sunday at Priory Park in London (N8, Hornsey) between the tennis courts and the cafe. It's free to run and everyone's always welcome regardless of ability. Adults are welcome to run with children; only children get an official finish time (aged 4 to 14 inclusive)

Off to Pymmes parkrun today to avoid anything resembling a hill, or mud. On that score, mission accomplished. A walk/jog round in just over 42 minutes, so under my target of 45 minutes. Success! Nice to chat about the Cancer Research Winter Run 10k which sadly I’m not up to this year. #loveparkrun

Thank you Spiers & Boden (@squeezyjohn.bsky.social & @jonboden.bsky.social) for a great evening at Cecil Sharp House. A welcome chance to escape the trials & tribulations of the world for a couple of hours.

Big game at The Hive last night with top (the Bees) v 2nd (York). I was expecting a close game but we completely outplayed York to go 7 points clear. A splendid evening. #barnetfc

Marshalling at @prioryparkparkrun.bsky.social this morning, after a few weeks away. Chilly & grey but that didn’t stop our 66 finishers. Followed by the obligatory coffee in the park cafe & a walk home through a muddy Ally Pally taking in the rewilding work. #parkrun #loveparkrun #juniorparkrun

Glad I made the effort this afternoon. A hard fought win for the Bees against Solihull Moors and we move on to Tuesday’s rather important game against York. #barnetfc

Not up to actual parkrunning/walking this morning but did get round to @allypallyparkrun.bsky.social to scan barcodes & shout “mind the post” at the start. Followed by a good #parkfaff over coffee and token sorting. Feel a lot better for getting out and being involved. #parkrun #loveparkrun

good news for aspiring demons

On Library Lovers Day, enjoy this optimistic 1950s magazine cover “Stand aside television. The library holds the stage as the curtain rises on this new age of the written word” (1957) Artist: DL Mays

12/15 😀 Some lucky guesses and some I actually knew. Delayed games, power cuts and rescued stolen dogs – take the Thursday quiz www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

Catching a smuggler in Ladybird Land The Customs Officer (1972) Artist: John Berry

Wasn’t sure about parkrunning today but a vacancy arose at @allypallyparkrun.bsky.social for a tailwalker so I donned the orange hi-vis and had nice walk round for my double-Nelson run no 222. Could have done without the rain on the third lap but you can’t have everything. 🦺 #loveparkrun #parkrun

12/16 - not bad at all. Although a day late due to other things. Bandicoots, phantom bans and metric musicians – take the Thursday quiz www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

If you are feeling a bit worn down by everything happening at the moment then may I recommend an evening in the company of Martyn Joseph. On fine form (despite a nasty lurgy) at Kings Place tonight.

9/15 - picked up in the later stages after a rocky start.

Want to see a list of all the UK parkruns listed in order of difficulty - of course you do! Out of 835 we are ranked 564 (the higher the number the harder the parkrun) so certainly well in the top half of the table. www.thepowerof10.info/content/item... #loveparkrun

A 2-0 victory over Hartlepool and a very satisfactory evening at The Hive as the Bees carry on their winning ways at the top of the National League. This is fun! And we now have fancy LED perimeter advertising. #BarnetFC

Marshalling at a frosty Priory Park juniors this morning. 31 finishers on a very nice morning. Now getting my reward! Although cheering on the children in the sunshine is pretty rewarding. #parkrun #loveparkrun

Finally did my first parkrun of 2025 at Pymmes with Ally Pally cancelled. Cold but rather lovely with the sun on the frost, and only the ponds were frozen. Barnet’s game was postponed so off to Haringey Borough to see them lose a very poor game. It’s not going well for the Borough. Also freezing! 🥶

As I was one of the inspectors this is not a complete shock! #loveparkrun

Back from a walk round the Ally Pally parkrun course - looks lovely but still a number of icy patches. I’m not confident I’ll be doing a parkrun there tomorrow. Good luck to all the Run Directors out there making decisions over the next few hours.

❄️ Update for 11th January ❄️ Will it be 3rd time lucky to get Ally Pally parkrun’s 2025 underway or are our hopes skating on thin ice? After last week’s late cancellation we’ll walk the course tomorrow at parkrun time when temperatures are forecast to be the same as Saturday’s. 🥶 1/2 #loveparkrun

After seeing the Bees snatch an injury time equaliser in a 3-3 draw on Boxing Day, after leading 2-1 at halftime, it was the turn of Haringey Borough to do exactly the same today. Both teams also went a goal down before leading. Spooky or what? 😀 #barnetfc #haringyboroughfc

A misty Christmas Eve walk via Ally Pally, with not a Minion, Tellytubby, or traffic cone in sight. Do the tickets for this entrance in only cost a penny? (Daughter joke rather than Dad joke!) #allypally #darts

A wonderful gesture by our friends at Pymmes #parkrun. ❤️ No doubt a few AP folks will be there as we don’t hold a Christmas Day event so don’t forget your mug & your barcode and if you have a spare mince pie or two why not bring along a contribution? #loveparkrun www.facebook.com/100082841877...?

Followed up my first parkrun for a month with my first Bees game since mid-October. A great first half performance and an ordinary second half, but a 4-1 win over Ebbsfleet and results elsewhere see us top of the league. 😀 And life takes another step back to normal. #barnetfc