Henry Plantagenet now fully recovered after being unwell over Christmas, gets a new clean ruff. #CatsofBluesky

Yesterday I went to see 28 years later ‘Bone Temple’ it was great. Less impressed with the Duran Duran playlist used, they’re a bit ‘not to my taste’

Today I had my P45, only the second one I’ve ever had in my working life- I’m not even sure the first counts as I got it after working a summer during my first year in university, for the same department I’d end up at through my sandwich year training, and then post graduation, until now. #Change

#Caturday Henry Plantagenet has found a sunny spot.

This #caturday Bess (Elizabeth Tudor) is mostly playing with her claws out. #CatsofBlueSky

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I need to hoover* this room, I have a dilemma (*vacuum clean with a Henry). Henry the cat btw (not the vacuum cleaner) spent most of Christmas being shuttled to and fro from the vets after not eating and losing a kilo in weight. The why remains a mystery. Do cats grieve when their companions die?

This mistle thrush currently owns this holly tree, and most of my garden. Nothing is allowed to land without being chased away. Other mistle thrushes and black birds are afraid, Sparrow hawks are afraid, the cats are afraid. Even I was shouted at when I ventured out to defrost the bird bath. #Birds

Cat in pot, no pearl earring.

Have they stopped calling it ‘super-flu’ yet? #H3N2

Happy St Andrews day! It seems strange that in a few short months I’ll be working as a consultant virologist for Public Health Scotland. Although initially based in Wales just to add to the confusion.

The worst kept secret is that in the new year, I’m (*very likely) leaving Public Health Wales for a different job (I’ll still be a consultant clinical scientist in virology) If there are clinical virologists looking for a job and Wales is on your list, please keep this in mind (*Pending paperwork)

This week I’ll mostly be at @eswinfluenza.bsky.social #ESWI2025 representing Public Health Wales and @escvirology.bsky.social

I felt sorry for this old bear when I was doomscrolling charity shops online, so I clicked buy now. I appear to have reunited old friends. (The tiger was already mine) #WinniethePooh #TiggerToo

My fluffy bestie King Arthur just died. I’m in work, so didn’t get to say goodbye 😔 He was loved, and we will miss him #KingArthurCat #GoodbyeArthur

My adorable and super friendly King Arthur has been diagnosed with lymphoma of the gut. No blockage, but it’s a large mass. Now the dilemma of whether we try chemo which will mean regular trips to Bristol from Cardiff. #SadTimes

We’re getting close to 2,000 signatures! Please sign and share Wales for Europe’s petition to get Wales back into the Erasmus scheme👇🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇪🇺 www.walesforeurope.org/this_is_eras...

I’m in Thessaloniki airport, I think this sparrow has Avian keratin disorder?? Very long curved beak.

Because I’m a terrible photographer, here’s just a few pictures of my lab team talking about their posters. One more of Anastasia to add. @escvirology.bsky.social #ESCV2025

Another great @escvirology.bsky.social meeting underway in Thessaloniki. If you’re there, please do come and ask Ester anything about the society.

1/ Over 2 MILLION non-native birds released every year into the Welsh countryside, without proper controls or oversight, causing harm to the natural environment.  Time is running out – call on the Welsh Government to licence these releases now!

🚨 Last Call to Register! 🚨 The ESCV 2025 is happening next week in Thessaloniki, Greece – 17–20 September 2025! 🌍✨ 📅 Don’t miss out – secure your spot before it’s too late! 👉 escv2025.org/registration... See you there! #ESCV2025 #ClinicalVirology #Virology

ESCMID is currently seeking candidates willing to serve on the panels that will develop the next seven clinical practice guidelines in 2026-2027. You can learn more about the projects on our website and apply to join a panel before 10 October 2025. www.escmid.org/guide... #IDSky #clinmicro

The countdown has begun to what is the best Clinical Virology conference in Europe starting the 17th September in Thessaloniki. I’ll be there with the team who work on virological surveillance and R&D for viral disease for public health in Wales @escvirology.bsky.social #WSVC #PublicHealthWales

Yesterday I learned that Pokémon was a shortened form of Pocket Monster. I did fact check this with my internal Pokémon expert @molassive.bsky.social before posting. She also told me the company earns more than Disney, Pokémon being the largest grossing franchise globally. #FridayFacts #Pokemon

Twice a year I upload all of the influenza characterisation data from Wales in time for the vaccine composition consultation meeting. Today it only took me 6 attempts and I didn’t have to email the help-desk to confess my utter ineptitude. I’m calling that a win. #HappyFriday

Bess on her throne #ElizabethTudorCat #CatsofBlueSky

Most evenings I take a walk in my garden in the dark, so I can find #hedgehogs. Here’s one from this evening.

We had a living roof (sedum) installed when we had our extension built during the pandemic. (Yes it was difficult with supplies, timing etc) This year, it’s finally looking exactly as I imagined, flowering and full of pollinators. #HelpingNature

My work account was #hacked about a month ago. Currently ‘migrating’ 15 years of emails and files to a whole new work persona. I can assure you, it is a bit of a faff. Might have been easier to have taken early retirement 🤔

Measles PCR ready, mumps PCR ready..how long to hold out before bringing in a rubella PCR? #ReturnofthePreventableInfections #VaccinesWork

I can’t quite believe we’ve come to this. #SupportfortheWHO

Sunday vibes with #HenryPlantagenetCat #CatsofBluesky

I’ve got a ‘working from home’ helper today. He’s looking forward to appearing on Teams and helping with a grant review. As a chronic carrier of calicivirus he’s an expert in virology. #KingArthurCat

Spurs!!! (Well that wasn’t stressful at all)

@stevebraysodem.bsky.social Nice flags 🇪🇺🇪🇺 #Channel4News

King Arthur is turning white in his old age. All of his undercoat is white, and so is his under carriage! 😂 #SeniorCatsofBlueSky

As tighter immigration policies are announced today, scientists continue to stress the importance of attracting international talent. Our director Paul Nurse spoke to the Observer about how this affects science in the UK: observer.co.uk/news/politic...

Get the latest updates on the #Chikungunya outbreak in the Indian Ocean region: 🦟 Understand how the virus is spreading 🔬 Learn about recent developments in chikungunya vaccine research Register to join the WHO EPI-WIN Webinar on 7 May, 13:00–14:00 CEST: bit.ly/4lTZP7w

Interesting cat bed chosen by Bess

Henry would rather he was dressed like Luke Skywalker today, instead he’s still being made to wear his ruff. #MaytheFourth

On this May 4th the Garth Cuckoo made its presence known. @bto-gbw.bsky.social

This is up there with the ‘migrants in tents instead of hotels’ comment from Andrea Jenkyns. All quite grim.

The #measles vaccine has saved more lives than any other vaccine in the past 50 years. 2 doses = 97% protection against the highly contagious disease. #VaccinesWork #WorldImmunizationWeek

I’ve seen 2 cases of SSPE in my career. One case acquired at a time when MMR was not yet universal in the UK, the 2nd due to acquisition when measles should have been eliminated. Diagnosis classically is by imaging and evidence of antibody in the CSF (intrathecal antibody) with comparison to blood

Two cushions for the perfect King Arthur bed. He plans to watch a film later. He’s hoping for the Cat from Outer Space, but will make do with Alien. #CatsofBlueSky

Stop taking my photograph and get me some food human serf. #ElizabethTudorCat #CatsofBlueSky

Join our new Wales Applied Virology Unit as a Lecturer in Infectious Disease Epidemiology / Behavioural Science! See the advert here: krb-sjobs.brassring.com/TGnewUI/Search… And contact WAVU co-director David Gillespie for informal enquiries. #NewPI #Lecturer #GroupLeader #Job #Opportunity

I actually spoke to the same person* twice on different days without planning and multiple WhatsApp messages at #ESCMIDGlobal. That’s quite the feat. (*delegate and not someone in an exhibition booth)