Can’t wait for this! Please consider joining Nancy and myself either in person if you are near Leek, or virtually in your living room or anywhere you can set up your laptop!

Read more about the impact of ultra-processed food www.bma.org.uk/what-we-do/p...

Oh my goodness, this is absolutely horrible and scary. What a brave young lady for writing this. I'm glad my daughter reached maturity before all this stuff and that she's supported me in delaying her younger brothers not to start using it yet. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Urban agro-ecology is a local revolution where neighbourhoods plant the seeds of collective action. Ready to get your hands dirty? Search for a "community allotment" near you. By Prof Neli Demireva eastangliabylines.co.uk/lifestyle/co...

On a rare "day off", watching the robins and blue tits set up their new little family homes in the bird box and the big ivy bush. I did also see a wren and a goldfinch but not enough to think they may jest in my garden. Need to get my Winter pruning finished...done the roses, apple espalier next.

Wow! I had no idea this excavation had been going on last year. I just went for a run up there!

Mandatory ID cards. Scrapping jury trials. Calling genocide protesters “terrorists." There’s a strong authoritarian edge to the Labour Government. With no plan to help people, clearly thrown in the towel in Gorton & Denton. It's Greens Vs Reform. www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater...

There was a weird shiny yellow thing in the sky so I thought I'd investigate it. I saw a charm of goldfinches, a brambling, loads of tits, a baby hare, and loads of spring flowers were starting out. I did a lot of stopping to take photos, and totalled 10K running plus warm up and warm down.

Happy feast of St Cyril and Methodius! (Unless you're an Old Rite Catholic, in which case, happy Valentine's Day).

Your move Keir Starmer!

Palantir, a US spy-tech firm, has been given access to millions of NHS patient records. Its founder has said the NHS should be 'ripped up'. Join me in calling on the government to end the dangerous Palantir contract. you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/st...

Our local hospice is facing a funding crisis. Did you know a lot of their funds come from charitable donations? They are about to lose £800,000 of NHS funding. I can't raise that whole amount but if I reach my target of £350 by running slowly around Cambridge on Half Marathon Day it will be a start.

It's Reform Vs the Green Party. And Hannah Spencer is local, hard working and going to be an amazing MP. I spoke with Novara Media. 👇🏼 youtu.be/rtPojDOwptQ?...

Morning everyone! My tour with Spiers & Boden starts today … what could be a better way to begin to blow away the February blues than an evening of high-energy folk? Ticket links from spiersandboden.com/live-dates - check to see if there are tickets left for your local show.

#makehopenormalagain Join the Green Party!

🚨By-elections to be called automatically when MPs defect to another party - lets get this to the 100,000 signatures needed petition.parliament.uk/petitions/73...

We had health insurance for the cat, which had been good when he gashed his leg open and we would have had a bill for £1000 for suturing and anaesthetic. But decided to risk stopping it and put the same amount in a savings plan...

Our next East Anglia Chamber Orchestra concert is coming up on 24th Jan (Cambridge) and 31st Jan (the Apex, Bury St Edmunds). We're playing Wagner Overture to the Meistersinger, Elgar Sea Pictures, and Brahms 4th Symphony. It would be great to see you there! See link for tickets. www.eacho.org.uk

My New Years Resolutions (no particular order) 1) Play the cello (even) more 2) Call as many ceilidhs as possible 3) Learn more button accordion tunes 4) Try not to complain 5) Have a freezer that doesn't break down 6) Spread a little happiness (like the Spike Milligan poem) Yours?

Three years ago, loads of cellists from all over the world played Charlie Brown's Christmas! (Can you spot me ...) youtu.be/mehHPig_x0I?...

Does anyone who might see this have either or both of: a) the baby Jesus from the #Playmobil #Nativity set which is out of production b) a 3D printer ? You can probably guess what favour I want to ask of you (and am willing to reimburse a reasonable fee for your efforts or help). #3Dprinter

See my lovely parish musicians doing their thing tonight! We are all excited to share our music with you. You'll probably hear me (on cello) but not see me, as I'm behind the choir! (and very happy to be there). www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Depping for Great St Mary's, Cambridge, for their carol service today. Livestream at 6.30. all the carol bangers, plus "For Unto Us A Child is Born" by Handel, and "Nova", a new carol from 2022 by Iain Farrington. (Also you can watch it back later) youtube.com/@greatstmary...

Here's what happening in Sheffield in the run up to Christmas and into the New Year. Have a look at the new look What's on guide on the website for 2026: sheffieldfolkguide.org.uk/whats-on-2026/ I'm using boxes that expand to give more details, so it should be easier to find things

Not ignoring the horrible news, just finding it overwhelming and need refreshment. Sending love to all. X

Horrible news all over the place at the moment so how about a totally inconsequential conversation? I’m cooking Xmas dinner this year and have had various food requests from family members including onion rings. I’ve never heard of this being a Xmas thing. What are your unusual Xmas food traditions?

This is probably the best #gaudete, only narrowly beating Steeleye Span. youtu.be/NtAcZOrE8dE?...

It's "Muppets Christmas Carol" time again. I will not hear about there being a better Christmas movie.

If you're still up, go out and look at the moon. No ice ring tonight but it's a lovely one!

What a lovely icy halo around the moon!

Called another #ceilidh Only forgot one dance (slightly) so now a new variation of the Walls of Limerick exists - what shall I call it?

Really enjoying BBC Radio3's Carols Across the Country, @jackieoates.bsky.social sounding great and they also just played a recording of "Tomorrow Will Be My Dancing Day" which I'm pretty sure was the Jesus College recording from 2010 which has one of my sons on treble. (They didn't say though)

Damn. Too much paperwork yesterday to go for a run (also was feeling lazy) and told myself I would go today. Guess what....pissing with rain now so I have another excuse...

I am calling a ceilidh on Tuesday for students, most of whom won't have been to a ceilidh before (a very international group). Can anyone recommend extra dances I could do which are easy to pick up and still fun? I'm thinking difficulty level of eg Gay Gordons or The Flying Scotsman. #ceilidh

After years of underfunding GP practices, appts are still as hard to get & patients are not getting the services they need or deserve A patient-centred GP contract designed to strengthen continuity, improve access, & ensure GP services are properly funded dauk.org/our-call-for...

Good morning from the Peter Knight and John Spiers tour! We’ve been having a great time so far, and wanted to remind you that tonight’s gig at @downendfolkroots.bsky.social is also being live streamed for anyone who can’t come in person to our dates. events.livetoyourlivingroom.com/events/livet...

Why not have a day out in Cambridge on 20th December, Christmas shopping/visit the Winter Wonderland Christmas Market in the morning, then go to our concert at West Road at 4pm which is ideally timed to go out for a festive meal afterwards? cambridgephilharmonic.com/whats-on/ber...

Oooh! Elgar Sea Pictures! I love playing with EACHO and I've wanted to do Sea Pictures for ages! I hope some of you can come. www.eacho.org.uk/wagner-elgar...

Orion's out to greet me home from orchestra practice again! 😊

I’m old enough to remember when the Director General of the BBC categorically didn’t resign after one of its flagship politics shows literally photoshopped Jeremy Corbyn with a Soviet hat and painted red with the Kremlin in the background like some kind of Cold War-era communist mural.

Its now just under a month until John Spiers and I head out on our annual Christmas tour! This year we'll be heading to Bretforton, Masham, Chester, Saltaire, London, Bradford on Avon, Lewes, Uffington, Paddock Wood, Llantrisant and Torquay! details can be found here: www.jackieoates.co.uk

There are still tickets for the concert I'm in this Sunday evening. Lots of lovely tunes and the solo violinist is playing a concerto written by a female composer, which nearly got lost and was found in her attic when she died. It sounds great! cambridgephilharmonic.com/whats-on/res...

I have said bye bye to Spotify, who hardly pay anything to artists and have use profits to invest in AI warfare. Several artists I follow have stopped being on there anyway. I'm buying things on Bandcamp and Qobuz for streaming. www.qobuz.com/gb-en/discover bandcamp.com

Farage, who was paid £189,000 in January to promote gold bullion in his spare time, is currently wanging on about how out of touch the Labour frontbench is. Ok

Cambridge Comhaltas Elastic Band's first ceilidh gig (I was calling; accordion skills not ready for public performance!) I survived teaching a load of KS1 children strip the willow when half of them are still bad at lefts and rights! Note to self: learn more dances with only forwards and backwards.

I saw this somewhere else and thought you might need to see it today.

Literally

Today I get to play the lovely Pie Jesu cello solo in the Duruflé Requiem. I made a New Year's resolution to go outside my comfort zone a bit more. It's going well so far!

Accurx glitch. Monday morning.

The second series of Good Omens really is rather good.