You know you’ve married the right person when you’ve just watched your husband stand with a garden hose for 15 minutes, misting the chickens

I went to a wedding where- and I am not joking- they played “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for” for their first dance.

@helenebismarck.bsky.social look what’s just arrived in the post!

Appreciate the NYT front page today

Look, I know the world is ending, but it has to be said that I am ridiculously, supremely happy right now. PS: I left signed copies at Hatchard’s, Waterstones Piccadilly, and Waterstones opposite the National Gallery.

I think the one lesson we could have learned from Brexit, Trump and the rise of Reform is that social media should be banned for the over 70s. Especially since they’re unlikely to have the skills to circumvent it. And yet here we are…

What a life, RIP David Hockney. Thank you for brightening the world with your art 🎨

11 hours.

They're building an amazing rollercoaster at Rachel Reeves World called "OBR forecast". Just when you think it's finishing there's a huge drop called "the Strait of Hormuz".

Henry Nowak’s father’s words outside court, who is probably the person we most need to hear from today.

This is a very thoughtful piece, and a great read

Currently marvelling at this Mother’s Day photo in which Donald Tusk looks like he’s just fired an underperforming Interior Minister

We’ve got exactly one public intellectual in the mode of midcentury liberalism left and it’s the pope

I need to conquer Mongolia, but I have no one to leave my cat with.

Bit of doomscrolling relief for you here. Genuinely sweet story. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

Stephen's right of course. One of the most jaw-dropping pieces of information which emerged as the project fell on its arse was that the boss of HS1 offered to help on HS2 and was turned down. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

HS2 expected to cost £102.7bn - or more if you purchase on the day you travel.

must be such a joy for back office staff at the bank to hear this from a guy who's paid, what, 12 million quid?

This is an excellent thread

Cheering as it is to see rejoining the EU becoming part of the political discourse, it’s quite astonishing that no one seems to question whether the EU would ever want the UK back

A guy we know pitched a story to a mag about former skateboarders going back to their old haunt in middle age. My BIL(52)went with him as part of the story. BIL is now back home with a broken ankle and the writer is home with a broken vertebrae. The only possible way the story could have gone.

It's so hard seeing someone else live your dream

Filing the latest development in the “not holding my breath” section of general news

About time, too

Neighbour just swung by with this in the boot of her car (have obviously offered babysitting services)

Preordered my copy of @helenebismarck.bsky.social ‘s Fantastic Kingdom- if you want to understand, lament, or find a way through the complexities and frustrations’ of the UK’s place in the world today, viewed from a place of expertise and affection, I strongly suggest you do too! amzn.eu/d/0dvKYxaF

Morning! I wrote about having my charity-shop-bargain suit (Paul Smith, £20) visibly mended and what it taught me about taste, power and masculinity, and transgressing all of the above as.ft.com/r/642b5c9d-2...

Not much beats an Irish beach on a sunny day

Ok, give me your most mildly irritated face….

An absolute joy to visit Battersea Dogs and Cats Home this morning to celebrate the fact that from next week, private renters will gain a new legal right to request a pet through powers in our transformative Renters’ Rights Act.

😬

Every time this tailor posts a photo of their workspace, it looks like their dog is a tailor and he's showing off the garments he made. IG z.o.e.y.a.t.e.s

I lost someone I loved dearly to pancreatic cancer. She died within months. This is tremendous news.

This

Goodness. Leo could almost turn me back to Catholicism giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

Ugh - the Royal Marsden helped to save my wife’s life, and they’re trying to do so for many, many more people. And NIMBYs are trying to stop it because the lifesaving building is taller than they’d like?? Give me strength. (Via Looking For Growth)

As a woman, I offer my sympathies to the Pope who is now being told hourly by very many random men what he actually means

Agree. In part I think expectations have gone up, in part I think there are a lot of folk who are by any historic standards well off but don't feel it, but there's also those with insecure employment, obviously those with very high housing costs, and many other stories besides.

When nominative determinism brings glimmers of light to these dark days

Pre-sales mean a lot to authors and this book is a very good read. It's on Apple Podcasts here. 👇 podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/b...

So, away from all the Trumpian madness, I had a Bank Holiday-friendly, long-form chat with @helenebismarck.bsky.social about her new book "Fantastic Kingdom" - a stranger's account of Britain: warm, insightful and - in appropriate measure - critical. Have a listen! open.spotify.com/episode/09Rb...

Matilda is setting the example by operating exclusively on solar

Friday

Bears will be defecating in the woods next.

It is absolutely stupid that a major focus of policy response to the Iran War is on the planned 1p rise in fuel duty in September (watching Trevor Phillips interview Bridget Phillipson). Of no help now to anyone to abandon it. Shows how trivial our political debate has become.

Matilda is on babysitting duty again

Quite the pic

My very dull yet exciting discovery this weekend is that doormats wash beautifully in the machine.

Major scenes as having not consulted the nursery’s “planner” I didn’t know it was “wear a hat”day. Have clearly damaged child for life.