Eight years ago, I wrote a news story for @theipaper.com about the last French soldier to die in the First World War, which I'm reminded of again this Armistice Day. inews.co.uk/news/french-...

The CURRENT sitting MP for Clacton earns £511,000 as a presenter for GB News and took £281,000 as a brand ambassador for Direct Bullion. So maybe sit this one out, you rancid herring.

Chris Mason talking about Robbie Gibb on the news and outlining his CV while neglecting to mention Gibb’s connection with GB News. Sterling work as usual, Mason.

@theobserveruk.bsky.social points the finger👇

Heart in mouth after latest episode of #RiotWomen. Bloody hell.

Speaking as a recently-retired BBC journalist who is still self-censoring his opinions on social media: Well. www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cd...

Fabulous.

I’ve never seen an American elected official fight so hard to starve people.

Time for my monthly @the-independent.com round-up of holiday ideas, this time for December, including where to spend Christmas and New Year's Eve. @101holidays.bsky.social www.independent.co.uk/travel/inspi...

I know there are more important things to worry about, but I could really do without being bombarded by Black Friday press releases. Give it a rest.

Yes. Bizarre that the mistakenly released prisoners are being treated by the media as the result of Labour policy, when everyone knows perfectly well that a year ago the prison system was in deep, deep crisis because of Tory budget cuts.

Timeline cleanse – my travel feature for @theguardian.com on a wonderful few days in Évora, feasting on fabulous Alentejo food and wine and falling for this gorgeous part of Portugal. @travwriters.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/...

This a thousand times.

Some good news for a change.

The sheer grifting determination of these ghouls knows no bounds. Even as we hear the man charged is a British national who lives in Peterborough with police suggesting no obvious terror link, they cling desperately to the idea this is somehow linked to immigration. Shameless stuff.

Next time someone tells you that train drivers "just push buttons" show them this from the BBC

This is the best news I've heard all year. Blessed are the cheesemakers.

👏👏👏

Any other authors being bombarded with spam emails offering free Amazon audits for your books? I get these often, but just now I've had half a dozen within a few minutes.

Oh.

Absolutely.

Farage: epic grifter

Asylum seekers, housed in hotels in Manchester, are reaching out in their own words to address the concerns of the local community. Please take a minute to read their letter, & share it with the people in your life who need to hear the truth about the people they are protesting.

This is outrageous. How can an airline treat a passenger so appallingly? Definitely not in a rush to fly with Turkish Airlines. Disgraceful behaviour. Full story on the Facebook post below, and thanks @rorycj.bsky.social for bringing it to our attention. @simoncalder.bsky.social

A good thread but this is a particularly important point. Even with all the favourable exposure they get, Reform *still* aren't very popular. They're nowhere near the majority. The BBC/Sky need to give the rest of us more of a voice.

Quite taken with Évora and its white and ochre houses – some even wedged under an old Roman aqueduct.

The fact that this is even seriously discussed, by frontbench politicians and in mainstream publications, shows that something fundamental has broken in UK politics. All those who look at Germany with horrified faces because of the rise of the AfD, kindly take a look in the mirror.

Good morning from Évora. Quite lovely having an ancient Roman temple outside my hotel.

A decade ago this language would have rightly labelled you as far-right, racist. Now it gets you a glossy piece in the Sundays tied to political ambitions. It is not difficult to see how this extreme language used by Lam opens the door for eventually going further to talk of deporting citizens.

Papers are full of people testing the new ridiculously expensive Charlie Bigham "Brasserie" ready meals (a term he apparently dislikes). Great advertising. Hilariously awful verdicts, including this in @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/food/2025/oc...

Bertrand Russell to Oswald Mosley. Perfection.

Such a fun read by @jnraeside.bsky.social.

It's even worse when they ask you to add their client to an existing piece. As if that would ever happen.

Um. There’s a woman presenting this too.

Glad I caught Riot Women on BBC1. Am now hooked.

Yes!!!! A permanent solution to my search engine woes.

Trying to learn a bit of basic Portuguese and, flippin' 'eck, it's a toughie. God knows how I managed to learn enough to have a conversation last time I was there seven years ago. Might have to combine my French and Italian, dredge my scrap of Spanish, add a lot of shhh sounds and see how it goes.

Absolutely superb effort by all those who voted for this, many of whom are now dead.

Diane Keaton? Really? Who designated October the month to take away amazing women?

Good question. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

I can hear the howls of rage as he sits on the loo in the middle of the night, staring in disbelief and fury at his phone.

One of the many benefits of my English degree (a degree in language and critical thinking, really) is that I can immediately see how narrow, short-sighted and stupid a policy this is.

JFC the man has not one ounce of shame in him. He went to private school and Cambridge. He owns three homes and rents a fourth!

Seriously chuffed to be a finalist in the @travwriters.bsky.social BGTW Members' Excellence Awards. My @theguardian.com feature on food and wine in Samoëns made the shortlist for best specialist feature. I'm up against stiff competition, but it's wonderful to be shortlisted.

I loved loved loved Jilly Cooper, i got to meet her last year and burbled at her about how her novels had often got me through hard times and she was so kind. RIP xx www.theguardian.com/books/2025/o...

Time for my monthly @the-independent.com column rounding up some lovely holiday ideas, including a couple for those who seriously want to splash out. @101holidays.bsky.social @travwriters.bsky.social www.independent.co.uk/travel/inspi...

Aye.

Very considered, thoughtful piece by @jonathanfreedland.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Using AI to plan your travels? You might want to think again. www.bbc.co.uk/travel/artic...

Jeez.