I’m reading Writing Home by Alan Bennett and particularly enjoying Russell Harty's thoughts on soup, which Bennett retold in his memorial service eulogy.

Exeter Cathedral

Floating by

Ducklings on the River Test

Reading Erotic Vagrancy by Roger Lewis and am blown away by what Elizabeth Taylor's then husband Eddie Fisher is going through to look after her.

Yaawwn!

By water home, and so walk upon the leads, and in the dark there played upon my flageolette, it being a fine still evening, and so to supper and to bed.

The commandant of the Civil Defence Technical Training Centre in Quebec demonstrates the effect of an atomic bomb exploding over a city, Canada, 28th April 1952.

Madame Tussauds waxwork models of The Beatles, 24th April 1967.

Remembering the time I saw the Pope in the back of a Skoda in Alton station carpark.

Explorer Theodore Illion, demonstrating the headgear that he considers will best protect him during his expedition to Central Asia, in London on 16th April 1934. He claimed to have visited Tibet and discovered an underground city there. Though there are doubts that he ever went anywhere near Tibet.

Ringo Starr and John Lennon stand in the doorways of the adjoining suburban houses on Ailsa Avenue in Twickenham used in filming 'Help!' starring The Beatles, 15th April 1965. Photo by Stan Meagher.

Some fantastic examples of fake images through the years here: www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...

Up early to my lute and a song.

Can I help you?

Peter Sellers with Ringo Starr, 31st March 1969. Photo by Les Lee.

Spotted a new born lamb taking its first steps.

Eric Morecambe pushed on a tricycle by Ernie Wise, 27th March 1980.

The Truth about Teenagers. Photo by Bert Hardy for Picture Post, 25th March 1957.

Drinking of cold small beer here I fell ill, and was forced to go out and vomit, and so was well again and went home by and by to bed.

Feet up

Michael Caine, 92 today, born 14th March 1933. Photo by Stephan C. Archetti.

Greek singer and songwriter Demis Roussos (1946 - 2015) photographed in London by Steve Wood, 12th March 1974.

Going to the brink of death and back, in a nine car pile-up on a dual carriage-way, is ... very much like making love to a beautiful woman. First of all, brace yourself, hold on tight - particularly if it's a rear-ender. And pray you make contact with her twin airbags as soon as possible.

John Lydon of the Sex Pistols with manager Malcolm McLaren leaving Marlborough Street Magistrates Court after being fined for possessing illegal substances, London, 11th March 1977.

Carole Hersee posing for a new version of Test Card F at the Thames studios in Teddington, 10th March 1969. Photo by Ian Tyas.

The Queen riding the Victoria line, 7th March 1969.

Easy like Sunday morning

Waxwork models of The Beatles on display at Tussaud Waxworks in Blackpool, England, 28th February 1967.

78A0165 - Leather Bucket 79A0949 - Leather Bucket 79A1085 - Leather Bucket 79A1283 - Wooden Bucket 80A0220 - Wooden Bucket (below) 80A1316 - Leather Bucket 80A1891 - Leather Bucket 80A1946 - Leather Bucket 81A1196 - Leather Bucket 81A1248 - Leather Bucket (cont)

Double-decker buses at Stockwell Bus Garage, London, 26th February 1967. Photo by Chris Morphet.

Rod Stewart holds a bottle of Blue Nun wine as he talks with David Bowie backstage at Madison Square Garden, New York, 24th February 1975.

Three years on - Ukraine's photojournalists share stories of the war www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Great thread on fragmented realities "where different groups live in entirely separate versions of the truth."

Saturday cat

A US Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden, New York, 20th February 1939. Organised by the German American Bund with more than 20,000 people attending. The stage featured a huge portrait of George Washington with swastikas on either side. Around 100,000 anti-Nazi counter-protesters gathered outside.

Borough Market

Evening from The Shard

View from the Shard

"You can rattle the bars of the cage as fiercely as you like but you will never actually escape the comfort of the zoo." Excellent piece by @j-amesmarriott.bsky.social on conspiracists getting a dose of reality: www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...

Battersea Power Station

Just finished the wonderful Patrick Melrose novels by Edward St Aubyn. Coming up in an old Blacklisted episode from the distant past. A great recommendation from @iammilliam.bsky.social "A fantastic combination of deeply distressing and extremely funny".

Not too late to pick up a Valentine's card.

This is masculine maximalism to me

A Rescue worker holds a cat amidst the devastation and rubble caused by a V-bomb launched by a Nazi raid in Judd Street, London, 13th February 1945.

A view across the Thames towards Battersea Power Station, London, 12th February 1937. The building shown is the A Station. The facility was doubled in size after WWII with the construction of the B Station and the addition of two more chimneys.

John Lennon performs Instant Karma! on Top Of The Pops with the Plastic Ono Band, 11 February 1970. Photo by Ron Howard.

A rainy day for the passing out parade at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, 10th February 1981. Photo by John Downing.

Bruce Forsyth having his head measured for his Madame Tussaud's wax figure, 8th February 1978.