Looking forward to more time with my own garden this year. A couple hours tidying things today. My BIG #acer flushed with coloured extremities primed for the new season. #WitchHazel with its ribbons, and hazel #Contorta with catkins, and of course, a few #snowdrops. #Gardening

In #Madrid last week, I looked to vary routes as much as possible. It does pay off. On one variation, I looked up and was pleased to see these - turns out to be #Salamanders, though the property is called #CasadelosLagartos (House of #Lizards). It is on Calle de Mejía Lequerica. #Modernism

In #Madrid last week, if having to travel (walk) between the same two points more than once, I looked to vary the route as much as possible to take in views I would otherwise miss by a street or two. It does pay off. Came across this building of #PalacioLongoria - amazing #ArtNouveau building

Spent the afternoon in #MiddleEarth with the director’s cut of The #TwoTowers. Scene after scene punches with its respective emotion. Theoden grieving Theodred punched hard. Bernard Hill drew from somewhere very real in those moments. Such a monumental story, magnificent films. #LordOfTheRings

#MonkParakeets - loads of them all over #Madrid. You could hear them squawking. Loved their green plumage. This is in the #ParquedelOeste.

Probably the only statue to the #FallenAngel. The tour mentioned this was 666 metres above sea level. And therefore some have read a lot into this. But much of the park and a lot of #Madrid has this elevation. My phone compass agrees with a small +- error. #AngelCaido #Retiro #RetiroPark

Took a solo day trip to #Toledo midweek. Magnificent #Mediaeval city - will post more on this. Happy day seeking out historic sites and sights (well, the whole place) and some legends. This is the Puente de Alcántara, you can get close to the river’s edge on a path. #Spain

“#SpanishInquisition and Legends of #Madrid” tour, very wet for most of it. The guide, Violeta, was brilliant. Clear enthusiastic communicator. The group was interesting too, four Mexicans and a Russian lady. Good way to finish the last full day. #GhostTour #mythsandlegends #horriblehistories

Bookends of the day, #sunrise and #sunset today. It’s been a beautiful one. 🙏☀️ #Madrid #Amenecer #Ocaso

I’ll never tire of the shifting universe of #clouds and their interplay with light. Always amazes me. #BothSidesNow #FarAboveTheClouds

#Sunset at #TemploDebod in #Madrid. Magnificent vibes.

Panel presentation at #WCQR2026 Critical Incident Semantic Analysis: Advancing Narrative and Identity Research in Qualitative Studies with Digital Tools. See flyer for more details. www.cisatools.com @ludomedia.bsky.social #QualitativeResearch #CAQDAS #DataAnalysis #WCQR

Watched first two released episodes of #StarTrek: #StarfleetAcademy Not at all what I was expecting. Stylistically and tonally very different, but actually VERY good, and very funny. Many Easter Eggs to other #Trek REALLY looking forward to seeing where they go with this.

#Sunrise and #Sunset yesterday. Rise over the site of a huge landfill site with fields which would have had the #HS2 train boring through them. Set at a vast #PeatBog, Once part of miles of Chat Moss between Manchester and Warrington

Cheesy #Swedish electronic #europop? Oh yeah 👍 👊Have given this two plays through today, having discovered the track #Caramelldansen in the last year or so. It’s going to become a go-to feel-good album methinks. Have been persuading myself to listen to this for a while. #Caramell #Supergott

Incredible light during the first hour of daylight today, as cloud drifted across and filtered sunlight into diffuse golden glow. View with my camera, #SelsleyHill in the centre, #RodboroughHill on the horizon. #Stroud #Cotswolds #Sunrise #Moody

The Stroudwater Navigation #canal froze over in last couple days and had covering of snow overnight. This day last year the Frome was flooding into the canal in places! #Stroud #Cotswolds

#Sunrise and #sunset today, first glow and last glow.

#FullMoon #MoonSet #WolfMoon this morning with a bonus #Chimney #Caminology bird and birch

Beautiful morning. View from Doverow Hill down to Ebley, and #Stroud #Cotswolds #SunnyDay

A visit to St Anthony’s Well in the #ForestOfDean. Wanted to revisit as it IS a very special site. The light is glorious. Had it to myself for about 30 seconds before barking dogs, crying toddlers, and bathers needing privacy. No let up in for an hour, so, midweek term time visit required… #HolyWell

First fungus of 2026 - Velvet Shank I think #Mycology #Toadstool #Mushroom #Fungi

#StrangerThings final wraps things up well. Epic, Dramatic, Foreboding and Exciting music fittingly referred to. Final scenes felt like a love letter to youth & childhood, making sense of trauma, loss, passing of time. Loved the monster battles, but this bit of meaning is the icing on the cake

#Sunrise and #Sunset today. Going to enjoy these next few sunny days and moonlit nights.

#Sunrise and #Sunset on #NewYearsEve. Freezing fog in the morning delayed Solar visibility. Then Perfect end to the year at Windmill Tump #Neolithic #LongBarrow #Cotswolds

All the best for 2026. #Sunrise and #Sunset today. Sunset towards South Wales and The River Severn #HappyNewYear as some say #NewYearsDay #Cotswolds

Walk around the rear of Came Wood, and back. Do love the quietness of the landscape there. Pleased to see the tree harvesting from the woods is being replanted. Hedgerows already gently flushing with new-growth colours for next spring.

I never expected to get one of my bucket list #fungi in the middle of #Warrington on a dull damp December morning. A cluster of Collared Earth #Stars in a town centre shrubbery bed. Excellent start to the day! New one for me, and have been wanting to see this one for a while! #Mycology #Fungus

What an incredible #moonlit night out there. Took myself into the now defoliated woods, #moonlight pouring through the bare trees. Everything is different and transformed. Didn’t need a torch to see. Looped via the Iron Age Cross Dyke, and spent some time at the Neolithic Long Barrow.

#SpotifyWrapped shame you can’t add in physical media plays stats to get an even more full reflection on the year - but yeah, that’s about right for this year! Waiting for Cousteau a lifelong love, Music for Psychedelic Therapy just 👌 #TwentyOnePilots #JonHopkins #TronAres #Vangelis #JeanMichelJarre

Gratulerer med dagen 🇳🇴 Sakte TV 🇳🇴 Happy 16th Birthday, Norwegian Slow TV. And 11 years since my trip to #Trondheim to make my documentary about the genre and getting interviewed on #NRK #Norway #SlowTV #SakteTV - one day I’ll get back!

But they’re not saying what the discovery is! One wonders 🤔 #Orkney www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Some pleasing #fungi finds today: a #SlimeMold - Salmon Eggs I think - new for me. King Alfred’s Cakes, delightful Green Elf Cup (think these are favourites of this year) and some Oyster fungi. #Mycology #Fungus #Mushrooms #Toadstools

Long planned stop off to have a roam around #SallyInTheWood area between #Bath and #BradfordonAvon. Allegedly really #haunted woods (hence the name and accompanying legend). I didn’t get those vibes - just plenty of natural wonder, some excellent views. Covered just over 5 miles #SallyInTheWoods

Tuesday #ChimneyPot Type of the Week: Octagonal Diagonal Twist Not to be confused with Octagonal Diagonal Captain, which has crenellated castle-like tops. These seen in #Weymouth May 2023 towards Greenhill Gardens, Christ Church spire to the left. #Chimneys #ChimneyPots #Caminology

Have you listened to this week’s #Uncanny episode, Case 4: Road Ghosts yet? In Case 4 we examine the potentially paranormal encounters people have whilst driving. If life is a highway you might not want to ride it all night long after this…listen on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts🎧

That was a fun watch. #Wednesday Season 2. Particularly enjoyed Enid’s arc. Some cracking orchestral arrangements for the soundtrack. #JoannaLumley revelled in her character. Had hoped for more of #LadyGaga. Full of every #TimBurton trope you can think of. That’s not a problem.

I dropped into Cherished #Chimneys in #StokeonTrent for the first time. The #ChimneyPot #Museum isn’t happening *at the moment* but there was some looking to the future. Hopefully I’ll be able to offer some exciting news on what is, I think, a globally unique collection #ThePotteries #Caminology

Wondering what a 6000 year old structure has to do with the BRAND NEW #Uncanny episode, Case 4: Road Ghosts?! Find out - listen on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts... This week we look at an aspect of the paranormal we've never explored: apparitions people allegedly see whilst driving🛣️🚗

Hitch a ride with me as I explore potentially paranormal encounters on Britain's roads... Uncanny | Listen on BBC Sounds

Had to grab a picture of this Paul O’Grady / Lily Savage mural in #Birkenhead as I went past on Saturday afternoon for the #WirralUltra. #brezaux #PaulOGrady #LilySavage

Did my first #Ultra event at the weekend - complete circuit of the #Wirral, 35 miles / 57km - such a perfect day. Would do it again. Once knees and Achilles have recovered! Ran the first 23 km or so, then speed-walked the rest. #Running #WirralUltra #WirralWay #GetFit #BeatDiabetes #MentalHealth

You never know when might be the last time you see someone. And sometimes you have a feeling. Saw my cousins here a couple months ago. Lucy was very ill fighting cancer. She passed away this morning. Bless you all. Glad we had this one last catch up.

Simple dog walk around the block, notice a small #fairyring in a lawn and then a number of black protrudences. Turns out is a #fungus called #BlackEarthTongue, of which there are several varieties which can look remarkably similar. #Geoglossaceae #Mushrooms #Toadstools

#ChimneyPot type of the week: H Pot. This week’s the H Pot, seen last week in #Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, not far from the hospital. From what I’ve noticed, these come with a variety of lengths and girths in the connecting central vent. #PotOfTheWeek #Caminology

I’ve been a #DementiaCarer for around a year. I’d heard tales of what it’s like when a person with #Dementia gets a #UTI. I know now what it’s like, with things building over several weeks, various interventions, and crescendo reached yesterday, leading to their hospital admission. #Alzheimers

Today’s #existential inner earworm “There are monsters, there are angels There's a peacefulness and a rage inside us all There is sugar, and there is salt There is ice and there is fire in every single heart There are monsters, and there are angels”” #VoiceoftheBeehive #MonstersAndAngels #90s

Went to see #ChainsawMan #RezeArc last night - a visually beautiful #anime packed full of action and thoughtful moments. Helps to have watched the series, but I kept myself in the dark for knowing anything about the film. Japanese with English subtitles. Post credits scene. #Boom 💥

Cherry-picked the best morning this week for the sun filtering through autumn leaves 🍂 on the south east side of the woods #Stroud #Cotswolds #AutumnColours #FallColors

Beat the 2 hours by just over 90 seconds for my #halfmarathon yesterday. Worked hard for that. Do like this “digging in” expression from the official photos. #Running has become the main resource in my physical health and #MentalHealth toolbox. #MensHealth #BeatDiabetes #StroudHalfMarathon