Update - in a change to the published dates the York Printmakers exhibition at the City Screen Picturehouse in York will be ending this FRIDAY, 6th February. (If you come to see it on Saturday morning all you will find is a bunch of harassed printmakers surrounded by bubblewrap and picture hooks).

Siobhan keeps saying 'candlestick holders' on #potterythrowdown. Nobody tell @saskiadanielceramics.com 😬

I have never heard of a 'traditional' ribbon plate in my life, and I have actually lived in seaside towns. #potterythrowdown

I'll be doing this again this year, having previously followed through the year in 2022 and 2024. It's thoroughly cheering, reassuring and companionable (and surreptitiously educational too). Highly recommended.

I missed the ninth anniversary of this tweet yesterday, but it’s still… relevant

Ten years ago, inspired by the return of my childhood interest in birds, I set myself a target: see 200 British species in a year. The result was my book Why Do Birds Suddenly Disappear? Through 2026 I’ll be revisiting it, month by month. Here’s January. open.substack.com/pub/levparik...

Truly the past is a foreign country... Watching this again (which I watched when it was first broadcast) I'm marvelling less at the supersonic speeds and more at the casual check-in ("Up the escalator and the lounge is on your right"). No security, no x-rays and no arriving 3 hours early 👀

Really getting quite cross and impatient now, especially after Death so royally fucked up yesterday.

I have removed the 2025 garden waste subscription sticker from the green wheelie bin and applied the 2026 one. OK garden, I'm coming to get you. *cracks knuckles*

I realise, as I shut the washing machine door, that when I say "Mind your tail" to the cat I do actually expect him to mind his tail. I also realise this might be unrealistic.

I don't know whether it is the #1 Catherine O'Hara accomplishment but the fact that she invented a manner of speaking that no other person in human history has ever attempted for Schitts Creek and made it seem realistic that her character would talk that way felt like a comedy miracle to me

Going to have a very large G&T as I don't have any fruit wine with which to mourn.

COULD SOME OF THE SHITHEADS DIE NOW PLEASE INSTEAD OF THE GOOD PEOPLE

Mayor Mamdani posts a video explaining the NYC budget process and gets this as a reply. Truly bins are the universal obsession of social media.

✨Clifford's Tower looking even more magical ahead of York BID's Colour & Light. Free show lasts ten minutes, on loop from 6-9pm, 4th-22nd February, no ticket required.

To every writer, artist & [insert your creative thing here] who feels they maybe shouldn't be posting stuff that *isn't* 'How Do We Stop The Fascists' right now: One of the tools of Evil People is hopelessness - where everyone's so exhausted they forget what Better looks like. Please remind them.

I know I moan about the functionality here but I do like the 'detach quote' function for when someone has quote posted you in a way you don't want to be associated with.

York. 21 showings over the week from 30 Jan - a massive total of 7 bookings so far. Five of those bookings are the only ticket sold at that showing.

Another day with no sign of a 'turn off reposts' button. Have had to mute another account who is almost perpetually angry and vents it by reposting everything that upsets them. PLEEEASE BLUESKY.

Who's going to tell him? 😬

This explains all the flood alerts that AccuWeather has been sending me.

Those of us who use Duolingo are used to the nonsensical sentences like "My dog works at the university", but they've gone too far in the lesson I've just done with "We are visiting the United States".

'Hurrah!' I thought, 'The perfect comfort lunch for such a miserable wet day'. And this is how I found out we haven't got any marmite. *adds to shopping list*

I have just discovered that you can only leave a review on the M&S website if you are invited to do so. So I will never be able to give one star and tell the world that I am already having to replace the pillows* I bought only 9 months ago. *Body Temperature Control Medium Pillows 2 pack

The manager on that Indeed advert who only starts wondering how to recruit a replacement as the previous employee actually drives away, after having presumably working a period of notice... Maybe her hopeless management is why people keep leaving 🤷‍♀️

In five minutes today, FIVE MINUTES, there were three great tits, two coal tits, a robin, a blue tit and a dunnock, plus the perpetual pigeons and magpies.

Recommended! (We went last autumn).

Have the GBBO producers considered the risk that the contestants will be too starstruck by @nigella.bsky.social to be able to concentrate on their baking? I mean I would be...

I heard there is a funny clown Who with the circus came to town What sadness that you have I’m sure he’d cure ya It goes like this, You’ll go You’ll see But doctor, you’re describing me! The clown that you prescribe, is Pagliacci! Pagliacci Pagliacci Pagliacci Pagliacci

Yes sure of course that's the reason. *strokes chin in gesture familiar to anyone who was around in the 70s*

Possibly the most miserable, cold, grey and damp Big Garden Birdwatch ever. 4 magpies 2 crows 2 pigeons 1 jackdaw 1 robin 1 great tit

I will be disappointed if Sean Bean doesn’t call every bird he sees “yer’bastard”

What's up Bluesky? Nonsense like this for a start. This is not Facebook.

After a trip to the Yorkshire Wildlife Park today I can confirm that a 4 week old baby okapi is easily in the Top 10 'Cutest Things on the Planet'. Fact.

I suggest we watch last night's Winterwatch over breakfast. Husband informs me he watched it without me when I was out.

Just finished watching #TheTraitors final on delay having been out earlier (due to a deplorable lapse in diary planning). I am content.

You know those 'follow, comment and share' giveaways on Instagram? The ones no-one actually wins? Well I've just won one. (It's for some rather nice printmaking supplies so a bit niche, but this printmaker is chuffed to bits).

Oh heck, I have to supply 'a little known interesting fact' about myself for a quiz at a party. Honestly, if there's anything interesting about me that is little known it will be for a good reason 😳

For those who have noticed their feed has been missing something. Just awful, awful news.

This is a fascinating read.

Good question, little billboard

Trump’s Greenland speech at the WEF except it’s the voice of Pingu

Michaela is wearing my hat. #winterwatch

HistFest is back! We’re thrilled to share details of HistFest 2026. From Ancient Greek naval commanders and Egyptian queens to the history of motherhood and LGBTQ+ social histories – this year, we bring you a raft of fascinating histories and speakers. Book now! histfest.org/histfest-2026/

By the way, all the artists and makers taking part in this year's York Open Studios are now listed online - see examples of their work, brief biographies and details of their venue.

2025 me argued that we should delay this year's holiday in the sun (usually taken Jan/Feb) because it would be too soon after spending Christmas in Canada with family, and I wouldn't be able to face another lot of long distance travel. 2025 me was an idiot.

Italian voice actor Carlo Bononi was the voice of all of the characters on Pingu. A trained clown by trade, he used a theater technique called grammelot, which consists of "speaking" in a mix of babbled gibberish noises. He improvised all the voices live and unscripted.

Of COURSE it's pouring with rain; they've got Iolo there with them. He is an actual rain god. #winterwatch

Terrible restaurant could close unless people enthusiastically embrace bad food, complains chef.

Now 40 minutes late for the news conference and counting...