The proposed changes to local government may result in an East and West Staffordshire. No one will be happy, but mostly, I’ve learned from local Facebook that no one wants to be lumped in with Stoke-on-Trent. Will a Stoke Wall appear? Will there be cries of “I am a Stokie, duck!”

📡 ZYGON ACTIVITY IN THE THAMES AREA REPORTED on the brand new Trap One🎙Podcast as we look around a corner or two, at this weekend's screening of #DoctorWho #TerrorOfTheZygons and much more! Apple Podcasts: tinyurl.com/bddnecev Spotify: tinyurl.com/4yap3dn6 Podbean: tinyurl.com/37z92v2e

Coming soon!

After 2 hours 40 minutes I am finally on a (different) train that is heading towards my home. I’m so incredibly tired, and the fact my delay compensation will be exactly the same as if I was 61 minutes late means it feels nowhere near enough.

I should be climbing into my bed right now, but instead I’m stuck on a train that hasn’t moved for over an hour. Every update we’ve had has been unable to give us any timelines about when (or if) we will be moving. I have maxed out delay repay, so at this point it can only get worse.

@dhollingsworth.bsky.social @markdodyk.bsky.social !!!

This looks like a family portrait and therefore actually perfectly sums up why I’ve come to love the Doctor Who BFI events so much.

Terror of the Zygons impressed today at the BFI: Dougie Camfield’s direction, John Woodnutt’s performance, the sound - the whole unsettling atmosphere was fab. @quiteamess.bsky.social and I were whispering praise during every episode credits sequence! A smashing Trap One field report coming soon.

One chunk of Team Trap One enjoying Terror of the Zygons this afternoon at the BFI. No duplicates detected thus far… @trapone.bsky.social @aquatics64.bsky.social @and-e-roo.bsky.social @quiteamess.bsky.social

Is it me or is it a Zygon…? BFI bound! Looking forward to saying hello to lots and lots of lovely people.

KILL… KILL… KILL… some time today as Dave and I have a fun chat about Mission to the Unknown!

Coming Soon (With @hannahcooper.bsky.social)... #AKettleandSomeString #DoctorWho #MissiontotheUnknown

Watching Ground Force with my dad on Friday nights when my mom worked late is among my nice childhood memories. My Friday nights changed a bit in between, though in recent years I've graduated to Friday nights with Gardeners' World. Similarly comforting.

9 years ago: Lübeck 9 weeks ago: Birmingham Still own both shirts.

If we don’t like your thoughts, I’ll be shooting Varga thorns at you later this week ⚪️🌵

I’ve had a rubbish day and this has really cheered me up. Couldn’t make Series A, so fingers crossed I’ll manage to get down and safe for Series B - my favourite!

“HALLOA! Below there!" Join award winning writer @gralefrit.bsky.social and myself here at 10 tonight for a tweetalong of The Signalman, on BBC FOUR. All welcome to share thoughts, memories, insight or questions. Just use the hashtag #signalman

"You got a towel with you?" said Ford Prefect suddenly to Arthur.

In my experience, football fans lack the drinking stamina of Doctor Who fans and their banter isn’t quite as strong.

5 hour trip home from Cornwall. I don’t much enjoy long solo drives as I get bored relatively quickly, but finishing off Big Finish sets helped sustain me. Took a while to get into Dark Eyes, but did enjoy it and liked Molly. Audio of a surgery scene in Spoils of War was amazingly grim on the ear.

Visited Tintagel Castle yesterday, which is simply stunning, even in very changeable weather! I timed it well for low tide so enjoyed lunch on the beach before a cream tea in the village. Odd to see a place that acknowledges its entire economy was built on selling food and tat to tourists.

Flashback to a discovery in a cocktail bar some years ago that I’ve never got over.

I’ve been working through the first season of Remington Steele. With a few other ‘heavy’ shows on the go, this is proving just the sort of lighter, fun thing I need. Also, loving the episode title puns - tonight is ‘Etched In Steele’.

Today I’ve hidden from the rain showers with a visit to my great aunt and uncle. Visiting their farm was always a great part of my childhood visits to Cornwall. They’ve downsized to a bungalow but the homemade food is still plentiful. And they live near a brewery! 😍🍻

26 miles of the Camel Trail from Padstow to Bodmin and back - done! I average a mere 30 miles a week on my commute so long holiday rides always feel a step up. Dried off, warmed up, sunk into pub sofa. Never doing it all in such crap weather again - I’ll cut it short and enjoy a cream tea instead.

It’s been a mostly grim day of rain and mud. I haven’t enjoyed much of it. The last stretch has been fuelled by my first taste of Kendal Mint Cake. Wind gusts of 40mph are a good excuse to stop one last time before I fall into dry clothes and a pub.

My luck with holiday rain ran out. We are talking torrential downpour as soon as I set off cycling. Naturally it all stopped once I was in a town for a lunch stop.

Had a 5 course, 3 hour indulgent lunch followed by a bracing walk to make me feel more rugged. Now been saved by falling into a pub.

This evening I’m engaging in some Bearded Darrowing.

Considering I was a bit depressed about this week’s forecast for my holiday, it’s gone relatively well so far. Could be better but could be much worse. Importantly, I’m very relaxed. Currently outside the holiday bungalow (Mother “And how is the chalet?”) enjoying a G&T with the last of the sun.

Visited Port Isaac today - also known as Doc Martin’s Port Wenn. As a TV nerd, it was great having a tour from a local and learning details of the filming process. It’s a lovely little harbour town and very quiet after lunch. I just about avoided getting stranded on the breakwaters.

I’ve come on a massive holiday walk by mistake… This was supposed to be an easy day but I’ve cycled and walked about 10 miles, mostly along the South West Coastal Path. The weather changed every 15 minutes at times and I was so prepared. Currently on pub #2 and pint #3, sheltering from more rain.

Feels related that if you have a Plan 1 Student Loan (pre-2012 starts) then you pay back 9% on earnings above just £26,065. Every chance there are some people barely earning above minimum wage who are a) minus that 9% and b) now expected to contribute towards their children’s university costs.

This is a long shot but I have this memory of reading an interview with Vic Reeves in one of my Mum's magazines in the 90s (Chat, Take A Break, Woman, something like that) & I wonder if anyone else remembers it, because one particular detail really made me laugh?... 1/2

Blinked at some point on Thursday night and it’s been a busy blur since. But by 3.30 today I was on a sunny Cornish beach and finally got to enjoy doing absolutely nothing.

The following year, this footage of re-entry would be incorporated into the Doctor Who story 'The Tenth Planet', which involved a two-man spacecraft being lost in orbit.

Your last saved pic is your moral philosophy. (Rather accurate)

I’ve watched all 4 episodes of Death Is a Good Living over the last few days and I can confirm I love it. I wanted more! Leonard Rossiter plays Lynch, an assassin who wants to retire to Bournemouth with his elderly mother. But first he has to do one last job alongside his replacement…

I’m heading to Cornwall on Saturday for a holiday near Padstow. It looks set to piss down all week so my plans for a budget-friendly week of cycling and sitting on breezy beaches with books are in tatters. I welcome any advice that could cheer me up, and make it a tad more enjoyable.

I’m heading to Cornwall on Saturday for a holiday near Padstow. It looks set to piss down all week so my plans for a budget-friendly week of cycling and sitting on breezy beaches with books are in tatters. I welcome any advice that could cheer me up, and make it a tad more enjoyable.

A lot of people now middle aged and older don’t realise how normal this became for my generation. I’m 32 and have never drank in a pub or been to a gig or nightclub where indoor smoking was allowed. The only real trace was some yellowed ceilings.

Tonight I’ve finally started on series 2 of 1990. I’ve watched series 1 twice already because I can’t quite get enough of 1970s’ dystopian futures.

On the latest Trap One🎙Podcast @quiteamess.bsky.social, @dhollingsworth.bsky.social, @hannahcooper.bsky.social & @quarkmcmalus.bsky.social file a field report from Saturday’s Whooverville 16 convention: Apple Podcasts: tinyurl.com/msfjj42m Spotify: tinyurl.com/bdcvzy9p Podbean: tinyurl.com/bddnywt9

Slightly rubbish day: on a come down from the high of a convention weekend, went to the office…. no one else did, struggled through a subpar gym session, just got home to find someone has eaten all the Jaffa Cakes I was saving for my holiday next week - for which the weather is currently piss poor 😭

Storm Hannah will be well-planned, prevent you going to that shit pub, and appear just as you’re sitting down with some 70s telly.

10 years ago at Whooverville I felt rather shy and awkward and only had one proper conversation with one person* all day. -CUT TO A SPACE CORRIDOR- This year I had kept telling people how marvellous Whooverville is and some of them came and now we have a Trap One field report! 🥳

Back from a wonderful weekend in Derby for Whooverville. Always such a lovely event. 1/3 convention, 2/3 hanging out with fellow fans. This year I was too busy chatting to too many people in bars, queues or cafes, so came away with no photos with anyone! 😆

After a year off, I’m really pleased to be back for another Whooverville. Lots of lovely people to say hello to today. Already bought 3 space dollies!

Sod it. First mince pie of the season.

At about 4.10pm on this day 54 years ago, something weird started happening on Scottish Television. There was no announcement, and no credit was given to the person who had created them, but strange short films suddenly started popping up in the schedules youtu.be/AA9IdHtHk_0?...