As much as I love going to London for theatre, I always dread how busy the train back to Northampton will be. I can usually find some breathing space (and, sometimes, even a seat) by powerwalking to the front of the train but it depends on whether the platform has been called before I reach Euston.

Splitting my time fairly evenly between thinking about theatre, thinking about Japan, and thinking about Eurovision this year and listening to a lot of "adult album alternative". #SpotifyWrapped

When I was a kid, we used to go to MK to see films at The Point, before Northampton got its own multiplex. There's a lot of nostalgia wrapped up in that ziggurat.

Well worth waiting for...

Universities are in crisis, and I don’t think it’s helpful to phrase that as “exiting the market”. They’re not mid-range shoe shops, these are educational pillars in society

I just ordered some shopping from Uber Eats and I was wondering why the delivery fee was so high. I thought it might have been because I placed the order at a peak time but, nope, I'm inadvertently ordered from a Morrisons in a neighbouring town, a 23 minute drive away.

Celebrity Traitors go see The Importance of Being Earnest and meet up with Stephen Fry who plays Lady Bracknell. Photo: Piers Allardyce

Sometimes I think about how cool it would be to be able to take Shakespeare to a modern production of one of his plays but then I think about how I'd spend the whole time trying to persuade him not to yell at the actors or piss on the floor and, on balance, I'm not sure it'd be worth it.

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

OK, that was a really interesting production. Katie Mitchell's interventions, as well as exploring the work from a feminist perspective, actually added a lot of humour to the original material. #Opera #Operasky

Fascinated by what I've heard about this production. I'm expecting a bold, feminist interpretation of the material. #Opera #Operasky

Just popped into @c20thposters.bsky.social for a browse but I'm actually kinda tempted by an original poster for the 1958 West End run of West Side Story for £75. 😅

I'd never seen the regular series but I couldn't resist giving #CelebrityTraitors a go, thanks mainly to the luxury casting, and I have been enthralled throughout. That ending was a thriller! I honestly got a bit teary at "It's been tearing me apart". The pride of Northampton right there.

Tickets are booked! It's always to have a show to look forward to.

Number 883 in the queue for Arcadia tickets. Not bad, that's less than a theatre's worth of people.

"Sweep, you never seem to bring much to the roundtable."

I read Arcadia with my play reading group a couple of years ago and I've been aching to see it ever since. I've also never been to the Old Vic before. Two birds, one stone! #Theatre #TheatreSky

I'm not a Christmassy person and, yet, here I am, having picked up an advent calendar and it's not even November yet. These do sell out, though, so I have to move fast.

I still miss the version of TLC that used to show Two's Country.

white house has joined bluesky click here to block all official us government accounts instantly bsky.app/profile/did:...

The last time I voted in this poll, I decided to gather some ideas together to help me allocate my points. My shortlist ended up with over a hundred songs on it and didn't help at all. On the plus side, I now have this playlist as a result... open.spotify.com/playlist/0uM... #Eurovision

As previously noted, I'm only truly happy when I've got a holiday to plan. Having said that, reserving a hotel room in Valletta for dates that are still 13 months away is probably taking the piss a bit. What can I say, it was a moment of weakness. #Travel

GENFEST 2025: Student Takeover Four new 30-minute plays from the final year students on the University of Northampton’s BA Acting Programme. Mon 17 November 7pm | Royal https://royalandderngate.co.uk/whats-on/genfest-2025-student-takeover/

I've been catsitting for my parents all week and it's been a real treat to spend time with this beautiful boy (even when he wakes me up during the night because he wants a cuddle). I tried to get a nice picture of Monty but, instead, he decided to give my phone a close inspection... #Caturday

Well, that season went badly for me. It was unfortunate that I got such a poor TCA score in one of my rare trips to B rundle and in a season where more than 2/3 of players in my rundle scored a QvH over 100. I only picked up 6 wins all season (and two of those were forfeits). #LearnedLeague #LL106

There's an absolutely gorgeous projection show, commemorating the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire Of Northampton, going on at All Saints' Church right now. #Northampton

VINCERÓ!!!!….. VINCERÓÓÓÓÓÓÓÓÓÓÓ

My recent silly eBay purchase has arrived. I like seeing this little glimpse into the recent past of my town, particularly because this view is no longer available. There's now a lift shaft where the poster board is stood and the upper floor was extended out from behind the photo was taken.

Thanks to enshittification, FB is now awful for sharing albums (despite being set to public, you can only see part of the album without a login). Google still does the job (for now)... photos.app.goo.gl/orqaT6pR4eMj... #TravelSky #Travel #Japan #WorldsFair #WorldExpo #Expo2025 #Osaka #Kyoto #Nara

#Expo1970 Osaka closed 55 years ago today. The first World Expo held in Asia left a lasting impression on Japan and the world, with its vibrant legacy still pulsating through Osaka as it hosts #Expo2025 this year

Breaking: Irish broadcaster RTE says that Ireland will not participate in Eurovision next year if Israel does. "RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation would be unconscionable given the ongoing and appalling loss of lives in Gaza." about.rte.ie/2025/09/11/r...

Thanks to enshittification, FB is now awful for sharing albums (despite being set to public, you can only see part of the album without a login). Google still does the job (for now)... photos.app.goo.gl/orqaT6pR4eMj... #TravelSky #Travel #Japan #WorldsFair #WorldExpo #Expo2025 #Osaka #Kyoto #Nara

I finally got round to sorting through all the pictures I took on my Japan trip in April. Yeah, there's a lot... www.facebook.com/media/set/?s... www.facebook.com/media/set/?s... #Travelsky #JapanTravel #Japan

I've just ordered orange chicken for dinner because I'm nothing if not easily influenced. #LearnedLeague

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?...

A good read here, with Denmark offering an example that the BBC could follow when it comes to broadcasting music

www.reddit.com/r/transgende... Guess what? The story about the trans M&S employee and the bra fitting is a pack of lies and distortions. Want to know what really happened and how colleagues stood up for her? Read her own account here.

Happy LL106 Opening Day, LLamas! Also less happily, to those who observe, condolences on "Oh Man I Thought I Was Registered" Day.

Ugh, so many of my online accounts have been compromised recently. Someone's just got into my Netflix and changed the email address (I managed to get back in using my mobile number). I've also had to change passwords for Facebook, Microsoft, Ubisoft, and Crunchyroll in the last couple of weeks.

#OnTheDial today... I'm going to start sharing radio stations that have a regular place in my listening diet. Starting with El Zol 106.7. Whenever we get a heatwave, I find myself in the mood for this Spanish Tropical station from Miami. You can practically feel the steam coming off this station.

I'm determined not to let another 17 years go by before my next holiday to Japan and I'm already thinking a lot about where to visit next. My favourite idea at the moment is a trip up through Tohoku on the Shinkansen, stopping for a few days each in Sendai, Morioka, and Aomori. #Travelsky

Excellent summary of how the higher education funding model in the UK is broken @zoesqwilliams.bsky.social. Needs to be a serious conversation about how to fix it, but no-one seems willing to take that on #BrokenBritain www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

It's so hot in Japan right now that the plastic fake food is literally melting off the shelves 😬

(exasperated) "Lieutenant Columbo, what can I do for you today?"

Moments of theatrical serendipity: I've been watching an open-air production of Twelfth Night in my local park and we were hit by a shower during the final scene, just in time for the cast to sing Feste's song, "The Rain It Raineth Every Day".

It's time for a new kind of political party - one that belongs to you. Sign up at yourparty.uk.

⏳Final week to sign up to the Green Party. 🗳️ Vote for Bold Leadership on August 1st.