A lot of these political editors see Starmer/Trump and Mamdani/Trump as unexpected bromances, rather than what the rest of us see, which is someone trying to gamely manage a lunatic.

Letter in Times today

Medieval jobs which no longer exist no. 43 Secretary to a celebrity ox who is writing his memoirs

Medieval jobs which no longer exist because of Health and Safety gone mad no. 27 Working in a lion nail salon

I’m not in the habit of reposting my own content but have to on this occasion, what with it being Poe’s birthday

Just found this picture of (L to R) my sister, my mother and me cutting a swathe through Perpignan. Getting old is awful. #OTemporaOMores

Just been to visit mum in her nursing home. The man in the next room -I’ll call him Bill- was walking about with no trousers on. I said “Bill, you’re not wearing any trousers” and he laughed and said “Well, that’s just how it is” which is the perfect response to almost anything.

“Honestly, Henderson, old chap, what is the point of us dressing like women to demoralise the Hun if you’re going to do a Freemason handshake every time someone attempts to greet you?” #GirlsOwnCC

Enjoy the Sunday caption contest. Give away ❤️s, retweet to encourage more competitors, include #GirlsOwnCC

Had this shared with me this morning, and too good not to share with you. Courtesy of 'Peanutismint' on Instagram.

In a new low, I didn’t manage to get a single answer in yesterday’s Guardian cryptic crossword. In the end, I went on Fifteensquared and found I didn’t even understand the answers when they had been explained.

Leicestershire pensioner fined £225 by council for flicking snot out of van window 🏆 #HeadlineOfTheDay With a note on grammar.

Yesterday I bought some trousers & last night I went to the Atlantic (the local disco). There was some nice blokes there, about 3 or 4 Punk blokes & lots of punk girls. My zip broke while I was pogoing & no one seemed to have any safety pins, even the punks.

Mum points at Dave. "He is." "Oh! So that's your name!" Says Paula.

My Auntie is in a dementia care home. She has now got a boyfriend. They hold hands & giggle & laugh. Both late 80s. Been together for a few months. Mum visited them today. When it was time to go Mum said "Goodbye Paula. Goodbye Dave." (I have changed their names.) Paula says "Who's Dave?"

Spot Daphne.

Tomorrow I'm going to try Rachel's trousers on.

Don't you think the one with the beard looks like Janice.

Daphne and I have a marvellous relationship. (Video has sound.)

I initially read this as Brian Blessed and thought it was some kind of weird surreal obituary/tribute

We had a tiny bit of snow today but the horrible wet stuff that causes trouble but brings no fun. My car slithered across the road. Luckily, the fact that the road is lined with potholes meant that I did not end up in the ditch. Some sheep watched proceedings with a look of implacable hostility.

www.masato.co.uk/collections/... Clearance Sale take a look order asap as we close down on January 23rd for two weeks as I head to Japan #shopindie plus if you order full price items add coupon Welcome for 10% off #clearancesale

“Poor Mr Gladstone’s been standing like that for hours, ever since I accidentally mentioned the Home Rule Bill” #GirlsOwnCC #Topical #Satire

Enjoy the Sunday caption contest. Give away ❤️s, retweet to encourage more competitors, include #GirlsOwnCC

Anyone know what happened to the obviously haunted ventriloquist doll Sinjon that was in the Saltaire antique shop for ages?

We’ve had no snow at all in the LS23 tropical microclimate zone but I HAVE seen some snowdrops today.

My sister’s photo of Scarborough in the snow.

“Of course, some people might think I was lucky not to have encountered the head shrinking tribes of Borneo but those people have never met the far more fearsome extremity shrinkers of Sumatra.” #GirlsOwnCC

Mansplaining AND manspreading at the same time! It was more than Lottie could bear! #GirlsOwnCC

Enjoy the Sunday caption contest. Give away ❤️s, retweet to encourage more competitors, include #GirlsOwnCC

Just finishing the Christmas cheese from the Courtyard Dairy in Settle. It’s been first rate. Had Leeds Blue, truffled pecorino, Yoredale and Kirkham’s Lancashire. I am approximately 90% cheese at the moment with the remaining 10% being Cremant and crème de cassis.

Conversation with dad’s carer after she’d come back from a wake. Me: So, why didn’t he get on with his mother? Carer: Don’t know. Seems odd after she helped him go into hiding for five years while he was on the run from the police.

Uplifting message for the start of 2026

Ah, the New Year’s Day concert from Vienna and the annual joy of hearing rich people clap slightly out of time to the Radetsky March.

Message from a friend: “Happy New Year. See you next Tuesday!” Gave me quite a start. I’ve suggested she look it up on Wikipedia

Last year I just had one realistic resolution which was to moisturise more often. You will be surprised to learn that I failed even at that and have reverted to my former moisturising regime: sticking the bits back on with Nivea when they flake off.

And a very happy new year to you all! Xx

Last year I shared my reading list for 2024. It consisted of numerous books about murder and one about bottoms in Renaissance paintings. For 2025, I cut out the intellectual stuff so it was just bottoms all the way.

I’m ancient and I don’t think I’ve ever in my life been to a New Year’s Eve party.

Eight hours and counting.

I said “Excuse me, what are you doing?” to an elderly couple trying to get into my car before realising that my car was parked five spaces away.

This is for #TheArchers fans. youtube.com/shorts/RP6pG...

Anthony Blunt tripped over my desk once in the college library. I know nothing about French Renaissance art because he was revealed as the Fourth Man before he had a chance to deliver his lectures on the subject.

Happy black-and-white cat in the sink day to all who celebrate.

I’ve made a terrible mistake with my Waitrose order and instead of getting 4 parsnips, I’m getting 4 kilos of them.

Opening track from the Smoke and Ghosts album by Hilliat Thingy. You're welcome. hilliatfields.bandcamp.com/track/1-4

I’ve had a very long discussion with Joe about the origins of racism, privilege, capitalism etc etc, the gravitas of which was slightly undercut by the fact that I was wearing antlers throughout

For some reason I’m very pale today and I’m wearing a very dark lipstick and, apart from not having blonde hair, I match the description of Coleridge’s “nightmare Life-in-Death” in The Ancient Mariner.

“I tell you what, Clarissa, why don’t you see how far you can run across the heath without falling in the quicksand and I’ll stay here and talk to your mummy. There’s a good girl.” #GirlsOwnCC

Enjoy the Sunday caption contest. Give away ❤️s, retweet to encourage more competitors, include #GirlsOwnCC