Hadleigh Castle

Americans and Ukrainians with flags gathered on the bridge leading to Mar-a-Lago to show support for Ukraine.

I need my contracts negotiated by whoever managed to get Mindy a song in every episode of #EmilyInParis

Presence of elderly relatives means I’m watching a lot of ‘A Place in the Sun’ type property shows and it’s amazing observing the repressed hatred of the presenter towards the house seekers.

Adored it. But I do feel that if an odd-smelling, lonely, middle-aged teacher offers to spend Christmas with you and take you on a trip, it’s unlikely to be as charming and life affirming as this. Also, don’t believe him if he tells you he loves you.

Got family to watch The Holdovers. Largely positive response aside from my 88-year-old aunt who leans over every five minutes or so and says in an increasingly anguished tone “Bethany, is there much more of this?”

Lidl manager. I'm not happy unless the customer looks panicked and starts to cry a bit trying to keep up with you.

As an insight into the peculiarly British snobbery associated with supermarkets, my cousin - who works on the tills at Waitrose - just told me that her supervisor told her off for putting the items through too fast because “this is not *Lidl*, Tracy, and our customers prefer a leisurely experience”.

hold on mate one second yeah I'll ring you back some sleepytime hat wearing old bastard is shouting at me from a window

Gotta be honest, this Ghost of Christmas Past has spent a lot more time complaining about women having the right to vote than I was anticipating

Talking has broken out in the family ranks, meaning that my resounding victory in #universitychallenge is being ignored.

This evening I spoke to BBC Radio Ulster about the latest with the Ukraine peace plan. From 9.55 in www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

The In and Out Club.

Someone is getting poetic at Piccadilly Circus tube

This morning I spoke to BBC Radio Ulster about attacks on Odesa and the latest with the peace negotiations. From 46 mins in www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

I see there are some comments on here about Amol Rajan being a little harsh but let’s remember that there were times when Jeremy Paxman looked like he genuinely wanted to harm students who got it wrong. #universitychallenge

what

He's making a list, He's nailing it high, Indulgences, No longer apply, Martin Luther's coming to town

I’ve been to A LOT of Christmas parties this week and, whilst very grateful to be invited, am now quite tired and all I can think of is the line about “worn out by gala luncheons”. youtu.be/rQDeU6dHX-c?...

Worst part of Christmas in London is singing chimney sweeps on every corner buff.ly/nWKlgYI

I do understand why kids believe in Santa, given that the only alternative option is ‘pointless global conspiracy’.

The fuck is a jingle horse

My thoughts on Putin’s end of year press conference. For @unherd.com unherd.com/newsroom/put...

Over 2.6 million questions were reportedly submitted to Putin for his annual press conference today. But one was clearly answered: Russia has no intention of backing out of Crimea | Bethany Elliott

On Monocle Radio’s The Big Interview — on the war in Ukraine, repression in Russia, the future of Putin’s dictatorship, and how to ensure a successful democratic transition after it.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and a duck that does crimes

What idiot called that little narc Elf on the Shelf and not Police Navidad?

”Hi-yes-me-again-back-for-another-coffee-itis”

The long German word for the inexplicable yet deeply felt embarrassment associated with repeatedly seeing the same person in a short period of time.

“Oh that’s plenty of chicken nuggets, thank you, Mr McCartney…school - I mean, work - is fine, thank you, Mr McCartne….oh, that‘s very kind, thank you *Chris*”.

I wrote this, inspired by visiting a friend, chatting to her husband as he cooked dinner and realising I was having the exact same kind of stilted, formal conversation with a man in a polo shirt that I used to as a child with my schoolfriends’ fathers. www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/lifesty...

Remember it’s a special time of year when we all need to be kind to each other. So be generous to your other half when you conduct their end of year relationship performance review.

Woman on the tube just ate a banana using a spoon and then looked about her person and belongings, clearly exasperated, for somewhere to store her used cutlery. If only we could invent a way of eating a banana without a spoon.

Five more phrases for when annoyed with someone: 5. You’re filling up my bag (Brazilian Portuguese) 4. You’re turning me into the big goat (Mexican Spanish) 3. You’re making my bees rise (French) 2. You’re breaking my chestnuts (Italian) 1. You’re prying open the lid of the slap-crate (Hungarian)

“Lynn, these are sex people!!” ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ at @princecharlescinema.com

I’ve had to ask Mum to fetch the piece of paper with all the Christmas card addresses. It looks like the execution hitlist out of Kill Bill, the number of dead people she’s crossed off it.

not the kind of behavior I expect from the winner of the fifa peace prize

Tonight I spoke with BBC Radio Five Live about the latest on the Ukraine negotiations. From 2 hrs and 45 mins in. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Having to make myself a certificate because reasons. Which is giving strong “never mind if they didn’t invite you to the party, we’ll make one ourselves at home” teenage vibes.

stole all my neighbour's patio furniture during the purge and now he's just gotta stand there and watch me enjoy it for a whole year

Over the weekend, Volodymyr Zelensky dropped the demand that Ukraine be allowed to join Nato. The door was never open in the first place | Bethany Elliott unherd.com/2025/12/zele...

Zelensky abandoning hopes of joining NATO is not a real concession and he knows it. So do Trump and Putin. Me for @unherd.com unherd.com/newsroom/zel...

Oxford. Not unpleasant.

Party update update: I’m stuck talking to a PhD student who’s using the word ‘Metaphysical’ in ways I’m sure it was never intended to be used.

Party update: A woman has started drinking from my drink and it’s become that Douglas Adams biscuit anecdote where I’m drinking from that glass to show her it’s mine and she keeps drinking from it.

The Holland Park peacock is back, by popular demand.

Michael Palin on No Such Thing As a Fish is a total delight podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/n...

Off to a Christmas party. Mum advised me to get there at the start, lest they all become friends without me. It’s drinks in Croydon, not the start of the academic year.