Held By Trees channeling the creative legacy of the late, great Mark Hollis in Manchester last night. @heldbytrees.bsky.social

Paint me like your French foxes

Hope endures.

Highland cattle in Heaton Park, enjoying the break between Oasis concerts two fields down.

A remarkably chilled garden visitor. I was sat on my garden chair reading a book when it (she?) wandered over and lay down. #foxoftheday @chrisgpackham.bsky.social

A curious garden visitor

Really enjoyed @robinince.bsky.social at Salford Lowry last night. Haven’t started his new book yet, but I already feel confident in recommending it without hesitation.

By taking public ownership off the table from the start, the government’s "largest review of the water sector since privatisation" is just moving deck chairs on the Titanic. Privatisation is not a problem - it is THE problem. Sign my letter to Sir Jon Cunliffe: actionnetwork.org/petitions/si...

Penguin Cafe at the excellent Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal. Just the one song masked, though.

My favourite Manchester blue plaque, to be found on, yes, Balloon Street. The journey reached about seven miles, and it doesn’t mention the fact that Sadler was accompanied by a cat. I imagine the film being narrated by Oliver Postgate

Low tide at Half Moon Bay, Heysham

Rochdale’s recently reopened Town Hall. Originally completed in 1871 at four times its original estimate, the mayor explained “We cannot have beauty without paying for it.”

This week’s book buys. My 2025 plan to rein in the rate of book purchasing and bring it in line with the rate of books read is getting off to a shaky start.

Alter Ego by Marion Adnams Currently on display at the Surrealist Landscapes exhibition at the @hepworthwakefield.bsky.social

A man watches a Magritte. Surrealist Landscapes exhibition at the Hepworth in Wakefield

JG Ballard The Unlimited Dream Company Cover illustration by James Marsh

Today I went to Colwyn Bay to see a great exhibition drawn from the personal collection of the beloved Python Terry Jones, at @orielcolwyn.bsky.social until the end of next week. The modest admission fee goes towards the fund to put a statue of Jones on the promenade of his home town.

Low winter sun in N Wales - Snowdonia / Eryri to the left, Anglesey and Menai Strait to the right.

David Lynch, Visionary Director of ‘Twin Peaks’ and ‘Blue Velvet,’ Dies at 78 variety.com/2025/film/ne...

Good luck to AI in trying to accurately replicate real life.

Watched Rear Window on the big screen at the wonderful Stockport Plaza last night. Genius director, a script crackling with tension and wit, and the world’s most elegant beauty shinning up the fire escape in a catwalk dress to solve a murder.

Today’s walk around the ‘hood. Chilly but calming.

And again, how am I supposed to turn down a new year’s honour if I don’t get offered one? Most frustrating.

A chilly day on Morecambe prom. Wrap up well.

Park walk

‘Tis the season to celebrate the three kings.

We’re at the stage now where the musicians who ignited my love of music back in the late 1970s are approaching their seventies. And yet somehow, despite decades of bad behaviour and unwise volume, they all sound as good as ever. Questions need to asked of medical science. #thedamned #skids #punkrock

Inverted backstreet

Today is the day...

Recent years have been quite the journey, so it’s good to finally get another vinyl album out. Inca Babies - Ghost Mechanic Nine

A winter trip to Colwyn Bay now being planned.

One of the skeletons from Jason and the Argonauts. A holy relic on display at the Ray Harryhausen exhibition at Sale Waterside.

a Dr wept as they talked of Covid and avoidable deaths if government had not been so criminally incompetent. Unlike health secretary, he didnt get cash for going on a TV reality show, unlike ex PM he isn’t on front of daily mail with a highly paid column www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024...

The statue on the top of Ship Canal House on King Street, Manchester, as seen from the Gotham Hotel.

Lenticular cloud over Northumberland

I’m thoroughly out of the loop where comics are concerned so wasn’t aware of @neilhimself.neilgaiman.com’s Dead Boy Detectives, but the Netflix series is tremendous fun. A lovingly produced ghost train ride done at roller coaster speed. More please.

Impressive cloud work in Whitby

Knife Angel sculpture, a sobering sight currently in Bury town centre.

If we abolished the monarchy then at the very least we wouldn’t have our news clogged up with stupid photos or have to waste any time finding out what the order of the thistle is. We, and they, could do something more productive with this otherwise squandered time.

My favourite book of the year is Bibliomaniac by @robinince.bsky.social A joyful celebration of reading, knowledge, travel and beautiful bookshops. Thoroughly inspiring.

Late afternoon moonrise in Morecambe Bay.

Amid the chaos and commerce of the modern Christmas, let’s take a moment to reflect on the birth of the man who brought joy and meaning to so much of the world.

A twilight walk under a gently apocalyptic sky

RIP John Byrne, whose art was as stylish and characterful as the man himself

RIP Geordie Walker, inspirational guitarist in the mighty Killing Joke, whose music has soundtracked my adult life.

How nice that Jeremy Hunt found all that money. If only we had an impending general election and catastrophic wipeout looming more often.

The brilliant spy novelist Mick Herron giving an occasionally indistinct talk in the impressive but acoustically challenging Todmorden Town Hall.