Full moon lighting up the bathroom last night:

Is there anything quite so embarrassingly awful as this American #WorldCupDraw ?The ‘banter’ is bum-crinkling. Just get in with it!

Thomas I (of Bayeux), first Norman archbishop of York and founder of its Norman cathedral, consecrated Anselm, pictured, as archbishop of Canterbury #OTD in 1093. 📸Bodleian Library #medievalsky

Sometimes I think I should take a leaf out of my grandfather’s book and go a little more jaunty with the Spotlight photo… #actor #theatre #ChistopherFrere

Which of these parts of Labour's progressive 2025 Budget is your favourit part? Or if something else, add in a comment below!

The stained-glass rose window at Lincoln Cathedral dates from about 1325 and is known as the “Bishop’s Eye”, England.

Tom Stoppard, playwright of dazzling wit and playful erudition, dies aged 88

Quiet night in

I’m a past winner of the Orwell Prize & won partly because I exposed Vote Leave’s unlawful activities. Michael Gove was its co-convener & refused to answer a single q. He’s now a judge of the prize & our world is truly one that Orwell would recognise bylinetimes.com/2025/11/25/m...

I am so excited for this! We are going to get very silly and hopefully raise lots of money for excellent causes! Come hang out and help sow even more chaos with our donation incentives

The missus did a podcast: (She’s rather good!) www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC6-...

Is the reason there has been so much speculation and trailing of what might happen in the #budget that, when we actually get to it, we'll be too bloody bored to talk about it anymore?

We're hiring for 2026! 📣 We are looking for people to join our Stage Management team for our hugely anticipated Season 2026, curated by our Artistic Director, Alan Cumming. Full details on our website. 👉 pitlochryft.com/JoinOurTeam 📸 Tommy Ga-Ken Wan

At last! A positive Labour policy

The Ballad of the Quiet Piggy

Meanwhile, on X - Grok is denying the Holocaust... and all our institutions and politicians and media giants just stay there like that's perfectly OK. What does it take to get people to leave that horror show??? Seriously.

“This change in what people eat is fuelled by powerful global corporations who generate huge profits by prioritising ultra-processed products, supported by extensive marketing and political lobbying to stop effective public health policies to support healthy eating.”

Excellent interview given by @hughfw.bsky.social on @bbcr4 today programme about Ultra Processed Foods - yes, we should be legislating not just telling people what they should eat!

What a game! #ScovDen Congratulations Scotland 👏👏👏

"The cat scratched my groin when he saw that woman from Strictly" "Claudia Winkleman?" "No, man, but it was close"

Great piece by Zadie Smith. When the right talks about classics or "Western" culture, these works are only important to the extent that it demonstrates their superiority, they have no interest in art in and of itself beyond that www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

An essential precondition for authoritarianism is the neutering of sources of real news.

The fact that the BBC has made serious culpable errors does not negate the point that there is a real and concerted right-wing media campaign to destroy it. Both points can be true at the same time and the campaign would not end even if the errors did.

Last week she wanted her own bench in the sun, now she wants her own radiator Yami the #cat #KeepingWarm

open.substack.com/pub/dandiamo... Here’s a great example of how the social media industry is wired to prefer colourful false information over the mundane truth

🤣

Only a celebrity could get that upset about winning 😭😢🥹! #AlanCarr #CelebrityTraitors

Blood donation (10 down) …gotta keep those vampires fed. #SaveALife #GiveBlood

It’s over 😁

New Oxfam data shows that the rich account for a huge proportion of total CO2 emissions, with 10% causing half of global warming. Their emissions are even rising. The high costs of the energy transition should also be paid for out of their assets. oxfamilibrary.openrepository.com/bitstream/ha...

Another day, another Viking #YorkshireMuseum

Looks like the science community has found a home. academic.oup.com/icb/article-...

Reform MP Sarah Pochin not in the chamber today for #PMQs it must be because seeing our faces makes her mad…

Lovely illuminations for the #EchosOfYorkshire display in #MuseumGardens #York last night. I’m not sure the soundscape quite matches the beautifully curated projections but a pleasant experience nonetheless.

I love going back to London where I used to live. Every time I go back I see something new…. This is now #TottenhamCourtRd tube station!

I think what we’ve learned from #CelebrityTraitors is just how bad they are at catching the Celebrity traitors.

UK big four banks on course to pocket annual profits of more than £45bn. Bank branches vanishing. Profits from high charges, low interest rates on savings, scandals, speculation. Govt must levy windfall taxes on banks.

Why can I remember no Labour politician making this point, this well? Everybody except the Greens seems to think the best way to fight Reform is to agree with Farage about everything. This, right here, is brilliant. And genuinely patriotic. And so, so true.

I think #CeliaImrie just confirmed her status as a National Treasure with that most brilliantly timed fart. #CelebrityTraitors

The Spectator (owned by GBNews owner Paul Marshall - estimated wealth of £800 million) doesn’t like taxing wealth fairly. I wonder how they got to this editorial decision? Let’s tax wealth fairly, fund front line services & make hope normal again. join.greenparty.org.uk

My mum died 10 yrs ago this month. I kept and repotted her much loved Hibiscus plant and it always wears these fantastic pink blooms around this time of year, reminding me of her.

Zack Polanski’s response to the Manchester terror attack has been a masterclass in mature statesmanship. Soulful, human, eloquent, empathetic, nuanced, confident and focused on healing. And bold. It has shone in contrast to so much weaponising or ill thought through commentary. Thank you Zack. 💪

Anyone with any shred of decency should leave:

Bolsanaro, Sarkozy… come on Johnson I’ve got you in an accumulator.

When institutions struggle, freelancers carry the weight. Organisations are facing daunting financial pressures. But the impact on the workforce is even more overwhelming. Read our full newsletter here: mailchi.mp/freelancersm... #FreelancersMakeTheatreWork

Torn between being delighted that (after only 3 yrs) we’ve grown a decent crop of grapes and being disturbed that climate change means it’s now easy to do that in North Yorkshire… Anyway, not enough for wine, but some nice juice!

Do you have old videos, mini DVs, Hi 8 tapes, DVDs that you can no longer play and would like converting to a format you can watch on your computer, youtube, etc? The Taped Crusader can rescue them! thetapedcrusader.co.uk

And the prize for the prettiest tomato must go to these Indigo Blueberries: #Allotments #Homegrown #Tomato

A Labour government that does not fight back against the far right, racism and extremism fundamentally misunderstands the nature of its electoral support.

oh, This. My plot saved my life, I think. Or my sanity anyway. And not just in Covid Lockdowns. I wish I could have kept mine, but to do so it would have had to be smaller and nearby. Get one if you can.🌱 #allotments www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...