Good.

Well @bccamplight.bsky.social was fantastic once again. At @boilershop.bsky.social tonight. Can't get vexed.

Morning.

This week in 1992: A tender caress of a football from Ray Wilkins at Selhurst Park. Marvellous.

Remembrance Sunday in Whitburn.

Arsenal obviously "hadn't played anyone yet". What a performance from Sunderland.

Very impressive. Then the wall to wall ads for betting companies took over.

Match time.

Sunderland v Arsenal this afternoon. Stats from BBC Sport: Sunderland are winless in their last 15 league games against Arsenal (D5 L10), since a 1-0 home victory in November 2009. All three of Arsenal’s Premier League defeats against Sunderland have come away from home, and all by 1-0.

Chemical tanker Schwyz is about to leave Sunderland. It can carry up to 40,000 tonnes of fertiliser. It's been delivering stuff on behalf of PX Farms of East Anglia. Smaller vessels then come in and take the fertiliser to Great Yarmouth. I love the hum of the engines on the tugs.

It was very unSpursy for a few minutes there,before it became very Spursy once again. The earth remains on its axis.

Guess what I'm thinking?

The ECB's next great idea ~ The Kookadred! Don't have nightmares

It's finally official. At last common sense prevails. We don't have to watch "22 men upskilling" any longer - to coin a phrase from @kevinhowells.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricke...

Beautiful morning on the Roker Riviera. High pressure in charge. The river is like glass. So still.

Cover of this month's @wsc.co.uk

An interesting read. news.sky.com/story/the-x-...

we did

This is an interesting documentary about The Sunderland Echo. It was made in 1980. About 10 mins in, look how many people work in the spot the ball team! My aunty was a features writer back then. Readership was circa 250,000! unimagineable now. www.yfanefa.com/record/18830

Sweet mercy. This tremendous volley from veteran Trevor Francis is 37 years old today. Watch yourself, old son. You could put your back out spinning like that…

Old enough to remember when 50 over cricket was England's primary aim. They then won the 2019 WC and chucked the format under a bus for a competition nobody else plays. It's called cause and effect. It hardly needs detectives to work it out.

Can't get vexed. Last night in Majorca.

The Roker Riviera in the spotlight again. On a warm day it matches many places, but I think LA may be stretching things a bit.

Our ancestors celebrated the new year at Hallowe’en, not in January. Samhain marked the moment between light and dark – when the old year died and the new one was born. 🌒 Find out more ⤵️ @eastangliabylines.co.uk @peterthurlow.bsky.social

Astrid looks a bit off colour today. I think there's something going round.

The bigger story is two thirds don't.

Remember: Every railway PA rhyme is a crime

Is this a hoopoe?

I edited my first newspaper when I was 26 in 2014. 11 years on, a lovely surprise to be nominated for the 2025 Editors' Editor Award by The British Society of Magazine Editors for my work at Byline Times. A testament to the entire brilliant team @bylinetimes.bsky.social www.bsme.com/editors-edit...

The NUJ is concerned about plans by Ofcom to approve changes to the BBC’s operating licence covering BBC local radio commitments. The regulator is consulting on changes to the corporation's operating licence, with responses due by 5pm, 12 November www.nuj.org.uk/resource/nuj...

Can't get vexed. Which one should I go for?

We can probably ditch the phrase ‘wherever you get your podcasts’ at this point can’t we? Just trust people to know how podcasts work?

What a win from Sunderland. Second spot! Wowzers.

I need to re-home a dog. It's a small terrier, and tends to bark a lot. If you're interested, let me know and I'll jump over my neighbor's fence and get it for you.

@glennlord.bsky.social see below

Saturday's the day we play the game.

Here you go @leighsus.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... Wrexham!

Me, Kev Hand and the boy Scott Read. And Me and Kev in Spain about nine years ago. Would you buy a used car from this man?

You all know what I'm thinking...

Back home on the Roker Riviera and in bed. Lovely to see so many people today and catch up with everyone. I will sleep well. I was up at 6.30am. Been a long dayyyyyzzzzzz.

Our annual pic. Some of the BBC people who bring you the cricket commentaries every year. It's the Cricket Media Club annual lunch at The Oval.

Cycling at The Oval. 1913. Look at the crowds!

Slightly chillier today than the 35C of July and the Kookaburra bore draw in the heat.

Look, I am warning you. Do not click on an advert for frying pans on Instagram. It doesn't matter how curious you are. It doesn't matter how knackered you current pans are. All you will see for months are ads for pans. They will follow you everywhere. They will never stop.

On the rattler to London. First time this year I have heard mention of "low rail adhesion". Anyway the weather is OK in the NE but I gather it's manky down there. And that's because......

Zak was at Durham this season.

Nine years to the day since Victor Anichebe spoke from the heart. Wonderful words. Just wonderful.

In shock news, Liz Truss's Stilton and Cheddar deal with Japan... actually led to a year on year decrease in Stilton and Cheddar exports to Japan.

We’ve spotted several videos being shared on social media claiming the government is reducing the state pension in April 2026 to 80% of its current value. But there’s no evidence this is true. The ‘triple lock’ means pensions will go up next year.

Edward Phillips posters have produced 'Mileage Chart' - a map taking in over 200 UK and Irish locations mentioned in #HMHB songs, including a key to which album each appear on. Methodical. www.edwardphilips.co.uk/vintage-rail...