It’s the Gail Sale! 50% OFF Christmas cards & wrap 20% OFF unframed prints Use code GAILSALE Ends 18 January 2026 www.gailmyerscough.co.uk

Happy birthday to Ivor The Engine, the little Welsh railway engine from the Merioneth and Llantisilly Rail Traction Company, who first appeared on our screens today in 1959. Toot-toot! #onthisday #otd #wales

In today’s print Observer, just in time for a leisurely post-Xmas read 👇

Christmas books 📚 😊

Check out this spectacular @catherinegogerty.bsky.social original that my awesome wife got me for Christmas 🔥

Merry Christmas everyone, especially my #Playschool Babies. Be kind, considerate and compassionate as the festive season continues. Spread joy everywhere you go and remember the best gift you can give is unconditional love ❤️🎄❤️

We tried our own nativity… but let’s just say the dogs had other ideas Merry Christmas from everyone at Evesham Greyhound & Lurcher Rescue 🎄🐾 Thank you so much to all our supporters, adopters, fosters and volunteers — we truly couldn’t do this without you. Wishing you a very happy, healthy 2026 💖

Got the best socks

Festive treat.

Merry Christmas VT (from the Secret Story of the BBC Christmas Tapes, tx 23rd December 2018)

This is excellent 🙏

A brilliant watch

49 years since The Signalman was broadcast.

I was just at the gym watching a The Wire s2 episode, and came back to this awful news. Ransone was incredible in that season — so believable as the screw-up determined to live down to everyone's low opinion of him. And great in almost everything else I saw him do. RIP.

For the eternal optimists it’s the first day of summer tomorrow 🥳🌳

A perfect Christmas song, with just the right amount of necessary melancholy. youtu.be/38qTSUBmGM0?...

'tis the season for watching The Muppet Christmas Carol and noticing the extras in the top right running out of room in the forced perspective set as they try to exit

Everyone get blue first on Connections this morning?

My @theguardian.com review of ‘Pulse’ by Cynan Jones @grantabooks.bsky.social. www.theguardian.com/books/2025/d...

New on the blog today, Part One of my BOOKS OF THE YEAR, 2025 - favourites from a year of reading. Featuring books by Edith Wharton, Barbara Pym, Caroline Blackwood, Vivian Gornick and more! #BookSky 💙📚 #BooksOfTheYear #Books #BOTY jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2025/12/16/m...

It wasn't just a great run of films; they were the best of their kind. Rob Reiner directed the best comedy, the best fantasy adventure, the best two Stephen King adaptations, the best rom-com. Utterly devastating news.

A Midsummer Night's Dream (13th December 1981). Titania (Helen Mirren) falls for the charms of Bottom (Brian Glover).

Turns out a lot of Robin Ince's books are in the sale here, if anyone wants to support him cosmicshambles.myshopify.com/search?q=rob...

Babe, come over, I’ve slithered inside a He-Man duvet cover and I’ve torn a hole in it and I’m performing Not I in its entirety for my cats. They don’t like it babe, no one does, but come over

Tom Drury! Tobias Wolff! ZZ Packer! Wells Tower! Publish some more books you lazy American bastards.

We’re doing Shakespeare again - big gang of local teenagers + The Winter’s Tale. Pretty much sold out, should be lots of fun, wish us luck!

Sad news about Daniel Woodrell, writer of the excellent Winter's Bone, The Maid's Version and Tomato Red. I chaired him in Dublin in 2012 and he said his first four books "just disappeared" but he was determined to keep at it (and we got those brilliant later books). RIP variety.com/2025/film/ne...

I thought Laura Carreira’s On Falling was very good and possibly a good film to watch in the build up to Christmas (but not cos it is happy)

November’s reading 📚 #BookSky💙

Happy birthday @backlisted.bsky.social Love Yourself by Justin Bieber was number 1 when you were born. Here’s to many more 💙

Perfect Sunday morning vibes #NowPlaying #JazzSky

Buzzard beakniks

#NowReading this is a mighty collection of tales

If your mansion tax needs paying just hire….Rentaghost

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy in their first proper team up, DUCK SOUP (no relation). They play, ahem, gentlemen of leisure on the run from the forest service, which is attempting to press the homeless into fighting fires. The basic plot was later remade in their talkie ANOTHER FINE MESS.

oh good god. Best singer does best carol. <collapses> www.youtube.com/watch?v=6V5Z...

Danes being taunted with "deep fry your lego, we're gonna deep fry your lego" 🤌🤌🤌

It honestly really just started as a bit of fun, but I really am proud of Looks Unfamiliar and what it's become, and particularly the absolutely brilliant guests that I've managed to get for it. There's a new one along soon so why not catch up on the rest here... timworthington.org/looksunfamil...

Tomorrow is November 18th, everyone — will we make it out?

Just been reminded of the Crackerjack team attempting XTC’s Making Plans For Nigel, which I’m sure Andy Partridge would agree is the the definitive version youtu.be/n5LrRlR2Epo?...

Congratulations to @newlands.bsky.social for this deserved recognition. Tom was on our Writing Chance programme for working-class writers in 2024, and we are very proud for him.

How does this sound? (reposts appreciated) #xtclisteningparty

Spooky advent calendars still very much for sale... featuring many faves of TV, film and literature. Free Christmas at Borley card with every calendar. Lots of prints and cards also available. Reposts much appreciated. Thanks folks. sarahcoomershop.etsy.com/listing/1801...

𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗡𝗢𝗪 in full on all streaming platforms: Tortoise- 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 Listen to it today LINK: linktr.ee/intlanthem 🦂✨

Pick up some aural gold from the @rocketrecordings.bsky.social web shop sale, including our 2024 release "Norther" rocketrecordings.com/products/nor... We highly recommend: MARLENE RIBEIRO "Toquei no Sol" HOLY SCUM "All We Have Is Never" RÚN "Rún" SMOTE "Clyppan" rocketrecordings.com

November 16th I know it's a Sunday. It's no bloody excuse! One week from now get off your bum and down to The Kitchen Garden Cafe in Birmingham. www.kitchengardencafe.co.uk/event/gwenif...

The Fall are good at opening tracks. Right from Frightened. Cyber Insekt is a great opener.