important to revisit the words of the Founding Fathers on this day

St Augustine giving advice on posting etiquette

Once again I am doing the Great North Run for @actionfdn.bsky.social, a fine organisation who give essnetial support to refugees and asylum seekers in the North East. Give us your money! ajbellgreatnorthrun2026.enthuse.com/pf/peter-mit...

I am working VERY HARD on this and cannot WAIT to bore you all to absolute DEATH about it.

I detached a load-bearing banana from the bananahanger and bruised my apricots.

If Cleckheaton did not exist, it would be necessary to invent it.

Martin Lewis says put a bucket under an empty light bulb socket at night when electricity's cheap. You can use it during the day.

Charles Darwin just made me nearly cry.

I left my phone charging for too long and the battery filled up with electricity like a balloon and popped the screen right off and let me tell you that is not how I thought electricity worked at ALL.

The Capture Of Christ, by Giulio Cesare Procaccini, 1610s, 📸 by @StephChambers

give it him you cowards

Clement Attlee making a timeless observation in 1934: "No one believes that when Sir Oswald Mosley talks about preserving the right to free speech he is really genuine in the matter. He preserves free speech just as long as it suits him."

Which is your favourite obsolete suburban West Yorkshire bus route? Mine is the 265.

Oh look New book

Landlord Forced To Raise Rent Due To Thinking Of Bigger Number https://theonion.com/landlord-forced-to-raise-rent-due-to-thinking-of-bigger-1850922943/

Morning.

Strangely painful to realise that I think I wanted DR Congo to nick that.

He could strangle a teenager on camera and they would say he “defied a long-held tradition of presidents not doing that”

Morning.

Inspired by Richard Moore-Colyer's defence of Rolf Gardiner, which I think is bested only by the time Daniel Farson wrote a whole book defending Henry Williamson and STILL included a bit where he smashed a kitten to death on his floor.

Exploring my new favourite sub-genre of historical essay, which I call "He was not a Nazi but ok there was that time he threw Ribbentrop a birthday party”.

Morning.

Roland-Garros poster by Gilles Aillaud, 1984

Me: oh I don't judge other parents, we're all just muddling along aren't we, everyone's got their own way, as long long as they're loved I don't Me, spotting a small child Up Too Late and Overtired:

"Britain is broken", of course, really just means "I hate it here", which would be a very funny slogan to run on.

I have a story in Radio 4's new Once Upon a Time series - a week of reimagined fairytales in the Book at Bedtime slot Lineup includes Katherine Rundell, Ben Okri, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, and David Almond (I KNOW!!!) My story "Kakapos" is on 30 June and then on catchup www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

"Charismatic Stokes" ought to have been one of the names on The Mayflower in 1620.

This was a joy to work on! Find out more here: richarddsmyth.com/custom-cross...

Yes, give him your money!

Morning.

I commissioned a puzzle from Richard for my mother's 90th birthday, and it delighted her.

This was a joy to work on! Find out more here: richarddsmyth.com/custom-cross...

WELL THAT WAS HORRIBLE

oh no

They were late arriving this year. Being ecologically conscious means worrying about what might have happened to the sawflies who are usually here by now, fucking up all your roses.

I don't know what I was expecting late June to be like when I signed up to run to Hartlepool but anyway it sure looks like I'm running to Hartlepool.

I have made my house into a pipe and it feels good.

FINALLY THE TRUTH

Research in progress.

ok

It's swelteringly hot and there's a World Cup on, so why not read, enjoy and share my new short story 'USA, ONE-NIL' (it's hot and there's a World Cup in there too). richarddsmyth.com/2026/06/25/s...

It's swelteringly hot and there's a World Cup on, so why not read, enjoy and share my new short story 'USA, ONE-NIL' (it's hot and there's a World Cup in there too). richarddsmyth.com/2026/06/25/s...

As I sit here working quietly and productively in a stiflingly hot office with all the blinds drawn, I realise that I have missed my calling. I should have been a minor colonial administrator in Malaya.

Me hydrating: Haha fuck yeah!!! Yes!! Me needing a wee every five minutes: Well this fucking sucks. What the fuck

the unions are not instruments to do good and bring progress for all mankind. their job is to advocate for their workers. they are not gonna back the guy with the "i think this industry needs to be dismantled" platform. they just wont

stepping out the front door / stepping out the back door

made gazpacho 💃💃💃💃💃

All things considered, I'd rather be in Italy.

Perfect opening sentence to a Ray Bradbury short story.