I hate to disappoint, but…

On a chilly night, a (former) Hampshire boy’s attempt at Lancashire hotpot. To be served with red cabbage and apple, and Brussels sprouts.

Sometimes one needs a little cheering up… but then something pops up and does the trick. So let me share this utter delight: Petula Clark - now 93, for heaven’s sake - singing her glorious Downton. In German. Our measureless thanks go to @stephenfarrow.bsky.social for posting it. Wunderschön!

The Daily Mail has been relentlessly attacking the BBC over the editing of Trump quotes in a documentary and look: It completely fabricated a quote from a BBC presenter. Robinson should sue them for, ooh, at least $2 billion dollars as it’s worse than what they accused the BBC of.

The photos are a delight; the captions, delicious.

Aged 7, Helga boarded a train and fled Nuremberg with her father Max and her 6-year-old brother Hans. They came to London where she grew to love cats. About fifteen years after marrying my father, she fell in love with cookery too. To this day I use her wooden spoons. On Nov 15 2011, she died. RIP

For reasons inexplicable, I’d never seen a frame or read a word about this. Fascinating.

Terrible news: Rachel Cooke has died. She was 56. When I was lucky enough to commission her at The Observer, I wanted her to write everything. She was seriously witty and crystalline in her argument when being serious, which she was on a dazzling range of topics. observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

Shocked to hear of the death of Rachel Cooke at 56 — I didn’t even know she was ill. I always enjoyed reading her reviews and features: she brightened any page of the paper.

If you listen to music you probably know Fanfare for the Common Man, arguably the greatest hit of Aaron Copland. But since it’s his 125th birthday, why not listen to Quiet City, his haunting, achingly beautiful 8-minute marvel for trumpet, cor anglais and strings? m.youtube.com/watch?v=SvRK...

Ooh, @bigthink.com this exchange between @joscha.bsky.social and Jeffrey Epstein is so eugenics-smeared. Contemplating using climate change and involuntary euthanasia of infirm and elderly to cull the population… I think I’m going to be ill. From HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_026413

THREAD. A collection of photographs of excellent sheep I have met on walks. You will find the captions to each photo in the alt text.

The Hunger Games – on stage: was I hungry for more? And then Nuremberg, the film about the trial of Goering with Rami Malek? And new TV drama series Wild Cherry, starring Eve Best? The marvellous Viv Groskop, Tom Sutcliffe and me on BBC Sounds or listen to this podcast. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

The remarkable story we discussed this morning. (No paywall but do consider subscribing.) www.thenewworld.co.uk/james-ball-e...

Number crunching: Increase in accidental prisoner releases From the new Private Eye, out now.

As I was saying way back in May, the idea of Morgan McSweeney being some kind of political and tactical genius has always been a myth www.adambienkov.co.uk/p/the-foundi...

I’ve seen it! Review coming on Front Row, BBC Radio 4 - Thursday 7.15pm - with Viv Groskop and ringmaster @tds153.bsky.social.

Listen to Knowsley MP @anneliesemidgleymp.bsky.social’s very funny question about Robbie Gibb in the House of Commons today 😆

“We acknowledge we fell short…” In the running for understatement of the year. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

This is driving me nuts. I feel sure that there’s a musical theatre lyric that references Rumpelmayer’s. How else would this Brit know the name, only much later finding out about the soda parlo(u)r? What is it? I’m hoping @bcdreyer.social may know. This request is brought to you by Ray Cherchez.

Boris Johnson says the idea that criticism of the BBC is being organised by the right is ‘complete and utter bollocks’, which makes me think there might be something in it.

Fascinated to see Nuremberg – history of the trials told as psychological thriller – which I’m reviewing on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row with the excellent Viv Groskop and @tds153.bsky.social. Also under our beady eyes, The Hunger Games on stage and new BBC drama Wild Cherry. Thurs 7.15pm. Tune in!

SUPERB and angrily unvarnished response, by former BBC chairman, Lord Patten. "I don't think that we should allow ourselves to be bullied into thinking that the BBC is only any good, if it reflects the prejudice of the last person who shouted at it." ~AA

I’m looking to speak to #actors who have camped while touring with a production to save money on digs. Is that you? And are you up for sharing your experiences for a feature? Get in touch: [email protected] #journorequest

The Telegraph routinely spreads myths about a range of subjects - especially climate change. It has been forced to publish over 100 corrections this year so far. Yet it has the gall to lecture the BBC - and whip up a national panic - about journalistic standards

Many carols, no lessons! With luscious music by Sweelinck and Sally Beamish thru to Santa Baby, I’m instructing you to start having yourself A Merry Little Christmas with The Elysian Singers. We sell out so BOOK NOW. 18 Dec 7.30pm St Giles-in-the-Fields London W1 www.tickettailor.com/events/theel...

Post-rehearsal. #nofilter #reasonstolovelondon

Post-rehearsal. #nofilter #reasonstolovelondon

There’s at least one piece of unexpected good news today. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/u...

Maybe Keir should demand the heads of major US news networks any time they imply Britain is on the brink of civil war or that we live under sharia law. Or does it not work both ways?

It’s annoying enough to be begged to complete surveys with clumsily formulated questions about your “experience”. It’s several notches worse when they e-mail again noting you failed to respond/didn’t do your homework. Dear Royal Academy, I bought 3 sodding packets of Christmas cards. Shut TF up.

Hands up who knew Claude Rains, who starred in Gaslight, Casablanca, Notorious, Now Voyager, 3 other Bette Davis pictures (among umpteen others) was born in Clapham in 1889, one of 12 children only 3 of whom survived, and taught John Gielgud and Charles Laughton at RADA? Happy Birthday, Claude.

Could we have a BBC DG again who has made a programme, please?

Another very pertinent fact that I have not seen mentioned ANYWHERE: In 14 years of Tory rule we had 14 Prisons Ministers - six in a single year, at one point - and a total of 11 Justice Secretaries, including Grayling, Raab, and Truss. In 13 years of Labour it was three: Irvine, Falconer, Straw. 🤔

I try my level best.

pre-writing a devastating obituary for your enemy is god-tier hating of a kind you don’t often see anymore. renaissance haterism. beautiful stuff.

Thrilled to have been amid 100+ singers, 83 players, children’s choir & knock-out soloists for a sold-out performance of Britten’s stunning War Requiem at Southwark Cathedral preceded by a procession by the British Legion and the sounding of The Last Post on the eve of Armistice Day. Unforgettable.

The past, as LP Hartley observed and this choreography proves, is a foreign country; they do things differently there. From Saturday night TV very, very long ago. Times, mercifully, have changed. Ensure your jaw is nowhere near a hard surface. youtu.be/euh6sI_lW1s

One of my favourite pop facts is that the oboe on Tanita's stupendous Twist in My Sobriety was played by Malcolm Messiter, whose dad Ian invented Just a Minute. #totp

Wonderfully clear-eyed, well-argued and convincing response to an entire production. Bravo @markvalencia.bsky.social

The technical term for this 70s knitwear advert is “in flagrante”.

Happy birthday to the foolishly overlooked Joel McCrea who put “dishy” in the dictionary and starred in two of the very finest romantic comedies: The Palm Beach Story in which he loves Claudette Colbert while fending off Mary Astor, and The More The Merrier where he (rightly) adores Jean Arthur.

Things to do at lunchtime: go to Temple Church to hear the great Jonathan Aasgaard - lead cellist of John Wilson’s Sinfonia of London - and Libby Burgess play Schumann, Rebecca Clarke, Prokofiev and Debussy’s astonishing cello sonata. What a piece… and what playing. #reasonstolovelondon

Joyce Grenfell, for god's sake.

Hallowe'en special up now. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, with guests Andrew Male and Laura Varnam in conversation with Una McCormack and Andy Miller. 🌬️🎃🧟 @andrewmale.bsky.social @drlauravarnam.bsky.social @unamccormack.bsky.social @iammilliam.bsky.social open.spotify.com/episode/0Zde...

Arriving home from the dentist (the pain was in my bank account) and cheered by Autumn colours. #reasontolovelondon #shardenfreude

A movie you’ve seen more than seven times - with a gif

Arriving home from the dentist (the pain was in my bank account) and cheered by Autumn colours. #reasontolovelondon #shardenfreude

Meantime, back at word salad…

And in less-than-surprise news…