I've written about the Haldon Hills, a landscape you have probably have never heard of. I love it, and you might enjoy reading about it. deepdownthings.substack.com/p/the-ancien...

Every exit is an entrance somewhere else.

We love a secret doorway. 📷The secret door in the Library at Osterley, London by John Hammond

It’s time

Other work by the Ladybird artists ‘Stopham Bridge in Autumn’ Artist: SR Badmin

They’ve been talking about the Budget for so long I’ve only just realised when it is, having been stuck in a permanent loop of “nearly budget, when is budget?”

Bertie is the very spirit of Christmas chaos

Just had an alert in Outlook asking me if I wanted to send an email during my work hours, on Tuesday 8am. Sir, I don’t start work at 8am, so that wouldn’t be during my work hours. Also, I haven’t finished work for today. I finish at 6 or 6.30. When did Microsoft start deciding my work hours?

they had goth baddies in the 17th century as evidenced by the fact that a woman named Caterine Morte had a skull coat of arms

If, like me, this utter betrayal by Labour is making your blood boil, can I ask you let them know your feelings here www.gov.uk/government/c...

For reasons, I found myself Google-translating the Russian expression “я вас люблю”, but because I couldn’t be bothered to turn on Russian script on my phone, I put in the transliteration, “ya vas lyublyu”. It means “I love you”. Or at least I thought it did.

It is hat hair season and the time of year when I wonder why I bother to comb my fringe at all.

It’s giving

Genuine hotel corridor carpet I saw in France once. I think it contains the souls of former guests.

How delightfully quaint some of these old Devon village names are, their etymologies lost in the mists of time.

Today’s announcement by the Home Secretary marks an unprecedented and damaging departure from the UK’s long tradition of offering people sanctuary and the chance to rebuild their lives.

ok, yep - I defy anyone to work out which is which

To suggest that having lived a life so grim that even an English tribunal will grant you asylum, and to have somehow managed to get here at great risk to life, is a "golden ticket" is absolutely fucking contemptible. Shame on this so-called Labour Party.

I hate portmanteau words but “slopaganda” is magnificent

Quite how this pumpkin manages to capture the November 2025 mood quite so accurately, I’m not sure.

Other work of the Ladybird artists. The Beech Wood Artist: CF Tunnicliffe

“In 2019, researchers at the university also found the secret to protecting your seaside chips from scavenging gulls was to stare at them. The study revealed birds were more likely to steal food when they avoided the gaze of their victims.” www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I’ve suspected this for a while, but the arrival of my new (work) laptop has confirmed that the search function in the newer Desktop version of Outlook is terrible. This explains a lot.

When I’m too busy even to think of what I might cook, this is the speedy storecupboard standby that I can alway rely on to rescue me deliciously: #RecipeOfTheDay is (yes, tinned) Sardine Spaghetti! www.nigella.com/recipes/sard...

Other work of the Ladybird artists. The delicacy and detail here ‘Autumn Wedding’ Artist : SR Badmin

Look up 😍

Carlisle Cathedral's jazz nocturne of a vault.

Please sign the petition below in support of colleagues at Nottingham, where courses in the highly respected Dept of Modern Languages & Cultures have been earmarked for suspension.

I have a range of seasonal hoops available in my Etsy which would make good Christmas gifts or perhaps Christmas ornaments for your home! Includes free UK postage. www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Comm...

"When lamps are lighted in the town" (1968) Artist: A Buchanan

I’ve just seen a narrowboat that looks like it’s entirely crewed by cats, and it’s not even 10am

This really is horrendous news. I did my PhD at Nottingham and the whole school of modern languages was an important and vibrant contributor to arts and humanities. It’s taken a few knocks since then, but this move is beyond shortsighted. Really feel for colleagues there. This has to be fought.

What is your favourite bird? These little sparrows are a detail of a two-fold painted and embroidered screen by Takeuchi Seihō.

Evan Davies on PM there suggesting that AI can replace the need to study Modern Languages 🤯

My favourite niche fact is that the 5th November is the feast day of All Saints of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) which is top trolling 😂 (If you know you know, etc)

Giovanni Cariani Portrait of a Venetian Gentleman, c. 1510/1515 He has attitude. (National Gallery of Art, Washington)

I briefly considered putting “recovering academic” in my bio at one point but I wasn’t an academic for very long (or at all if you consider I didn’t get an academic job) so that one is going for free if anyone wants it 😆

There’s no screening for ovarian cancer and it’s really difficult to spot: you can’t squidge your ovaries in the shower to check for lumps. Also it’s very good at masquerading at other things, like IBS and diverticulitis. Please take a look at this list of symptoms - and share if you can.

This is very interesting (I’ve been anaemic a few times although not recently 🤞) www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Unfortunately a proportion of users faced with the words “Year of Birth” will in fact type in their birthday i words or entire date of birth if allowed to do so :/

Overheard next to Dawlish Warren Golf Course: “I’m in a rabbit hole”

Home through the rain (1969) Artist: John Berry

The synchrony with which I appear to be cooking with tinned foods more (mainly beans) and the decline in the efficacy of my tin opener has made me realise that I’ve probably owned it for about 20 years… maybe time to buy a new one?

My chips, but not my dog

Heavy weather over the Warren House yesterday evening.

Introduced one of my not very online colleagues to the “don’t make me tap the sign” meme earlier, all in a good day’s work.

Among everything else fascinating about the Louvre heist, it's delightful it took place at 9.30am. Most of us, if planning a massive jewel theft, would be setting an alarm for the middle of the night. The French remind us you can have a decent night's sleep and THEN do it.

AWS is down, post hog

Me: hm for a person whose work is very online this AWS outage hasn’t much affected me Also me: receives a phone call from a confused user who can’t see, let alone use, the Donorbox portal on our website

"But soft! What light through yonder window... BRAKES!"