No Avanti West Coast Euston- Glasgow trains going N of Preston tonight, for some unexplained reason, yet no mention of disruption on Network Rail site.

University (sic) of Oklahoma's management decide it's more important to pander to religious nutters (who set up this controversy) than to defend academic standards, so they throw their academic employee under the bus. Disgraceful, but in Trump's US, unsurprising. www.comicsands.com/university-o...

So- Gullis has defected to Reform. That’ll bring some much needed intellectual heft to the party, I’m sure.

Been instructed to get the Xmas decorations out of the attic. My complaint that it’s not even December yet hasn’t been accepted.

Have gone slightly mad (encouraged by Mrs H) and made significant investments in mid priced claret and other delights at D Byrne and Co. (Clitheroe). Always a pleasure to browse their extensive stock and talk to the phenomenally well informed staff.

Hopefully, off to find some more of this at Byrne’s of Clitheroe. Or an equivalent.

Have had an attack of gout for the last few days, a likely side effect of one of my heart meds. It’s practically crippled me for walking and I’ve not dared to try and ride. Hoping it’ll recede soon.

From the tone of this paper, I'm not the only person fed up with people ignoring previous work in the literature, although in this case, it also sounds as if the work being criticised is also poorly-performed: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Mrs H's cousin's lad Ben, who was running for Scotland in the Senior race.

And this was the park at dusk after the racing. Lovely evening.

First two U23 runners in yesterday’s Liverpool Cross Challenge race, approaching the end of the first of two laps in Sefton Park. After a dreich morning it was a decent afternoon.

Too cold for this thin-blooded old git today, so did the Col de la Madone on Zwift's climbing portal. 5th of the 11 people who had done it today; I'll take that, given my current state. www.strava.com/activities/1...

Had a super little 50 km ride today; sun was shining, the light was beautiful, but it was damn cold in that NE wind. www.strava.com/activities/1...

Fed up with Farage? Me too. I’ve signed the Never Nigel Pledge. Add your name today, and help show that division and hate have no place in our communities. secure.hopenothate.org.uk/page/170649/... @hopenothate.org.uk

It seems LNW’s Euston-based services are still entirely the old and more comfy class 350’s, whereas the Liverpool-Birmingham trains are now entirely austere and harsh new class 730’s. It’s unusual to find new stock on Northern services. Why, in this case, I wonder?

The only thing to do when the weather is this horrible is bake; Scottish batch loaves from J Morton’s bread book.

I never understood why @royalsociety.org elected this delusional Fascist techbro in the first place, but I’d have hoped that deliberately inciting UK civil war might just persuade them to kick him out.

Reading a Byline Times article about the US buildup off Venezuela and was interested by the statement that the Naval forces include 'the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier, which is equipped with B52 bombers'. I think launching and recovering B52's from an aircraft carrier would be... challenging.

I’m watching a man wield a chainsaw halfway up a tree in the garden opposite. He has no gloves, hard hat or anything, and is not secured in any way . The guy holding the ladder below has all the safety gear!

More remarkable molecules from Harry Anderson and collaborators in Science- this time, fused porphyrin nano belts. www.science.org/doi/full/10....

Why Trump's so-called 'gold standard science' is actually another attack on science: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Reading an otherwise interesting paper on coordination chemistry of heavy Group 15 element ligands and having an old git moment (mainly on behalf of my old PhD supervisor): why do some authors seem to believe that science started around 2005? No citations of relevant older literature.

Got my first ever antiviral prescription today- aciclovir. Shingles has affected my left eye. I'm not sure how I acquired shingles, but it can get in the bin; I feel lousy. I've felt as if I was on the verge of a cold for the last ten days; now I suppose I know why.

Storm Amy blew over the tomato plants. So far we’ve made green tomato soup and four jars of tomato chutney. Any ideas for the remaining crop??!

Today, we’ve made green tomato soup and used 2 kg of green tomatoes to make chutney, and this is what’s left. Storm Amy blew over the plants.

Peter’s made it to Paris, after an unscheduled day off in Auxerre to avoid Storm Amy.

And finally, today, she’s free of both cage and the subsequent plaster. Thank goodness.

Seems fair comment. If Reform ever get into power here, we’d be faced with exactly the same level of Governmental competence and ethics in the UK.

Son has reached Bourge on his way to Paris. This suburb he found amusing for some reason.

A reminder about tomorrow's #CircleTheCity. Leaving from Victoria Square at 6 PM. All welcome, very much including relatively inexperienced cyclists who want to try out a low key group ride. It'll probably be dark by the time we finish, so bring lights!

This is the fifth successive apple crumble I have made with the cooking apples from our tree, after filling 8 3 litre Kilner jars with stewed apples too. And there are still loads of eating apples as well.

Quote from Andy Bennett, the guy who supervises my weight training, advertising his services on FB: 'The best time to start strength training is 20 years ago'. He's right, there, although hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Interesting article on the Royal Navy's new fitness test. It all sounds eminently sensible. www.independent.co.uk/health-and-f...

So what's the general standard of driving in Seoul? It doesn't sound like a good place for cycling if this quote is anything to go by. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

First ride on one of London Northwestern’s Class 730s from Birmingham New Street to Liverpool. Ride quality is rough on any jointed track, seats are a bit harsh. Unit broke down at Winsford w faulty door interlock. So all in all, not a great experience!

Son is on his way home from Lisbon. By bicycle. Here’s a little owl he saw at last night’s halt.

I didn’t buy this because of the name, honestly. It’s delicious. From the soon-to-be-lamented Wine Time (the proprietor is retiring).

Just buried the Guinea pig. The ground at my daughter’s was like iron and I only managed an 18 inch deep hole. I don’t think I would make a very successful murderer.

I’ve been left in charge of Grandson’s last remaining Guinea pig and 2 rabbits while they’re away on holiday. Sadly the elderly Guinea pig has died, so I now have to conduct a pet funeral!

Was pleased to find that I can still cope with my weights session in spite of the AF. Just sometimes needs a bit more recovery.❤️‍🩹

It's repulsive seeing the US military roll out the red carpet for that Fascist warmongering narcissist on the tarmac in Alaska. And Putin's not a very nice man, either.

A circular molecule made up of just 48 carbons has been stabilised using macrocycles. This has allowed this kind of normally fleeting carbon allotrope to be bottled and investigated www.chemistryworld.com/news/ring-of...

If the Strava records of rides I’ve done appear somewhat less challenging from now on, it’s because I have gone back into atrial fibrillation, 2.5 years after my ablation. It was too good to last, I guess.

People who use mobile phones on speaker on trains ought to be put in stocks at the next station.

A consequence of publish or perish pressures; some people will be unscrupulous. And I suspect that AI will only make this worse. www.science.org/content/arti...

Strava keep nagging me to upgrade to a paid subscription. I don't know; Mrs H has already been quoting Half Man Half Biscuit lyrics.

I'm reading what will probably (well, almost certainly) be the last PhD thesis I will ever examine as an External. I'm now so used to being retired that I feel like a reluctant schoolboy with homework: 'Can't I go and play out on my bike yet?' Doing it as a favour for a friend.

Interested in coming and studying for a PhD with us? We have an opportunity in the Social and Solidarity Economy strand of the @justcentre.bsky.social We also have TWO post-doc positions which will be advertised in the next few weeks, so stay tuned. www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

This surprisingly relaxing footage is from SIX MILES under the ocean – and it’s the deepest ecosystem yet discovered

Lots of things to do today (one of this days when I wonder if I'm really retired), so missed out on a ride outdoors- decided to try the Tour de France's Hautacam climb on Zwift's climb portal. There's only 4 more days to get these done, incidentally. www.strava.com/activities/1...