I once bought a pair of extremely fashionable shoes, so fashionable that they were not the same pattern as each other. Arriving at work at 4am the security guard took me to one side and said in a kindly manner: “I know it’s because you’ve dressed in the dark, but you’ve got odd shoes on love.”

We’ve had a spaniel staying whose entire back end wags with her tail. The equivalent for a human would be if we had to violently shake our heads whenever we smiled

Hey Hivemind. Do I want an Instapot multi-cooker? (I asked about multi cookers the other day, now I am specifically wanting to know about insta pot 7-in-1 smart cooker please okay thanks)

Any publicans/hospitality folk who follow me on here... Looking for examples of what you're doing to offset higher costs, including from business rates. Could be "good" things (new events, changing foods offering etc) or obviously bad, like cutting hours/staff. DM me!

The news that the search for MH370 is starting up again prompted me to reread this fascinating article from 2021. Really very readable and respectful discussion of the tragic mystery. A long read but worth it

It’s a year since I last posted on Twitter. I do miss it - I need to follow more lighthearted people on here, I think.

As you’ve brought it up, Alan, I’m officially allowed this shameless plug…

I am really enjoying the universality of parents being annoyed at teens

Not quite dogs playing poker… #cosmicencounter

I am apparently now someone who gasps: “It lives!” when my teenager finally emerges from his bedroom. What happened to me, man, I used to be cool.

We have guests arriving today but I *want* *to* *take* *the* *tree* *down*

It’s a special twixmas #MoneyBox at midday today. I look at the finances of a creative career and hear from the ultimate panto dame - Christopher Biggins. Radio 4, just after the midday news

Not trying to reignite the rowdy discussion on this film but I just want really 2026 to be the year that a gcse student writes in an exam paper that “the pig crashing a sports car into the luxury pool is how Orwell expresses disdain for capitalism’s corrupting influence”.

By the way, the Pluribus finale even better than I had hoped

My 9 year old broke his arm on the last day of term and has essentially got anything he wants out of me since then by looking at his cast and wincing.

Who knew digesting cheese could be so strenuous

Please. My 9 year old’s d&d quest. It is going on so long and has no internal logic.

Just feels a little bit on the nose

The new book on the history of capitalism that I want to treat myself to is £50… this feels… unironic.

Thanks for all the Christmas messages guys. I particularly like the email from Kwikfit telling me my MOT is due…

Fliss Navidad x

Anyway, the big food shop is here and, if some sort of post apocalyptic disaster were to strike, I am pretty sure the UK could just pop round mine and be comfortably fed for 18 months.

There is no episode of Money Box Live today because INEXPLICABLY R4 thought you might want a carol service instead. Imagine!

In my school mums WhatsApp group one of the Muslim mums is helping one of the other mums assemble a last-minute Christmas Eve box and this is the country I am proud to live in and share x

In my school mums WhatsApp group one of the Muslim mums is helping one of the other mums assemble a last-minute Christmas Eve box and this is the country I am proud to live in and share x

The hottest on record SO FAR “2025 likely to be UK's hottest on record, says Met Office” www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

My work colleague asked me to text her when the Christmas meat hampers arrived at work. Turns out I took her number down wrong and I have sent a really ominous text to a stranger

We’re no longer doomed to forget history but to augment it until we can’t tell what’s real and all the conspiracy theorists can pretend the entire atrocity was imaginary too

Facebook serving me so many AI-generated Holocaust victim stories that I may just have to leave. It is the most disrespectful thing I can imagine.

Late to our annual viewing this year

Got my husband Pixies tickets for his birthday because I am an excellent wife. I hope he takes his excellent wife as his plus one!

These were the best books I read this year, if you want a recommendation. Best as in most fun, maybe not most high brow. I love Murderbot as a character

There is no better Christmas food than that occasional perfect satsuma. The one where you can tell from the moment your fingernail cracks the peel that it’s going to be sweet and juicy

“Is this about ****ing Macbeth?” 😂

Hi, I would like a long read on the people who buy this and their personalities

Every time I'm in a restaurant I remember Kevin McAleer's reply to a waiter who told him the Soup Of The Day. "Where there any other contenders?" "Um, no?" "A hollow victory, then".

Every now and then I get flashbacks to a very early career interview I did where I agreed (I know, I know but I was young) to let the subject read the piece before I published. He sent it back, having amended it with flourishes like: “…he added, with a wry smile.” 😂😭🤢

The craziness of China’s population controls across my lifetime

“No look, it’s funny because the elf has drawn a watch on this apple and says he has an Apple Watch! That’s funny… it is… WELL MAYBE IT’S HARD FOR THE ELF TO COME UP WITH NEW JOKES EVERY SINGLE DAY.”

Money Box Life - blended family finance. An important conversations with some fantastic parents and legal experts about how to make money and spending fair when raising a houseful of steps and halves and bonus children. Really lovely, positive podcast

I was so extremely pleased with that episode of Money Box Life (our new name for the shows about big money conversations rather than the more expected mortgages, savings etc topics we cover

Today on Money Box Live (3pm, radio 4) we’re looking at the finances of blended families - sometimes very tricky to manage. Do listen at 3

[ROB ZOMBIE, ABOUT TO WRITE ONE OF THE BEST SONGS EVER MADE] you ever think about the car grandpa munster drives

When does Avatar 3 come out so that everyone in the country can go and see it at the cinema only to never speak of it or reference it again 5 days later?

So many reasons why I love the FT but this kind of article is absolutely one of them

I just smashed my slow cooker ceramic inner 😭 Do I want a multi cooker instead of another slow cooker? Should I be seduced by the Ninja 8-in-1 slow cooker and multi cooker?

Money Box Live tomo is looking at blended family finances. How do you keep things fair when you have step siblings, half siblings, full siblings and other parents paying for stuff too? I want your comments, experiences or questions please - I can just read them out. [email protected]

What a devastating weekend