Today's answer to What is Hookland?

Andy Kershaw popped in to chat with me at Waterways World some years ago – he was thinking of buying a narrowboat and wanted some advice. (Plus one of his all-time favourite record shops, Henry's Records, was just up the road.) An absolute delight in person. www.theguardian.com/media/2026/a...

WECA have a #BetterBuses survey running at the moment haveyoursaywest.co.uk/betterbuses/...

Apologies for slow updates. I have business in London this weekend and last night should have been seeing my daughter for the first time in months. There's been rail chaos in the UK and a 3 hour journey has turned into a 19 hour journey, with me finally on another train but sat on the floor.

For my money there’s nothing funnier than Londo calling his assistant a “moon faced assassin of joy”.

Planned a one hour contingency on a one hour bus journey Bath-Bristol and the contraflow in Saltford burnt through most of it. Sort of missing the 339 bus, withdrawn years ago, as it offered an alternative route.

Oh piss off with your spitebait.

Rob Clayton has taken these brilliant shots of the new liftbridge and it’s looking absolutely stunning. The last photo shows the view as you approach along Tamworth Road. You can already tell this is going to become a real local landmark. #Lichfield #WeDigCanals #UKCanals

“An army marches on its stomach” The photos in here are grim:

The work, which starts on 26th May, will see part of the road rebuilt because the structure beneath it has deteriorated. www.bathecho.co.uk/news/communi...

Wildings, Newport.

The lesson here is going to be don't put your bosses-targeted marketing where the workers can see it

As with yesterday’s lurid BBC allegations about people falsely claiming to be gay, the problem isn’t whether possible fraud ought to be investigated but the complete paucity of evidence that this is a major issue, in comparison to the up-to-11 volume given to it by our national broadcaster 8/

The Genomic Code: the genome instantiates a generative model of the organism www.cell.com/trends/genet... - really delighted to see this in print in @cp-trendsgenetics.bsky.social! 😊

📱 Another 'Brexit dividend' - cost of data for EU residents visiting UK. UK is now 'rest of world' like Oz or Brazil. My 5Gb for €4 now depleted I'm on to 6p a Mb. But x 1024 = €61 a Gb 😳😳 (Activates eSim).

Any politician involved in allowing a company to put up giant ad boards in a public park should be fired by voters at the earliest possible opportunity. www.londoncentric.media/p/parkun-lon...

close friends, france, 15th century

Eek. That is a LOT of jobs. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

#OnThisDay 125 years ago Sir Edward Watkin died. Watkin (L) was chairman of the Great Central, South Eastern and Metropolitan Railways amongst other pursuits; Victorian railway royalty. The chap on the right? My great-grandfather and namesake Joseph Brown... and Watkin's butler.

NGC 4548 - From Judy Schmidt (geckzilla.bsky.social) - https://flic.kr/p/2k6dBnv

Our Sunday electric bike test event has a handful of free tickets available, using the code CEFREE Looking for an electric bike, cargo bike, or trike to help with your mobility? Want to try loads on one world-class track? Sign up here & don't forget to bring a helmet! tinyurl.com/EbikedemoLon...

These are not the droids you are looking for. Oh, hang on, they are. *Puts Kickstarter kettle on.*

Heritage At Risk: Church Gresley, Derbyshire manufacturing base of Cornish Ware (blue and white stripes) now the last bottle kiln group outside The Potteries. [Picture credit motionlessmike at Derelict Places] ..

A big ongoing development in UK EU relations is Labour MPs now understanding the importance of freedom of movement. Replacing the cakeist Customs Union calls with this shows a real evolution in thinking to respond to what Brussels is saying. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

that you can simply pull out your phone at any time and place a bet is unacceptably low friction for such a dangerous activity

From @theathleticfc.bsky.social: New Jersey Transit is currently planning to charge more than $100 for return rail tickets from Penn Station to MetLife Stadium for FIFA World Cup games. The 18-mile rail journey ordinarily costs $12.90 for a return ticket. nyti.ms/4tRnBV8

Praise be. New seating delivered to Bath bus station. It's awaiting installation, stacked in a bus bay, looking as it sits there like some sort of skeletal austerity bus. Photo please, someone.

On 25 April, the choir of St Mary Magdalen Oxford (including me) will be singing and livestreaming the complete choral music of Thomas Tallis in 12 hours, culminating in his stunning, 40-part motet "Spem in Alium". Here's a little taster: "If Ye Love Me", plus a rare window into the Mags wardrobe.

This weekend's online talk on Alan Garner sold out. But now you can book again, because it got bigger! But, time is running out. Links below if you want to come

Yes.

#np #clannad RIP Máire Brennan This afternoon’s listening. So many favourite Clannad songs: Caislean Óir, Northern Skyline, Scarlet Inside, Rí Na Cruinne, Sirius, Almost Seems, Something To Believe In, etc. What a voice.

Trump will continue to decompensate through escalation unless he is removed from office or otherwise externally contained. The escalation will occur on domestic and international fronts, and his failures on each front will serve as feedback loops for one another. He won’t stop: he must BE stopped.

This is the next big scandal and it is going to get much worse as we approach the summer Did you know you're not entitled to any compensation if you miss a flight because you're stuck in a security queue? The airline is not responsible and neither is the airport, so you lose your money

Incoming Hungarian PM Péter Magyar calls for the UK to rejoin the European Union: "I remember when I was a diplomat in Brussels... We were able to influence decisions. At the time, the Brits were also part of the EU. Let's hope they will rejoin."

So then let’s get this thread started! Matthew Goodwin is speaking in Budapest at 17:00 CEST this evening, at this event hosted by MCC: mcc.hu/en/event/202... And I’m signed up to go. Updates in this thread The tag is: #BadLossBudapest

🇫🇷 Lille, twin city of my UK home Leeds. But 2 underground & 2 tram lines, 100+ stops. Surprisingly; - the driverless underground trains are a rubber tyred 'bus'. - the tram is a train, more of an EMU through streets, with open level crossings. But all better than Leeds' diesel buses.

Eid; The sadness of Afghan women, confined, divided, isolated open.substack.com/pub/moskaafg...

‘The 20th century is ancient history to young people.’ The V&A hopes its new branch in east London will get younger, more diverse audiences through the door – but that’s much easier said than done, writes @helenbarrett.bsky.social

Four from the North Devon coast path this week. Erodium from the dunes, a combination of gorse, sea campion and sweet violet from the cliffs, thrift from the shingle and wood sorrel as my contribution to #WoodlandPlants. #WildflowerHour @bsbibotany.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

Barnes common, London

A great moment to remember why Scruton's FT column came to an abrupt end.

Went for a walk and a pint and spotted the best example of free will I've ever seen

Sliding barn doors can enhance accessibility and are a great alternative to standard doors for many mobility users.

JD Vance is America’s Liz Truss. She killed the Queen. He killed the Pope and now, metaphorically, Viktor Orbán.

i don't think that'll make the result any more precise, but sure

🛌 Nightjet 420 sleeper Innsbruck-Amsterdam. I've just started this 1,000km trip in plush new carriages of Austria's OBB. I'm on a 1st class interrail, this is a €120 supplement. My compartment has toilet & shower. Hoping for single occupancy... 🗺️ Follow route: www.polarsteps.com/ChristopherO...

One night before the elections the great people of Hungary are on the streets, rejecting the malicious influence coming from Russia, Serbia and certain people from the USA. The crowds are huge across the country. They can write history tomorrow.

I keep banging this drum, but European research budgets just can't make up for the shortfall of NIH and NSF grants falling through. It's enormous.