In the past month 3 transport routes have collapsed - but they aren't roads so don't make national news. All 3 have the same root causes, climate change, and Tory austerity passing responsibility for critical infrastructure on to charities and councils. This will happen more, and people will be hurt

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025... Guardian story also covers our unique Risk Index which takes a look at all of the risks to our 5000 mile network. We found that almost everywhere was at risk of flooding, and that seems to be part of the problem with this latest canal breach.

I've been in a pretty bad financial hole this winter for reasons beyond my control. I'm prepping for road season and desperately wishing it to start. I'd never normally do this but if you've enjoyed my work this year, a tip would be a massive help ko-fi.com/jezcox

An afternoon watching CycleCross, with a St Bernardus Christmas, 75cl of bb 2017 & 33cl 2028. 2017 stood up very well, not sure I did ;-)

Seasons greetings to all out there.... Enjoy.

Impressive delivery time on an order of Jura wines from Vinatis www.vinatis.co.uk France to London in 6 days, from order to delivery. 9 bottles £7.50 shipping cost. Brought for a BBC Club wine tasting.

A group of cyclists with 2 Penny Farthings certainly turns heads on the streets of London. Tweed Run Marshalls on tour....

Saturday afternoon refreshments.. SN from 2022 & 2012. Both very drinkable, St B Sour better than I thought it would be. 2 bottles left.

Architectural review in @theobserveruk.bsky.social observer.co.uk/culture/arch...

Congratulations to @brendadacres.bsky.social who has been nominated for membership of the House of Lords. Well deserved. I'm sure Lord Kennedy will take her under his wing.

St Bernardus quiz… who knew? 12 December, online. https://sintbernardus.be/en/stbernardus-allround-quiz-en

I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture. They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1

When at Brussels Midi.... Cantillion.

One for Thomas, gentle pedal around the Citadelpark then off to the Botanical Gardens, www.gum.gent/en/ghent-bot...

15 minute bike ride back to another old favourite in NW Gent, Café Congé with it's interesting beer list.

They don't really do heating at Café Oude Drie Leien so next stop was Cafe Grand in Drongen centre, they love their Christmas lights. Some might say OTT but Sinterklaas has come.

Best made plans to watch cyclo-cross & Gent 6 on TV in local cafe, closed permanently. Headed out to one of my fav local cafes, Café Oude Drie Leien on the river. Owner very happy to see me again. WiFi just good enough to watch races on my mobile, great effort by Cameron Mason.

Sunday was a celebration of Sinterklaas in Belgium, came across parade in Gent suburb of Drongen. Interesting to read about traditional, including controversial blacking up. I note that there was some subtle blacking of helpers in photo. www.discoveringbelgium.com/sinterklaas/ Weather not good.

Swift pedal thru town to the always excellent Trappistenhuis. Very quiet. 2 bottles of Chouffe came with pretty unimpressive hat.

Café Folklore, pretty close to the Castle of the Counts, Gravensteen. Only open limited weekends as owners are not getting any younger. Busy, buzzy and friendly. Heard our 'Jupiler pop' for the first time. Loads of locals there for a big card game. Thanks to @pisci.bsky.social for recommendation

What to do on a cold Saturday morning in Gent.. go swimming in the impressive Art Deco pool. visit.gent.be/en/see-do/va...

This is what you missed @bonsvoeux1.bsky.social Gent 6 half time entertainment.

You pop into a small brown cafe in Bruges and who do you find.... Perhaps not a coincidence;-)

Lovely day for a bike ride, Gent to Bruges, 40+km mainly along canals. Stopped for refreshments in de Brug, Sint Joris.

Winter weather in Gent today, rain, sleet and snow. Today visited a wool shop (!!), Le Bal Infernal - used book café & the ultra touristic Dulle Griet with it's shoe deposit for their 1.2l beer glass. The latter does have a huge beer list.

Found a thrift store here in Gent, right by a university campus. Pretty good selection of Belgium beer glasses at €1 or less. Very disciplined and only brought 1. There were Ypres glasses but so brittle that unlikely to survive the trip home.

Back in Gent, local beer in a local cafe followed by a selection of delicacies in nearby friterie.

Interesting article about @greenjennyjones.bsky.social in the current @iwa-uk.bsky.social magazine. Amazed that one of her highlights wasn't when I joined her on the boat exploring Deptford Creek. A unique experience indeed.

Looks like 2 sessions of the annual #Gent6 cycling event will be available to watch on TV, other sessions only if you have a BE Pickx subscription. I’ll hopefully be watching Sundays coverage in a comfortable cafe in Drongen just outside Gent. https://cycling.pickx.be/fr/

Gent.... I'm off to Gent on Wednesday for our annual Gent 6 trip. Any recommendations as to not obvious places to visit welcome. Doesn't have to have a great beer list but different. Have been going for decades so know it well but always worth asking others.

@iaindale.bsky.social the lady was speaking about her family allowance being stopped because she went to NY.

Found a handy place to moor.... Almost right outside a decent pub in Uxbridge, The General Elliot. Saves cooking tonight.

Lots of questions to the board at @shepherdneame.bsky.social AGM, some critical. Perhaps too many as long Q&A is eating into tasting time and some groans from sections of the audience show this.

This is good news! A well maintained, accessible network which preserves the important heritage of our canal system benefits all. The Cotswold Canal trust shares the same goal as IWA in creating a navigable network. Investment is needed. #inlandwaterways #ukcanals www.bbc.com/news/article...

7 months old Orval @ Dovetail for a pre Ronnie Scotts evening of jazz....

🚨Breaking News! Britain’s 5,000 miles of canals are at breaking point www.theguardian.com/environment/... 🌧️ Floods in winter. 💧 Drought in summer. 💸 Years of underfunding. If nothing is done we will lose part of our living heritage, and vital blue-green lifelines for wildlife & communities.

Well it's Greene King London Glory, and it's free as a promo for their app, and it's just up the road. @Brockley Jack SE4

Entertaining afternoon tasting 2 Omer Brut Nature, 2020 & 2022.

Excellent evenings entertainment at London Palladium watching Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. Americana at its best.

The church opposite our accommodation in Jerez was looking at us ...

First time in 20+ years I didn't go cycling in Belgium last week. Trip to the Sherry Triangle with my lovely wife instead. Bodegas Osborne & Fundador visited & Sherry drunk. Sunshine & 28C+ what's not to like.

Excellent mornings entertainment thanks to @nedboulting.bsky.social for organizing this unique hill climb in Ladywell, deepest SE London. Here is @nutty.bsky.social ably supported by @lauralaker.bsky.social shouting encouragement. Supported by @lewisham.gov.uk

Entertaining afternoon at the @lewisham.gov.uk organised Silver Sunday Cabaret, held at Rivoli Ballroom in SE4

Last nights impressive Speedway rider at the under21's Speedway of Nations event, Mario Hausl, might like to review his hat selection for a global TV audience.

Regents Park Open Air theatre, an amazing location to watch @richardhawley.bsky.social. A truly impressive performance too.

3rd bar, the very nice Barley Twist...seems pork pies are a speciality, brought 1 pork & hock (??) & a Pork & Chorizo scotch egg for later. Micro bar close to the station with TV screen showing train departures.

2nd pub, Vat & Fiddle. Castle Rock brewery tap room. Perhaps not the best time to visit as Notts Forest are at home.

Very positive, but realistic, @iwa-uk.bsky.social annual meeting in Nottingham, attended by over 100, online and in person. Acknowledged that IWA, like UK navigation authorities, have been too blasé and need to change.

In Nottingham for the @iwa-uk.bsky.social AGM. Some decent refreshment stops around the station, Brew Tavern right on the steps of the station. Decent Chick Pea curry too.

Lovely afternoon out on the Slough Arm. Fridge running on Solar, don't tell the Donald.