At a crossroads. Or maybe a flyover.

George is actually innocent of any wrongdoing this time - at least. Isn’t that clear? #TheArchers

Jump back on that horse! #TheArchers

Daffs are blooming in Sefton Park.

When bankers refused to roll over Venezuela’s debt after Castro seized power in 1899, he had them put in shackles and paraded through Caracas. The next day, they agreed to finance his government. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/27/w...

Bob ponders. What does #Caturday really mean?

I breakfasted off a whisky and soda and some biscuits.

The Communist Party of Great Britain had more members than ‘Your Party’ at its peak. So no.. it’s not. It remains to be seen whether Zarah and Jezza can shrink the Tankie vote faster.

“Call that a fucking cake” www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The muddy Mersey taken from Grassendale Esplanade. The main river path was taken up with lots of kids on their new wheels and lots of very good dogs. And sun.

I jumped in the first chapter when Melanie encountered the cat in the tree at night. Such a wonderful book. Such a wonderful writer.

And Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, ate the plums that were in the icebox and which you were probably saving for breakfast Forgive him they were delicious so sweet and so cold

You will be visited by three spirits

Works on so many levels for me! The chap that didn’t read the instructions on the luxury Waitrose goose fat roast potatoes ‘defrost overnight’. Bless. open.spotify.com/track/0tDQIi...

Putin: the man trying to kill Christmas www.nytimes.com/2025/12/25/w...

Ireland’s minister for matrimony! Mind you, given the success of the minister for housing divorce rates would soar with the appointment.

I see it’s the time of year for an all the Korean kimchi is from China story. Yet again. Next up, Korean ginseng comes from China too. Will the Guardian beat the NYT? Still until you’ve been treated to a seemingly endless meal of six varieties of the ‘fermented vegetable dish’…

‘For Sinclair and the more clubbable Lippmann, “mankind will not consent to be lied to indefinitely,” while for others in the period, T.S. Eliot for instance, “humankind cannot bear very much reality.”’ Andrew O’Hagan on Walter Lippmann’s commitment to facts. www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

vicesimo quarto die Decembris, Minimus stellam invenit. (On the 24th of December, Minimus finds a star.) #latinadventcalendar

Unfortunately, Mr Bonaparte was holidaying in Egypt at the time and his baggage was unaccountably delayed on the his return. So no.

Just as well I am not an elite young footballer. After a week on the mince pies, chocs and booze I have already failed (or should it be passed?) the Pep ‘fatty’ test. And there’s there’s the main event still to come.

I am older than Tony’s tractor. I demand to lead the parade. #TheArchers

#TheArchers so excited by Tractor Parade.

Having been christened in the Church in Wales - and a less than dutiful member since that day in Llandderfel many, many years ago - I am now feeling inspired! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Because wind farms kill birds? www.nytimes.com/2025/12/22/c...

More homespun wisdom from Joy. Praying she gets run over in the tractor parade. #TheArchers

The big stores slashing all the veg to 15p etc. A loss leader to entice you in to buy other things. Made it “quite” hard to take our greengrocer bus out. We can’t compete. We pay our employees the Real Living Wage tho. We donated our overstock to Ian Byrne MP & his football fans support crew today.

Arsenal fans - no class. 👏kudos to Everton. To hear it again on Saturday from Arsenal fans housed in Hill Dickinson Stadium’s north-east corner was no surprise. www.nytimes.com/athletic/690...

I must say ‘Gay Ambridge’ sounds like hell on earth. Mind you, so’s straight Ambridge. #TheArchers

Joy must die. #TheArchers Said like a fool indeed.

It’s about as Hungarian as me… I suppose the detective is having an affair, which at least plays into the stereotype. Not enough swearing, for starters, and they could have done with someone to do the names with a more Magyar vim. Still the hero is called Bertalan. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

www.theguardian.com/film/2025/de... It was also by far the best film. Vastly superior to One Battle after another.

Bob’s wee pink beans say happy #Caturday

Best average points over three seasons. Last spotted holding a trophy five years ago. www.nytimes.com/athletic/689...

You think you’ve got it bad? The number one movie from when you were 10 will define your 2026.

Oh no. Angst in Ambridge. Everyone is newly single! Draw a tombola in village shop, top prize is Chris. 💪 #TheArchers

🚨 BREAKING: Terrorism arrests soar by 660% after everything reclassified as terrorism. news.sky.com/story/terror...

The NYT subs desk has been taken over by 1) The New York Post, 2) Aliens, or 3) AI. Some other people employed at the Kennedy Center were bummed by the news but resigned to the fact that the place was basically already the Trump center in everything but name anyhow. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/u...

They could play one of the Carabao Cup legs in Yemen while their owners square off and kill and starve millions. #NUFC #MCFC

Degsy still looking smart after all these years. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

It’s really well done. So satisfying on so many levels. Does make me wonder if people are now hanging round the fish counter in M&S. www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

Am bingeing on these. Just wonderful. I suppose the BBC has to make money somehow these days, but it’s a shame they’re not on Sounds. open.spotify.com/show/46E24C7...

Wow, sounds lovely...

The creatures outside looked from bear to man, and from man to bear, and from bear to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which. Photo by Jan Janssen of Romanian new year bear dancers, winner in LensCulture awards juror category.

Why is my NYT @nytimes.com feed full of this shit? It’s every 5 paras now and it’s really disrupting reading and the story narrative. Some are inevitable, I accept that in this era, but… And no I don’t want targeted ads either.

2001 Leeds supertram approved 2005 Leeds supertram cancelled 2012 Leeds trolleybus approved 2016 Leeds trolleybus cancelled 2024 Plans for 2 tram routes by early 2030s 2025 Plans delayed until late 2030s Meanwhile, we all struggle with a congested, polluted city. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Every time you buy from Amazon you’re funding this. Boycott Amazon. youtu.be/dxXJAqOU00g

www.theguardian.com/film/2025/de... DVD for Christmas