I thought I'd been delivered the wrong thing. Complained to the big company using clunky complaints system. Realised almost immediately I was wrong but no way to recall complaint. A week later being sent another delivery of same.

This hotel put flip flops rather than slippers in the room. One big size, one small. I (size 4) am sharing with a female friend (size 5). They did change them when we asked though.

Early days but this is in the running for book of the year. Although it reminds me that my art history lecturer, teaching Dutch 17th century art, claimed nobody had vases of cut flowers until the 19th century but couldn't explain what the painters were painting.

I was nearly in the wrong portion of a dividing train yesterday because both parts called at my station 14 minutes apart. I was confused because the calling time wasn't the same as the timetable. Luckily I have a handy train nerd in my contacts who worked it out for me. Nurture your nerds, people!

Me to B&B in Siena - can I use my bank card on the bus? B&B 'You can use the bank card in taxi, best way to get here'. Thanks Pietro, hope your cousin appreciates it.

I've been a member of a professional organisation since 1998. Parts of the profession have disappeared since then and I had to reapply my skills. For a long time I felt the association tried to match the diversity of the profession. Now it seems to be contracting its focus. Time to leave.

Love to receive a mailing list digest where the only message is 'Please remove me from this mailing list'. Immediately above a message including 'To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list ...'

I have met so many Dans, and female Dans, and they always blow my mind

This is good on weight-loss injections and Giles Yeo a sensible interviewee. Pondering a future where extra weight *isn't* stigmatised when it's not causing other health problems. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

For reasons, I just looked up Henri Charriere. 'Papillion' was everywhere when I was growing up. Not advocating Devil's Island-type incarceration, but it looks like he really wasn't a very good person and the book was mostly other people's experience.

European Sleeper looking for 160 euro micro-investments. Which is a hefty ticket tax but if Milan-Paris is running by mid-June that will save me a night in a hotel and a long day's travel.

Very happy to say this is the face of a cat begging for more food and there isn't currently a nearly-full bowl of biscuits available. Switch to Hills sensitive a success.

My favourite Zadawi fact: along with Salt Bae he was once the most famous Kurdish person in Britain. Well 'fact' is a strong word for that.

Early furniture collection - BHF arrived at 7. All expected but because every part of my body wants to be resting then, I'm teetering on the edge of a fatigue crash. If you ever used electricity cards in peak time, that's what just happened to my energy reserves.

I have to contradict Mandelson on this… When I was aged 9-13, I was forced to service/satisfy straight, gay or bi men aged 30-70 from very high positions in society. So him saying that just because he’s gay removes him from being catered for by Epstein, is a lie. His sexuality doesn’t preclude him

Did some more clearing yesterday. As well as the memories there are messages. The complicated desk he ordered and never managed to properly assemble. So much unfinished writing. I have a hard deadline for all this but it's knackering.

First Menenen of the year, people of #EggClub . In Mosaic cafe in Clapton. It's nicely spiced if a bit liquid. Appropriately enough they played 'I am the walrus' while I was waiting.

This was excellent - lots about culture and history and DJ is a great interviewee. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

I never really understood that Meat Loaf song until I tried to introduce my cat to the Royal Canin hypoallergenic renal diet. 'I'll do anything for food, but I won't eat that'.

Connect More is running again in May 2026 and @jisc.bsky.social are looking for submissions from FE and HE practitioners on the theme of "be empowered to transform education through practitioner-led, ethical digital innovation". Deadline is the end of January! www.jisc.ac.uk/forms/submit...

And when you live on the minimum amount that govt says you can live on, any deductions from that by definition cause financial hardship. And none of the media ever publish this reality which so many claimants experience. 20

No new pictures, where are you mentally.

I've done about an hour and have hit a fatigue wall. But honestly people, leaving aside the unknown small bits of plastic, that give me the heebeegeebees, the pen drives and the screws, why do people give people objects? So many objects.

You can tell God has a sense of humor cause it turns out the winner of the Cold War between Russian Communism and American Capitalism is Russian Capitalism.

There's a room in my flat that was Mr S's territory then became completely messed up when he was wandering and I was bedbound. It's going to be my new tenant's sitting room. A friend's coming to move furniture ahead of a BHF collection but there's sorting only I can do. Happening later today.

For me in films and television (worse in the latter) it's where people have conversations without raising their voices in venues where they couldn't possibly do that.

Is it widely known that: even communicating with someone about how to digitally alter a third party's image without their consent for sexual pleasure purposes is a crime in the UK and will give you a lifetime on the SOR?

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... thoroughly recommend this!

I am not the only person who heard the eurostar train manager say 'be careful to take all your belongings to the Brexit, I mean exit'.

Is there anyone nerdy enough to know what I mean if I say 'I was in Brussels Midi Eurostar lounge and didn't have time to visit Harrow on The Heap'?

I'm in a station franchise and they're tuned to a station enjoying an 80s playlist: Howard Jones, ABC and Tears for Fears amongst the treats.

I've been discovering the work of Eugene Jansson while passing through Stockholm. His later work is largely huge studies of male nudes doing gym etc. The official writing in English is all very 'nothing is known of Jansson's private life and it would be wrong to conjecture'. Mate, honestly.

Books about books! This one looks great but I can't agree with @iammilliam.bsky.social that they are always the best .. been given too many that are either basically anthologies or undigested notes from a phd thesis. Love to hear anyone else's favourites though.

Tallinn's Depeche Mode themed bar never seems to be open but it's been open for 20+ years so must be doing something right.

Played English scrabble with Estonians. I was clearly at an advantage but .. the rules! Only infinitive forms of verbs allowed (go but not went), you can reuse value-enhancing squares if you add to a word, and you can't count twice if you make two wordss.

Finished my last book of the year, 61, up on last year's 45. Two five star reads on Storygraph: Ashes to Admin by Evie King (aka @christinamartin.bsky.social ) and You Could Do Something Amazing with your Life (*You are Raoul Moat) by Andrew Hickey. Thanks very much for everyone's suggestions!

As we experience a huge surge of flu cases, a reminder that the widespread usage of masks at the start of the COVID pandemic wiped out a strain of the flu. If you haven’t been masking up lately, now would be a great time to restart.

I don't want to sound heartless, but I'm really impressed that some of these people lasted as long as they did.

If it's the one I just finished, I'm either a carpenter or the caretaker of a seed bank on a sub-antarctic island. If it's what I'm reading now, I'm a Soviet spy in early 1970s London.

If you ever go to Tallinn, do go to Rocco al Mare, the open air museum. It is especially magical in the snow.

Your local librarian here to say that it’s great if you read lots of books this year, alright if you read barely anything, that audiobooks, romance and graphic novels are all valid formats and genres, and that some authors suck but we’re still not stopping you from reading them.

Honestly, Hamburg, it wasn't that bad.

Kudos to this Baltic ferry restaurant. My server cleared a table so I could sit by a window although I'm on my own. Seasonal lights mean you see a lot of the archipelago.

Well there's a thing.

Have to give DB credit. Both my trains on time (as was Eurostar). Night train (run by SJ/EN) left Berlin 1 minute late, but definitely running. Still lots that could go wrong, but looking good. (Incidentally, not worried about tomorrow's ferry, those ladies cross the Baltic in anything)

I was the only person I could see removing a belt to go through security (I put it back on waiting for my cuppa in pret). Does everyone else have trousers that fit?

No fingerprinting for me today at St P. I was through all the queues, even the Pret one, in 20 minutes.

I was reminded today that there's a place in Germany designated Hamm (West). To distinguish it from a Hamm not in Westfalen, presumably.

Boxing Day away at Peterborough is unfortunate. Good luck to everyone who caught the supporters' bus. Could be much further North of course! #ComeOnYouOs

OMG I'm on one of those buses that announces random destinations every few seconds.