Notts County, New England Patriots, Milwaukee Brewers, Nottinghamshire Cricket, Scotland Rugby and Football, Music, Film, TV, Art, Books, Maps, Architecture, Modernism, Public Transport etc. Born in Lincoln, Raised in Notts, Live in Suffolk, Work in London
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It’s wild that Britten’s ‘Ceremony of Carols’ was essentially the product of boredom; when returning to England in 1942 the only book he could find when the ship docked in Halifax, Nova Scotia was a book of medieval carols, so he spent the Atlantic crossing setting them to music
I think it’s had it’s day.
The contemporary experience of waiting for your coffee while watching the barista make orders for mobile-order ghost people who are not present and will not arrive before your coffee eventually gets made, behind the ghosts.
No clear answers on whether mommy disappeared entirely behind hands during game of peekaboo Mommy's face was not visible from behind hands, and experts say they can't be sure
Dick Taverne, who was my MP when I was born, served under Wilson, and was deselected by Lincoln CLP in 1972 for his pro EEC views, is still alive and only retired from the Lords this year at 96.
Where did she get the money from?
She’s not as popular as she thinks she is and probably never has been.
“The f…ing Nazi Party. Illinois Nazis. I hate Illinois Nazis.”
His father and his uncle were literally assassinated... by people with guns... in the 1960s.
She’d be a dreadful choice. Another titled human rights lawyer from North London - the far right would lay into her on flags, the far left on her refusal to say whether or not she believed Israel had the right to cut off electricity and water to Gaza. She’d be a free gift to Farage and Polanski.
All of my friends blame me for their satnav problems, whether or not it’s a map I’ve worked on.
I’m not standing for public office. But if you want to perceive me as a cartographer who has spent most of his career working in digital mapping for large tech companies after a short spell in local government, then fine. It’s accurate and relevant.
Because that’s how the public will perceive her and how the opposition will present her. The optics of making her deputy leader would be appalling.
Nigel Farage’s view is that scrutiny is for other people, not for him. He says his tax return is “nobody’s business” but his, which I don’t think is compatible with running to be prime minister in the 21st century. news.sky.com/video/its-no...
Absolutely stunned and shocked to read that Boris Johnson may not have been entirely clear about some of his arrangements since leaving office.
She would be a gift to Farage. Another titled human rights lawyer from North London (I know it’s her husband’s title, but it would be thrown at her daily). The daft England flags tweet alone is enough reason why appointing her would be a disaster.
Nobody with half a brain looks at that dreadful mess and feels a swell of pride in their heart. It's ugly, horribly tacky, and goes against just about everything that England used to pride itself to be. Also convinced that most people hate it so the councils & politicians leaving it up are cowards
u can’t even take candy from a baby any more. because of woke
Though the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah National Parks are in Virginia, not West Virginia.
Today was the 100th anniversary of the birth of Peter Sellers. Here is his wonderful parody of Olivier’s Richard III, with the lyrics of the Beatles. Enjoy! youtu.be/zLEMncv140s
Barrow? 1970
The second coming of @slowdiveofficial.bsky.social is another example. The quality of their recent output is superb. Everything is Alive possibly their best album. Clearly enjoying themselves on stage too. Lots of parents and offspring together - New Order/Cure like - in the crowd at recent shows.
A positive event
Hardly a surprise. They’ll back Connolly.
Starmer and NEC don’t pick the candidates. No-one from the far left will get the 60 nominations required, but Phillips, Nandy or Creasy could.
Nandy or Phillips then?
It’s not about the media. A huge number of people do not engage with the traditional media at all. They watch YouTube and streamers. Their news comes from TikTok and X.
Whilst you refuse to accept the scientific consensus that both biological sex and gender are spectra rather than strict binaries, because this does not align with your personal prejudices.
BREAKING: In Chicago, Illinois—U.S. citizens protesting ICE were dragged into vans by masked federal agents with no badges and no warrants. People screamed: “Who are you? Where are you taking them?” This is authoritarian control in real time.
We saw him on play solo a couple of years ago. Very good. Long set with no support act. Came on at 7.30, and had played Rattlesnakes in the first 10 minutes. Then took delight in telling the people who arrived at 8 that they’d missed the big hit.
Everyone standing up during that final over and not having a clue what was going on. Easily the worst view I have ever had at a sporting event.
“Folks” are getting their news on X and TikTok. Legacy media is largely irrelevant.
Though whilst it’s part of the VP’s oath, it isn’t included in the President’s
Co-led with Egypt the humanitarian and reconstruction track toward a two-state solution, encouraging engagement with the PA—not Hamas—in peacebuilding. Actively called for roads, border crossings, and delivery routes to remain open, and facilitated air-bridge aid routes via Jordan to reach Gaza.
In July 2025, the government unveiled a £60 million humanitarian package to expand healthcare, food and water provision, notably treating tens of thousands via UK-Med field hospitals, and bolstering UNRWA’s services for over 2 million people.
In May 2025, added a further £4 million allocated via the British Red Cross (working with Palestinian Red Crescent Society), expanding food, medicine, and healthcare access.
Announced a £17 million package in January 2025 to deliver healthcare, food, shelter, and infrastructure—including £2 million via the World Bank for critical water and energy restoration. This expanded aid included support for UK-Med field hospitals in Gaza
Committed £129 million in total this financial year for the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs), including £41 million for UNRWA to continue vital refugee services.
Announced recognition of a Palestinian state, intending to formalize it at the UN General Assembly. Reinstated funding to UNRWA including initial £21 million—helping provide food, shelter, and essential services to Palestinian refugees across Gaza and the West Bank.
You can campaign against genocide without supporting a proscribed group. Labour government suspended approximately 30 arms export licences to Israel in September 2024, where there was a clear risk that the equipment might be used in contravention of international law.
He can appoint a temporary - and in my opinion he should - but he cannot avoid an election altogether. Whoever he appoints (possibly Mahmood - though she is already a significant target for the far left) would have a degree of incumbency advantage.
Because in this she is stupidly, naively, wrong.
How the f… does she think Starmer can “stop the genocide”?
“Shout out to”??? There’s little worse than a crowd trying to clap along to Mogwai.
Graham Linehan’s arrest isn’t about a ‘joke’ – it’s about incitement to violence against trans people in an already hostile climate By Philippa East @yorkshirebylines.co.uk
The President of the United States is threatening to go to war with an American city. This is not a joke. This is not normal. Donald Trump isn't a strongman, he's a scared man. Illinois won’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator.
He would need 60 MP’s to nominate him to get on the ballot. He’ll be lucky to get a quarter of that.
Nobody cares what Polanski says. Least of all Farage.
First time Notts have beaten Fleetwood in a League game. They’ve now beaten every other team in the 92 - a record only shared by Port Vale and Bradford City.
Andrea Jenkyns sings "God Save the Queen" at the Reform UK conference. We haven't had a queen in almost three years. Phoney patriots.
I like his honesty. He’s really growing on me.
Will Chicago fight back?
Truly sickening. Fascism in plain sight.
💯 certain she will be a Reform candidate at the next election.
Evil bastard.
Can we convince you to continue your campaign against those who seek to get out of paying stamp duty, @thesun.co.uk? How about you, @telegraphnews.bsky.social? Surely, you're outraged about this, @dailymail.co.uk? Anyone?
Yeah; America was so damned woke in Vietnam...
The UK walked into it with Brexit. America has walked twice into it with Trump, twice. We said what would happen. We were told it was "Project Fear" or "Fake News". We were right.
He learnt from Bannon/Trump years ago. Far-right is on the march here, right now. Growing up, you were told to believe it could never happen here, but now, if polls are to believed, Farage is a certainty for Downing Street. We will "sleepwalk" into it and then wake up in total shock and horror.
Tired: "Impeach the mother fucker already!" We tried that — we tried it twice — and it didn't work. Wired: "Is that mother fucker alive?" New ITMFA shirts available now at savage.love/shop! #ITMFA
Farage tells Reform conference: “We refuse to have our children’s minds poisoned with a twisted interpretation of history.” What I suspect he really means is that he wants children to get taught a bunch of self-affirming lies about the past aka fake history and that's really very dangerous indeed.
There’s really not.
Get NEC to scrap the position and rubber stamp at conference. We don’t need a divisive and pointless scrap.
Odds on Shabana Mahmood now 9/2. 7/1 was ridiculously generous.
DPM and Deputy Leader are two different positions. No way the membership votes for Streeting. Very unlikely he moves from Health.
Nothing to see here. Move along.
Anyone who is considering voting Reform is either a) racist or b) feels so completely let down by the system that they’re willing to smash it up. They don’t seriously expect Reform to make things any better. It’s the same toxic mix that gave us Brexit and has given the US Trump, twice.
Sharing this mainly as a reminder to me to read it over the weekend.
What on earth has possessed people to believe that Reform’s motley collection of our most abysmal, prejudiced and corrupt politicians - all with a proven track record of epic and piss-taking failure would be a remotely credible government? Seriously people… and media… you’ve lost your goddam minds.
Reform is transforming into the the Conservative Party that voters booted out in 2024 for its corruption, incompetence and malice. “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss,” as The Who sang in “Won’t get fooled again”. Does Reform think we’re stupid? Of course it does. #Dorries
His son, Liam, played cricket professionally for a season before becoming a professional rugby player. His grandson, James, is also a professional rugby player and a current member of the Welsh national team
"It's gone straight into the confectionery stall and out again."
Just for a second, take a step back, and remember that these are the actions of a 56 year old man towards a 17 year old girl.
when rand paul is the voice of reason, things are mighty fucked
This is great, but also sent me down a mental rabbit hole of trying to work out when and where the Flintstones might be set even though this is a question that makes literally no sense
Farage is a piece of shit, a pretty large one at that
Nigel Farage is claiming to Congress that the UK gov deliberately withheld details of the Southport attacker from the public. This is dangerous and it’s false. The attacker was under 18, and so a court had to give express permission to release his name in exceptional circumstances, which it did.
Sadly, having finally got rid of Therese Coffey and gained a first class Labour MP, I fear it will be a direct fight with Reform next time round. We will need tactical voting once again.
The next election will be won by centrists or fascists. You may not like the choice, but they are the only options and one is infinitely worse than the other.
The populist left sounding a lot like the populist right.
Exactly the sort of naive nonsense that Polanski’s spouting. Not a serious politician.
If the terms of his bail included prohibiting him from posting on X and then he posted on X, then what he posted was largely irrelevant. He knowingly breached his bail terms and was therefore liable to be arrested.
“The Attorney General’s Office said it did not comment on legal advice provided to other ministers…[however ] if Richard Hermer, the attorney general, had raised serious concerns it would be unlikely the flights would continue.”
“The Ministry of Defence…indicated that it was conducting unarmed surveillance flights over Gaza for the purpose of locating hostages and that it controls what information is passed to Israeli authorities….”
Like I say, I didn’t expect to find myself agreeing with Foster, some one I have total contempt for.
Does causing £7m of damage to military (not commercial) aircraft meet the threshold for terrorism? Plus the aircraft concerned were not connected to the Gaza conflict, negating Polanski’s attempt to justify the attack.
The idea that if the security services have intelligence then it would automatically have been leaked is utterly naive.
Never thought I’d find myself agreeing with Arlene Foster, but this is embarrassing stuff from Polanski.
No; he’s weak. A privately educated, ex Lib Dem, career politician ensconced in one of London’s fastest gentrifying boroughs for a party that represents that demographic pretty much exclusively. He doesn’t have the broad appeal the Greens need to succeed outside a small number of university towns.
In picking a leader who has so many objections to solar farms that, essentially, none would ever get built, the Green Party has shown it is no longer an environmental party, but just a Corbyn tribute act.
Reform will top the poll. I hope I’m wrong.
I think Reform will win the Senedd election. That should be a massive wake up moment.
There’s a future generation of women who are going to be cleared of murdering their parents through the defence that they were named Nevaeh.
Police state.
The scale of the win is massively surprising. I expected him to win, but with something closer to 60-40. It’s a massive kick in the teeth to Ramsay - the guru of Target to Win - after what by any measure was a hugely successful General Election last year. And in my opinion very high risk.
I don’t think the Greens under Polanski will work well with anyone.
Amazed this is still up (for now), but Zack Polanski wrote a piece on his blog in 2016 about not being shortlisted for the Lib Dems in Richmond. Sarah Olney, now the MP, got it. "The party I love is closing the door on me and people like me... I believe I can connect with anxious, angry voters."
Though the leader has very few formal powers - which is a very deliberate arrangement. It’s going to be messy.
Given the Green’s longstanding aversion to figurehead leadership, is there going to be a battle for the soul of the party, or is the scale of Polanski’s victory such that any such battle is already over?