Terrance Dicks level polishing, there. You've punched that up from my usual slop to something @garygillatt.bsky.social or @nicholaspegg.bsky.social might have said. 💯

John Bailey and Marius Goring in Doctor Who. A B&W picture of two Victorian men.

John Bailey in Doctor Who. A dark picture of a troubled elderly man in a headpiece of some sort.

The Nimon, a bull-like alien in Doctor Who.

I think I might have a topical joke about injuries inflicted by bulls that somehow pivots around John Bailey playing both Waterfield and Sezom, in order to tenuously connect the Nimon looking like bulls with Maxtible being played by Marius Goring. I can't quite get it together, though.

The first missing serial narrated soundtrack release, a choice that appeared to make perfect sense at the time.

An evening view of Hackney, north east London. Artist; Derek Riggs, 1980.

Airbnb in Hackney is very reasonably priced, and the picture of the view from the room I've booked looks lovely.

I pretty much ostracised one friend when he persistently referred to his new Mac mini as his "Mini-Mac".

Last year, the day after I ran my marathon, I rewarded myself by entering another one. This year, instead, I rewarded myself by booking for an evening of Iron Maiden cinema, karaoke and pub quizzing. I am very bad at stopping my little hobbies from getting out of hand.

AND I'M COMING! YAY!

And now, marathon number 18, today 19 April 2026, age 60, which I used my bus pass and old person’s railcard to get to, at Manchester. Bit warm, feeling a bit sick, but got 3:26:16, and my best ever age grade 71.76% I might just have squeaked into London 2027. Just. Happy. #18marathons 18/18

Finishers’ medal from 2025 London Marathon

After falling off my bike and smashing my knee, I deferred my 17th marathon a year to 27 April 2025. London at last, having been lucky on the ballot. 59 years old, running in 28 degrees C, I was delighted with 3:45:39. It’s like no other event. #18marathons 17/18

Manchester Marathon training completed. 18 weeks. 79 runs. 558 miles. 88h42m. It’s been a significant commitment. This time tomorrow I’ll be underway.

I'm trying to ingest 900g of carbohydrates today. I probably did this regularly back when I was on the drink, but my god it's challenging. I feel weird, and not in a good way.

Finishers' medal from 2023 Loch Ness Marathon

Sweet 16, back to Loch Ness, on 1 October 2023. I ran in supershoes with carbon plates for the first time, but started too far back and expended too much energy weaving through slower runners, hence a middling 3:34:01. No matter - I had a place for London the following spring! #18marathons 16/18

News headline about Netflix founder leaving.

LEAVING NETFLIX SOON

You could make a brilliant book of this by putting it all in first-person. Peri's first day in the madhouse. Turlough panicking. Kamelion containing multitudes. The master in first person not revealing he's tiny until he does. Different language styles for everyone.

I have watched Part Three of "Planet of Fire" and listened to that part of the book. The book is crazy. As I've previously said, it's a "second mentions" goldmine, and the Doctor calls Turlough a Nazi. But at least you don't notice when reading that there is no location work in Part Three.

Finishers' medal from 2023 Manchester Marathon

Pandemic, bereavement and surgery behind me, my 15th marathon was my first with metalwork inside my left foot. At the age of 57, on 16 April 2023, I covered Manchester Marathon, in 3:25:04, with an Age Grade of 69.88%, my best yet. I thanked my surgeon afterwards! #18marathons 15/18

Britannia Hospital. It's Malcolm McDowell again!

INTERLUDE
The pandemic meant that the 2020 Liverpool marathon was postponed and then discontinued. I found running, and then walking harder, leading to foot surgery in December. In 2021 I was warned to return to running gradually and build for two years until my next marathon. Parkrun, my saviour!

Finishers' medal from 2019 Loch Ness Marathon

My 14th marathon came after a tough work year. On October 6 2019 I was 53 and returned to Loch Ness to make my debut as a bearded runner. 3:50:43 was perfectly fine on this misty Sunday. I would recover and rebuild to Liverpool in spring 2020 and nothing could possibly stop me. #18marathons 13/18

The young UK guys working on the project were USA-philes living their dream. It was soda this and sidewalk that.

There are some here who call every carbonated sugary drink a "ginger". I worked in a US office with two young guys, one from West of Scotland, one from English home counties and heard:
ENGLISH: "I'm going to the kitchen, can I get you a soda?"
SCOT: "Whit?!??! I'll take a ginger, aye?"

One of the Coal Hill girls in the corridor shot was Francesca Bertorelli, sister of Andrea Bertorelli, first wife of Phil Collins. That's Too Much Information via @tobyhadoke.bsky.social !

I am delighted that the ex-brother-in-law of one of the first two women to appear on screen in Doctor Who is finally to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. That’s today’s REAL NEWS.

Finishers' medal from 2018 Chester Marathon.

Marathon 13 later that year, back to Chester. 5 months after my fastest-ever, I ran my second-slowest, taking a full 59 minutes longer to finish, in 4:16:32. I madly tried to fight the inevitable and race hard, but should have just accepted my condition and enjoyed a sedate run. #18marathons 13/18

Finishers' medal from 2018 Edinburgh Marathon.

Number 12. 27 May 2018. Edinburgh. 52 years old. Fittest I've ever been. Broke several shorter PBs in training. Grimly chased a new PB. Portaloo stop nearly prevented it. Exhausting, joyless, and painful all the way. Achieved my personal record, unlikely to be broken, of 3:17:21. #18marathons 12/18

My old person's bus pass has arrived. Thank you for your support and understanding at this difficult time.

The Borad from Doctor Who looking human

The Borad from Doctor Who looking mutated

The Borad from Doctor Who looking mutated again

The flag of Canada

I'm hoping that the current fervent speculation among the hauntological retrofuturist electronic music community isn't the result of a terrible mishearing or mistyping.

Finishers' medal from 2017 Chester Marathon.

My 11th marathon came two years later, because I ran a 55-mile ultra in 2016 rather than a marathon. Back to only 26.2 miles at Chester on 8 October 2017 at the age of 51. A disappointing 3:34:12, although the course crossed the border into Wales, for my third marathon nation. #18marathons 11/18

Manchester marathon training week 17/18 complete. Just 23.5 miles in 3h49 this week as I taper the volume down to next Sunday. All the usual tapering symptoms; sluggishness, niggling pains, poor sleep. Off coffee now until the first caffeine energy gel hits. SEVEN SLEEPS TO OLD TRAFFORD.

Treble Clef: here are the notes I hope you like them ☺️

Bass Clef: I moved all your stuff, good luck finding anything, Ds are Fs now fuck you