A beige tote bag which says ‘Don’t boop the snoot’ around a drawing of a shark face

VERY HAPPY WITH MY BAG

😖 I hope it’s a better day coming up and all those iv’s and tests start making a breakthrough for you 💚

Few people are aware of how much progress has been made against cancers.

Leukemia is probably the most striking example.

Before the 1970s, most children affected by leukemia would soon die from it.

Now, most children in rich countries survive.
ourworldindata.org/childhood-le...

A group of rats in beautiful garments, posing for the camera at The Museum of English Rural Life. Each rat is wearing a different costume, inspired by experiences of childhood in historic rural England.

The results have exceeded even our most whimsical expectations.

Meet our rats!

World's longest coastal path opens in England to the public The King Charles coastal path will allow walkers right of access to the entire coast for the first time.

New challenge just dropped: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
…but I haven’t finished the South West Coast Path yet 🫠

Do you know how much is in your pension? When was the last time time you checked? Do you know your own contribution levels? Or your employers?

New SMF research out today finds far too many of us are not on top of our pensions -

Measles vaccination, human rights, international peace, European unity. The far right have never met a 20th century achievement that they don't want to destroy, and all in the name of the most fragile and pathetic men on the planet.

National Data Library: progress update, January 2026

Morning folks - for all the people at Govcamp who were asking me about the National Data Library here is an actual, official update with some specifics...for the first time I think 🎉

www.gov.uk/government/p...

How to Be an Instrument of Kindness in a Harsh World: George Saunders on Unthinking the Mind, Unstorying the Self, and the 3 Antidotes to Your Suffering Here is the mathematical logic of the spirit: If love is the quality of attention we pay something other than ourselves and hate is the veil of not understanding ourselves, then loving the world mo…

A lovely @themarginalian.org.web.brid.gy newsletter today. Got to love a bit of George Saunders on a Sunday morning:
“You’re not permanent.
You’re not the most important thing.
You’re not separate.”
www.themarginalian.org/2026/01/20/g...

Sending love and good wishes for inspiring conversations, effective planning and important mutual support to everyone headed to #ukgc26. I’m sad I can’t be with you this year, but my thoughts go with you!

@ukgovcamp.com

POTATO

We watched this too, then followed it up with watching The Brian Jonestown Massacre set from Glastonbury this year, just to really pile the cement of time on things

I liked this very much.

I also did not have ‘buy a book about vents’ on my list for today, but here we are

Christopher’s Christmas Cracker 2025 An explanation of what follows

Have you ever wondered what a review of the year would be like if it was written by a halfwit who spends too much time on here? WELL...

Historian John Julius Norwich used to publish a ‘Christmas Cracker’ of stuff he collected each year from history and literature.

I do the same, but stupider

Between 2017 and 2021 One Team Gov held space weekly for people working across government to come together, connect, reflect and support each others work. Some local meetups like in Manchester have… |... Between 2017 and 2021 One Team Gov held space weekly for people working across government to come together, connect, reflect and support each others work. Some local meetups like in Manchester have be...

In 2026 we are reinstating the regular One Team Gov breakfast club in London and also running a virtual one for anybody who doesn't have a meetup near them.

If you're interested you can sign up for both using the link (and please retweet/skeet!)

www.linkedin.com/posts/onetea...

I really love today’s ’I thought about that a lot’

www.ithoughtaboutthatalot.com/2025/hair-lo...

A trainer-loafer hybrid shoe. The top is a grey loafer but the sole and someway up the side is orange. On the sole this merges to red ombré at the back and is a chunky running shoe sole with grey tread underneath and serrated running shoe lines across the side

“Your Scientists Were So Preoccupied With Whether Or Not They Could, They Didn’t Stop To Think If They Should”

😂
Shave my head for charity? Yeah probably.
Wear these? Heck no

Knee high black leather boots with a peek toe at the bottom, slightly resembling a chimney with toes poking out the bottom

MY EYES

(a mere £600 for this chimney with toes)

HONK

sillygoosebag.com

Happy birthday! 🥳

UKGovCamp Birmingham: Join Us!

UKGovCamp is happening on 17 Jan 2026. If you work in gov and haven’t attended, now’s the time!

Leaders in policy, operations, and diversity, please share with your teams, connect with colleagues, and help spread the word! Contact us to get involved.

This whole thread. I can think of a person who’d love each one of these cursed items

Canada 13-33 England: Red Roses win Women's Rugby World Cup England produce a performance full of power and ferocity to defeat Canada at Twickenham and win the Women's Rugby World Cup for a third time.

www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-...

30 minutes with a stranger Watch hundreds of strangers talk for 30 minutes, and track how their moods change

This is great, lovely in fact - 30 minutes with a stranger

pudding.cool/2025/06/hell...

When I look at the picture it triggers a path in my brain that says ‘you’re thinking about diarrhoea’

A brown leather slip on heeled shoe: its sole is black and bumpy a bit like solid opaque bubbles leading to a chunky kitten heel at the back. The top is like the front part of a brown leather 90’s style boot but it’s been cut to be a mule shape, so it’s only the bit of the boot covering the foot to below the ankle. Very hard to describe but extremely ugly

In today’s edition of Shoes I Never Wish to Wear:

Featuring the unholy trinity of mule, kitten heel and boot for £365

We @hellostu.xyz @mikerose.co.uk @adrianhoward.com @ox1digital.co.uk @pretendcato.bsky.social @jamiearnold.com @himal.bsky.social and Martin (not of this parish) have been meeting about monthly for Geeky Coffee in Dorchester. I'm thinking of Dorset Geeky Coffee does Edinburgh or SDinGov Geeky Coffee

I am beyond honoured to be in this list 💚
I’m desperate to get back out there again, just been lacking confidence. Feeling like this is the nudge I needed ☺️

Great to see @martinlewis.moneysavingexpert.com talking about our platform Citizen Space being used to ask people’s views on managing council tax. MHCLG have done a great job of building a thorough and considered consultation that you can take part in: consult.communities.gov.uk/local-govern...