Ooh, no, I don’t but now I shall. Thank you!

A bad week: 3/10

Had a leaflet thrust into my hand by anti-gentrification protesters. Not sure whether it was on the basis of “Join us!” or “You are very much part of the problem”.

Should definitely bring back prank calling the vicar.

I loved (no, love) this book, Jonathan.

Oh, I love this!

6/10 this week, with half of them guesses (1, 7 and 10).

Where is it?! Still reeling from the news that they have a tribute act!

What an outstanding bookshop tour! Very much looking forward to reading the book.

Features one of the best scenes in any of the episodes.
“No. She’s a rotted corpse and there’s no one to kiss her awake.”
“You foul old woman. You HAG!”
Cracking.

National service for people having speakerphone conversations on trains.

Vote for me, your candidate from the Trains Should Basically Be Libraries Party.

Have we not passed that point?! Surely anyone shouting these days “Ooo Betty!” needs to be pretty sure of the average age of their prospective audience.

@nigella.bsky.social’s no-knead black bread is a glorious thing.

Genuinely an amazing claim to fame!

Outstanding!

7/10 (didn’t get 2, 7 & 8) after a shocking few weeks with this quiz. And the pub is playing St Etienne and has a lovely stout on. I do not ask for much.

None of it is good. Obviously. People need to get a grip. Just because you can etc. But I’m pretty sure it’s too late.

To run Iran? Didn’t see it coming, I will admit.

“Fungible Daves” 😂

Traitors is reliably more middle class in its intake than most reality telly but the real poshos do not fare all that well, do they?

I fear the dog dislikers would lose that war, sadly. I’ve grown used to my lack of enthusiasm for and general wariness of dogs being held up (jokingly but I’ve no doubt they also mean it!) as some kind of moral failing.

The whole thing’s a rich seam.

My grumpiest, most middle-aged, veering-worryingly-to-the-right opinion is that customer service has absolutely gone to hell.

“Spectral shemansions”!

Those books are quite the case study in adaptation. For my money, the tv series elevates the source material massively. But, interestingly, the episodes based on the (early) novels are by far the strongest.

That is a rough one. Sorry to hear it.

“Do you keep in touch with the Ceaușescus? I said DO YOU…” etc.

“People just aren’t up for original drama at Christmas, are they?”
“Not sure but fair enough – we’ll go large on comedy, then.”
“…”

Occasionally I wonder just what’s in the rucksacks that so many people on the tube carry around with them. And, well, a leftfield theory is developing…

Good only for drawing out a very specific strain of anxiety.