Just vote

An advantage of the odd UK system is that end of financial year panic is not at a peak holiday season

Ok - I found the article quoting Dr Frila Pool in today’s Guardian

About to go away and the automatic cat feeder fails! Error message and web suggests main board failure. Need to Marshall the neighbours.

Of course Morris Dancing has Cotswold, Northwest, Border, Rapper, Long Sword and Molly as regional types.

Needs to add Andor

Issue would be the erosive power of the hard particle suspension on the turbines and fluid handling equipment. Also there would be concerns regarding long term stability of the high density fluid against particles falling out of suspension when inactive. Devil is in the detail.

A reader‘s letter in the times which reads as follows: Old adversaries Sir, Your obituary (Jan 19) of Mr Justice Blofeld rightly referred to his fine sense of humour. When he first sat in Winchester a barrister called Richard Bond stood up to open the first case. Mr Justice Blofeld began to stroke the white ermine on the sleeve of his High Court judge's robes as if stroking a cat. He then said with a smile: "We meet at last, Mr Bond." Sir John Royce Clifton, Bristol

This was posted by @mambarlife.bsky.social in the Other Place and it’s too good not to share it.

Always beware a declining superpower Even under normal leadership, a status-anxious US would be lashing out

Always beware a declining superpower ft.trib.al/43WMdsk

John Bradshaw (judge) - Wikipedia

Article for those interested in sources

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Br...

Although he died before the restoration of the monarchy a vindictive Charles II had Bradshaw’s body exhumed to be “executed” posthumously by public beheading and head displayed on a pike. In another display of regal unpleasantness Charles also exhumed and disposed the body of Bradshaw’s wife. 1/2

An anniversary that could act as a prompt to the situation in another country.

Snowdrops

In troubled times here is a sign of another early spring in the UK

caillou en forme de manette xbox

🚨FLASH : on a retrouvé une manette de l'âge de pierre, indiquant que nos ancêtres jouaient déjà aux jeux vidéos.

Is this the future of local news? The Manchester Mill model goes nationwide

Great article on the Manchester Mill

open.substack.com/pub/futureno...

C'est l'heure des bilans...en toute rigueur scientifique !

Alex Benn: In Crisis: the ‘Constitutional’ Right to Jury Trial The ‘Executive Summary’ of the report of Brian Leveson’s Independent Review of the Criminal Courts: Part 1 opens with a description of a crisis. Criminal justice is in crisis. The open caseload in …

Interesting
ukconstitutionallaw.org/2025/07/18/a...

Arrived in Boston. No issues at immigration but a couple of ethic Chinese ahead of me had long conversations at the desk before they were allowed to pass. Admittedly an Irish passport at Boston immigration is an advantage.

Just been to Hope Mill theatre in Manchester. An excellent production in a small venue. Give them your support. It is their Tenth Anniversary this year

As an aside- AI confidently told me that Brompton pedals are secured by a 6 mm hex Allen Key, reality is 8 mm.

With the aid of a colleague who had a 24 mm socket set I was able to change the folding pedal on my Brompton. It had lasted 25 years and the replacement is secured by a more convenient Allen Screw.

I have just had my ESTA approved so I will be visiting Boston for the fall MRS. It will be interesting to talk to US Scorton get the current vibe

What to do if your copy of Private Eye won't open…

From the new Private Eye, out now.

Anyway, we need some joy, so here's the Egyptian foreign minister being given a Lego Pyramid by the Danish foreign minister.

Government style ad in watercolour. Image of a burglar stealing a painting from the wall of a home. Tagline: "It's not theft... if you say you're using it to train your AI algorithm". Body text: "Theft is now legal, so we can boost the economy by eliminating jobs. If that doesn't make any sense, ask a chatbot to explain it to you." HM government logo in the corner.

Did a new one

Less is more: Academic publishing needs ‘radical change,’ Cambridge press report concludes Academic publishing needs “renewed focus and collective action” to embrace new approaches and ensure the future of the industry, concludes a report from Cambridge University Press, released last we…

retractionwatch.com/2025/10/21/l...

My Dad went there

There are great Universities in the other major UK cities (no I don’t mean Oxford and Cambridge) where living costs are more affordable

Sad to hear that Sir Peter Hirsch has recently passed away.

www.seh.ox.ac.uk/news/hall-re...

Sunset today at Dunham Town