An Invention of Collective Nouns   A reckoning of spreadsheets. A distraction of smartphones. A prattle of podcasts. A mispronunciation of scones.   A clique of photographers. A heard of precedents. An enjambment of poets. A grope of presidents.   A pile of haemorrhoids. A bunion of personal trainers. A bout of estimations. A condescension of mansplainers.   A stroke of geniuses. A spot of adolescents. An embarrassment of Richards. A collection correction of pedants. Brian Bilston

Today’s poem is called ‘An Invention of Collective Nouns’.

There's a nice mixture of old school and newbies. I'll always watch Warwrinka, Monfils (especially as this is their final season), Dimitrov, FAA, Musetti - along with the exciting teens. Apart from right at the top the women are more fluid and always interesting. Mboko, Joint, Andreeva etc.

He's young and will bounce back. In the meantime it does give others the opportunity to go further than they otherwise would. My eyes are on Lehecka.

Philippa Islington-Smythe - aka my cat Roscoe - hanging out on her favourite armchair, but mentally trapped in a reverie about the summer of 1995.

THREAD. In her exclusive interview in today's Daily Telegraph Magazine, the actor, influencer and designer Philippa Islington-Smythe (pictured) discusses the price of fame, her controversial new perfume, working with Margot Robbie and how becoming a parent changed her perspective on the world...

It sounds as though there needs to be a complete overhaul as to the way the #FCDO operates.

#OllyRobbins #Mandelson

Cocaine pollution in rivers and lakes may disrupt behaviour of salmon, study finds Fish swam further and dispersed more widely after exposure to environmental levels of drug and main metabolite Traces of cocaine that pollute rivers and lakes may accumulate in the brains of salmon and disrupt their behaviour, according to researchers who warn of unknown consequences for fish populations. Juvenile Atlantic salmon that were artificially exposed to the drug and its main breakdown product swam further and dispersed more widely across a lake, suggesting the substances can affect where the fish go, what they eat and how vulnerable they are to predators. Continue reading...

Cocaine pollution in rivers and lakes may disrupt behaviour of salmon, study finds

a pink pig with wings flying in the air Alt: a pink pig with wings flying in the air

I'm agreeing with Kemi Badenoch's questioning!

#MandelsonStatement

Make it make sense.

This paperback is over 50 yrs old. My paperbacks of the Claudius books fell apart but this one has remained intact. Probably because this will be only the 3rd time I've read it. When I was young I collected Robert Graves 1st editions. My dad had a list & would scour bookshops for me on his travels.

We had a double of Denby tableware in our family home - the familiar green for every day and then the apple for 'best'.

My aunt had one. I'm sure she holds the world record for the amount of Brownies you can get into one car.

When Angela Rayner underpaid £40,000 in stamp duty, Richard Tice said it was "morally completely indefensible” and she should resign if she had “any moral decency”.

Now we learn he set up four shell companies that let him avoid paying £100,000 he owed in tax and to then transfer the cash to Reform

A fabulous bluebell wood I photographed yesterday, in Dorset, UK.

Late April. Or, as bluebells prefer to call it, "party season".

I do both. Initial reply to original post which I then repost. I also (along with a lot of people) repost a reply which leads to the original post as well. All bases covered.

Just saw something that said Trump was told to tell the press that the Jesus image was ‘doctored’ and I can’t stop thinking and laughing about it.

It's no good Starmer saying he wasn't told. It shows his appointment of department staff is woefully misjudged. Or he isn't approachable.

Either way he's in the wrong and must resign.

Very Jerry and Margo.

Hungary's new PM urges Starmer to rejoin EU amid push to unwind Brexit Péter Magyar, who defeated Viktor Orbán in a stunning result overnight, said he 'hoped' the UK would become a member state again.

The Daily Mail is running a poll on whether we should rejoin the EU!
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...

What needs to happen to get the UK back into the EU? Evidence suggests that Brexit has been bad for the UK and a majority of the public now agree but should we – can we – rejoin the EU?

What needs to happen to get the UK back into the EU? 

Evidence suggests that Brexit has been bad for the UK and a majority of the public now agree but should we – can we – rejoin the EU?

By John Cole

My mother would try and curb my father's prolific book buying by banning him from buying any when they were on holiday.

It never worked as the lure of unexplored bookshops was too great.

David Lammy. Great to catch up with my friend JD Vance today in DC following his talks in Pakistan. It's vital that the cewsedire continues and we get shipping flowing freely again through the Straits of Hormuz. We continue to work together towards a just and lasting piece in Ukraine.

"My friend."

This is how our government greets those accused of war crimes.

This is not diplomacy. It's debasement.

What a great way to start the week — wiping coffee off my iPad

Poisoned chalice.

Book cover of Paul Newman's memoir showing a photo of him.

The book cover says everything.

Read this again recently. What riches we have been denied by her early death.

Thank you. As a Christian I'm not offended by it at all. It's too ridiculous for that. What offends me is the hypocrisy and sycophancy that has led to this.

Anger as swifts’ nesting holes in Derbyshire rail viaduct ‘blocked up’ Campaigners say birds could die trying to access ancestral nests that were sealed during rail refurbishment

A completely avoidable situation

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Dear JD Vance,

Over the next year please go & visit Marine Le Pen.
Regularly.
Like, a lot, a lot.

What? No reason.

The 1950s female nurse!!