Chris Drew
@mesnilman.bsky.social
Ex UK gov economist incl 2 years in Euro Parl econ & monetary cttee. Normandy. Level 1 umpire. Semi-veggie.
EN & FR (DE after beer). Views personal etc. Glamorgan CCC fan.Welsh. And French
Born at 325ppm
EN & FR (DE after beer). Views personal etc. Glamorgan CCC fan.Welsh. And French
Born at 325ppm
Pinned
Chris Drew
@mesnilman.bsky.social
· Oct 17
Public Service Announcement
I'm insta-blocking well above 50% of the people who start following me at the moment.
If you are a crypto-, a religious- or just a plain weirdo, you go straight into the blocked pile.
I'm insta-blocking well above 50% of the people who start following me at the moment.
If you are a crypto-, a religious- or just a plain weirdo, you go straight into the blocked pile.
As we come into the colder months, just to say that this is the best hand cream I know
November 11, 2025 at 9:17 PM
As we come into the colder months, just to say that this is the best hand cream I know
Reposted by Chris Drew
It's like the crocodile story Ken Clarke once told me. You can feed buns to the crocodiles until the cows come home.
Once you run out of buns, they'll eat you anyway.
They'll never stop.
Once you run out of buns, they'll eat you anyway.
They'll never stop.
Two heads rolling won’t stop rot at the BBC
The corporation’s mindset is hermetically sealed and cannot cope with any dissenting view
www.thetimes.com
November 11, 2025 at 5:00 PM
It's like the crocodile story Ken Clarke once told me. You can feed buns to the crocodiles until the cows come home.
Once you run out of buns, they'll eat you anyway.
They'll never stop.
Once you run out of buns, they'll eat you anyway.
They'll never stop.
Reposted by Chris Drew
Most Irish moment of the presidential inauguration: 'there's the president's husband, a woodwork teacher for many years, and of course her father was a carpenter's, and she has a brother who's very involved with Galway hookers'.
November 11, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Most Irish moment of the presidential inauguration: 'there's the president's husband, a woodwork teacher for many years, and of course her father was a carpenter's, and she has a brother who's very involved with Galway hookers'.
Reposted by Chris Drew
« La Der des Ders »
Film restauré des scènes de liesse à Paris, le jour de l'Armistice, le 11 novembre 1918. #ArmisticeDay
Film restauré des scènes de liesse à Paris, le jour de l'Armistice, le 11 novembre 1918. #ArmisticeDay
November 11, 2025 at 7:24 AM
« La Der des Ders »
Film restauré des scènes de liesse à Paris, le jour de l'Armistice, le 11 novembre 1918. #ArmisticeDay
Film restauré des scènes de liesse à Paris, le jour de l'Armistice, le 11 novembre 1918. #ArmisticeDay
Reposted by Chris Drew
On the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month
We will remember them
We will remember them
November 11, 2025 at 10:01 AM
On the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month
We will remember them
We will remember them
Reposted by Chris Drew
Bank holiday today because it's Armistice Day. No merch on sale because we don't celebrate War Christmas here, we have a ceremony in town to remember the fallen. As it should be.
November 11, 2025 at 8:35 AM
Bank holiday today because it's Armistice Day. No merch on sale because we don't celebrate War Christmas here, we have a ceremony in town to remember the fallen. As it should be.
Reposted by Chris Drew
The timing was great - the week that happened, @alanconnor.bsky.social wrote an amusingly opportunistic article for the Guardian that served as the gateway - the rest is history 😁
www.theguardian.com/crosswords/c...
www.theguardian.com/crosswords/c...
Love Wordle? Here are three reasons why you’ll love cryptic crosswords
Cryptic puzzles go beyond trial and error, backing up guesswork with definitions and amusing wordplay. So if you start your day with a word puzzle, the Guardian has a treat for you
www.theguardian.com
October 31, 2025 at 7:59 AM
The timing was great - the week that happened, @alanconnor.bsky.social wrote an amusingly opportunistic article for the Guardian that served as the gateway - the rest is history 😁
www.theguardian.com/crosswords/c...
www.theguardian.com/crosswords/c...
@alyseliza.bsky.social I'm all in for a book called 'Murder Most Cryptic'!
Is it available for preorder yet, please ?
Is it available for preorder yet, please ?
November 10, 2025 at 5:12 PM
@alyseliza.bsky.social I'm all in for a book called 'Murder Most Cryptic'!
Is it available for preorder yet, please ?
Is it available for preorder yet, please ?
Reposted by Chris Drew
New blog post ✍️ 🧩 www.alyscummings.com/post/cryptic...
Cryptics: a new newsletter, a new magazine
Crosswords had a real boom in the Golden Age of mystery writing in the 1920s and 30s - and it feels as if mystery novels and crosswords are in a big period of growth again, 100 years on. I am very muc...
www.alyscummings.com
November 10, 2025 at 3:12 PM
New blog post ✍️ 🧩 www.alyscummings.com/post/cryptic...
Reposted by Chris Drew
Canada loses measles elimination status after three decades, health agency says reut.rs/4p5rxit
Canada loses measles elimination status after three decades, health agency says
Canada has lost its measles elimination status after nearly three decades due to its failure to curb a year-long outbreak, the country's public health agency said on Monday.
reut.rs
November 10, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Canada loses measles elimination status after three decades, health agency says reut.rs/4p5rxit
Still get a kick from finishing the cryptic crossword in @theguardian.com
November 10, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Still get a kick from finishing the cryptic crossword in @theguardian.com
Reposted by Chris Drew
' Heartwarming.'
'What a delightful story, for adults and children. Short and sweet tale of a little boy and a dog who communicate without words and bring love into each other's life just when needed.'
'What a delightful story, for adults and children. Short and sweet tale of a little boy and a dog who communicate without words and bring love into each other's life just when needed.'
November 10, 2025 at 3:19 PM
' Heartwarming.'
'What a delightful story, for adults and children. Short and sweet tale of a little boy and a dog who communicate without words and bring love into each other's life just when needed.'
'What a delightful story, for adults and children. Short and sweet tale of a little boy and a dog who communicate without words and bring love into each other's life just when needed.'
Reposted by Chris Drew
Headline from a serious and long working paper on the economic impact of Brexit. Possible that this has been feeding into OBR and HMT discussions?
November 10, 2025 at 9:33 AM
Headline from a serious and long working paper on the economic impact of Brexit. Possible that this has been feeding into OBR and HMT discussions?
Reposted by Chris Drew
Happy birthday to Sesame Street, which began exactly 56 years ago on the NET network. Possibly the most important programme ever created by American television.
Such trippy pre-titles. It really is a product of the late sixties.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPMA...
Such trippy pre-titles. It really is a product of the late sixties.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPMA...
Sesame Street: Episode 0001 (HD) (1969)
YouTube video by Treble Gnocchi
www.youtube.com
November 10, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Happy birthday to Sesame Street, which began exactly 56 years ago on the NET network. Possibly the most important programme ever created by American television.
Such trippy pre-titles. It really is a product of the late sixties.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPMA...
Such trippy pre-titles. It really is a product of the late sixties.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPMA...
Great thread. I've done this myself, and found out that the local town hall was the regional headquarters for the Luftwaffe (about 200m from home) and that this village was bombed by the British on D Day as a result
I decided to spend this remembrance day educating myself about the sacrifices we're supposed to be remembering.
I now live on the atlantic coast of France, so decided to learn something about of the second world war here.
As a result, I've been down the most amazing rabbit hole of discovery...
I now live on the atlantic coast of France, so decided to learn something about of the second world war here.
As a result, I've been down the most amazing rabbit hole of discovery...
November 9, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Great thread. I've done this myself, and found out that the local town hall was the regional headquarters for the Luftwaffe (about 200m from home) and that this village was bombed by the British on D Day as a result
Reposted by Chris Drew
Puzzle editing is all done for Issue 2. Thanks @archelina.bsky.social, @amoebacrosswords.bsky.social, @liari.bsky.social & @henriwords.com, & all the setters!
Now onto the design phase...
Sign up for the mailing list over at unchcrosswords.com so you'll be the first to know when we open pre-sales!
Now onto the design phase...
Sign up for the mailing list over at unchcrosswords.com so you'll be the first to know when we open pre-sales!
November 5, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Puzzle editing is all done for Issue 2. Thanks @archelina.bsky.social, @amoebacrosswords.bsky.social, @liari.bsky.social & @henriwords.com, & all the setters!
Now onto the design phase...
Sign up for the mailing list over at unchcrosswords.com so you'll be the first to know when we open pre-sales!
Now onto the design phase...
Sign up for the mailing list over at unchcrosswords.com so you'll be the first to know when we open pre-sales!
This is right on the border between France and Belgium, which cut the town in half
Rétro trafic automobile 🚘 Citroen DS a Quièvrechain (59Nord)1969
November 9, 2025 at 5:21 PM
This is right on the border between France and Belgium, which cut the town in half
Reposted by Chris Drew
Reposted by Chris Drew
#WorldHistory On this day 1989, a significant event took place in Berlin, Germany, over the course of two days, November 9th and November 10th, the border crossings between East Berlin and West Berlin were opened. The Berlin Wall (Berliner Mauer) fell!
www.cnn.com/2019/11/09/e...
www.cnn.com/2019/11/09/e...
Berlin Wall: The rise and fall in pictures | CNN
This week marks 30 years since the Berlin Wall separating East and West Germany came crashing down. View photos of the rise and fall of the wall.
www.cnn.com
November 9, 2025 at 4:15 PM
#WorldHistory On this day 1989, a significant event took place in Berlin, Germany, over the course of two days, November 9th and November 10th, the border crossings between East Berlin and West Berlin were opened. The Berlin Wall (Berliner Mauer) fell!
www.cnn.com/2019/11/09/e...
www.cnn.com/2019/11/09/e...
Just finished clearing out the guttering. The leaves will all go into the compost bins.
Wanted to do it while it wasn't raining or windy, obviously...
Wanted to do it while it wasn't raining or windy, obviously...
November 9, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Just finished clearing out the guttering. The leaves will all go into the compost bins.
Wanted to do it while it wasn't raining or windy, obviously...
Wanted to do it while it wasn't raining or windy, obviously...
Reposted by Chris Drew
One of the most precious things about Remembrance is that it sets no political tests.
It asks only that we "remember", and that we do so in the silence of our own thoughts.
It doesn't dictate what we remember, how we remember or what lessons we draw.
That's between ourselves and our conscience.🧵
It asks only that we "remember", and that we do so in the silence of our own thoughts.
It doesn't dictate what we remember, how we remember or what lessons we draw.
That's between ourselves and our conscience.🧵
November 10, 2024 at 6:10 PM
One of the most precious things about Remembrance is that it sets no political tests.
It asks only that we "remember", and that we do so in the silence of our own thoughts.
It doesn't dictate what we remember, how we remember or what lessons we draw.
That's between ourselves and our conscience.🧵
It asks only that we "remember", and that we do so in the silence of our own thoughts.
It doesn't dictate what we remember, how we remember or what lessons we draw.
That's between ourselves and our conscience.🧵
Reposted by Chris Drew
Big Jim's bike trip to Braemar.
Stick with it to the end. The pay off is worthy of Beckett.
youtu.be/cZk2jV5gJbM?...
Stick with it to the end. The pay off is worthy of Beckett.
youtu.be/cZk2jV5gJbM?...
1976: BIG JIM's Big BOOZY Bike Trip to Braemar | Nationwide | Weird and Wonderful | BBC Archive
YouTube video by BBC Archive
youtu.be
October 20, 2025 at 6:55 AM
Big Jim's bike trip to Braemar.
Stick with it to the end. The pay off is worthy of Beckett.
youtu.be/cZk2jV5gJbM?...
Stick with it to the end. The pay off is worthy of Beckett.
youtu.be/cZk2jV5gJbM?...
Reposted by Chris Drew
This 👇
Head's up there is a Bluesky ban scam going around. This account just joined 40 mins ago and send me this DM.
DO NOT CLICK THE LINK.
Bluesky would NEVER send a DM like this and make you scared. This would come through email and would have a more professional email than this.
Stay safe!
DO NOT CLICK THE LINK.
Bluesky would NEVER send a DM like this and make you scared. This would come through email and would have a more professional email than this.
Stay safe!
November 9, 2025 at 9:07 AM
This 👇