Ray Newman
@raynewman.bsky.social
He/him. From Bridgwater, in Bristol. Writer, editor, content designer. Ghost stories, films. No alt text, no repost. Not here for politics. Linktree: https://linktr.ee/raynewman Header: my book Intervals of Darkness https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DDR8X9QY
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Ray Newman
@raynewman.bsky.social
· Mar 22
Between them ‘Municipal Gothic’ and ‘Intervals of Darkness’ have 27 stories full of haunted buildings, haunted people, and working class weirdness. Obviously *I* think they're great – but so do strangers who owe me nothing!
👉 www.amazon.co.uk/Municipal-Go...
👉 www.amazon.co.uk/Intervals-Da...
👉 www.amazon.co.uk/Municipal-Go...
👉 www.amazon.co.uk/Intervals-Da...
More lingering Covid signage. The big feet in particular are now so faded as to have become quite abstract.
January 3, 2026 at 11:20 AM
More lingering Covid signage. The big feet in particular are now so faded as to have become quite abstract.
Now watching: ‘Princess Mononoke’, dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 1997, at the request of my not-obsessed-with-films partner. 🎥🎬
January 2, 2026 at 8:40 PM
Now watching: ‘Princess Mononoke’, dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 1997, at the request of my not-obsessed-with-films partner. 🎥🎬
Reposted by Ray Newman
One of the myths perpetuated by Shaffer, and this new adaptation, is that Mozart never crossed anything out. He did, and he restructured sections eg using symbols to denote repeats. In K491 he ended up drawing faces instead of asterisks (zoom in). I was so happy to get to see this score at the RCM ❤️
January 2, 2026 at 6:32 PM
One of the myths perpetuated by Shaffer, and this new adaptation, is that Mozart never crossed anything out. He did, and he restructured sections eg using symbols to denote repeats. In K491 he ended up drawing faces instead of asterisks (zoom in). I was so happy to get to see this score at the RCM ❤️
My loose aim for film viewing in 2026 is to watch anything but American films, because I find this graph from my Letterboxd stats a bit embarrassing.
January 2, 2026 at 4:42 PM
My loose aim for film viewing in 2026 is to watch anything but American films, because I find this graph from my Letterboxd stats a bit embarrassing.
Reposted by Ray Newman
Immersing myself in the work of Arnaldo Putzu again. He's rightfully famed for his film poster artwork, but as usual I've wandered deep into Look-in territory. Behold the majesty of this Grizzly Adams / Suzi Quatro / The Fonz montage, then quiver at the splendour of his blue Essex. Untouchable.
January 2, 2026 at 3:24 PM
Immersing myself in the work of Arnaldo Putzu again. He's rightfully famed for his film poster artwork, but as usual I've wandered deep into Look-in territory. Behold the majesty of this Grizzly Adams / Suzi Quatro / The Fonz montage, then quiver at the splendour of his blue Essex. Untouchable.
Reposted by Ray Newman
One of the things that always keeps genealogy interesting is the mirror steps where you can see a movement in society at large with your family. In this case the drift towards industrialised urban centres. My dad’s family are very London. Concentrated around the Bishopsgate and Spitalfields area.
January 2, 2026 at 3:22 PM
One of the things that always keeps genealogy interesting is the mirror steps where you can see a movement in society at large with your family. In this case the drift towards industrialised urban centres. My dad’s family are very London. Concentrated around the Bishopsgate and Spitalfields area.
Reposted by Ray Newman
I can't imagine why anyone would assume that the bow-wow, pooh-pooh, ding-dong, yo-he-ho, and ta-ta theories were naive and irrelevant.
![In 1861, historical linguist Max Müller published a list of speculative theories concerning the origins of spoken language:[34]
Bow-wow. The bow-wow, or cuckoo, theory, which Müller attributed to the German philosopher Johann Gottfried Herder, saw early words as imitations of the cries of beasts and birds.
Pooh-pooh. The pooh-pooh theory saw the first words as emotional interjections and exclamations triggered by pain, pleasure, surprise, etc.
Ding-dong. Müller suggested what he called the ding-dong theory, which states that all things have a vibrating natural resonance, echoed somehow by humans in their earliest words.
Yo-he-ho. The yo-he-ho theory claims that language emerged from collective rhythmic labor; that is, the attempt to synchronize muscular efforts resulting in sounds such as heave alternating with sounds such as ho.
Ta-ta. The ta-ta theory did not feature in Max Müller's list, having been proposed in 1930 by Sir Richard Paget.[35] According to the ta-ta theory, humans made the earliest words by tongue movements that mimicked manual gestures, rendering them audible.
Most scholars today consider all such theories not so much wrong—they occasionally offer peripheral insights—as naïve and irrelevant.[36][37] The problem with these theories is that they rest on the assumption that once early humans had discovered a workable mechanism for linking sounds with meanings, language would automatically have evolved.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:5wmwbibbyym6nmkmz7b6yyoj/bafkreie4kukdd4w6stbvf77kvplyzp5h7wjw7qffwzksjgo437gfodwpjq@jpeg)
January 2, 2026 at 3:29 PM
I can't imagine why anyone would assume that the bow-wow, pooh-pooh, ding-dong, yo-he-ho, and ta-ta theories were naive and irrelevant.
Reposted by Ray Newman
For the BFI, 10 great films from 1926 www.bfi.org.uk/lists/10-gre...
10 great films of 1926
As we hurtle into 2026, take a 10-film trip back in time to celebrate these 100th anniversaries.
www.bfi.org.uk
January 2, 2026 at 12:33 PM
For the BFI, 10 great films from 1926 www.bfi.org.uk/lists/10-gre...
Reposted by Ray Newman
Made another bockety little Jill McDonald style party puffin: no idea what for but that’s the joy of it.
Absolutely stink at sewing but I hope this no pressure making for pure pleasure might improve my non-existent skills & I truly do love the mental peace of pottering away at these felt fripperies
Absolutely stink at sewing but I hope this no pressure making for pure pleasure might improve my non-existent skills & I truly do love the mental peace of pottering away at these felt fripperies
January 2, 2026 at 12:02 PM
Made another bockety little Jill McDonald style party puffin: no idea what for but that’s the joy of it.
Absolutely stink at sewing but I hope this no pressure making for pure pleasure might improve my non-existent skills & I truly do love the mental peace of pottering away at these felt fripperies
Absolutely stink at sewing but I hope this no pressure making for pure pleasure might improve my non-existent skills & I truly do love the mental peace of pottering away at these felt fripperies
Reposted by Ray Newman
By the kebab van on the edge of the business park the Deliveroo drivers are making a fire from fallen branches to keep warm. Welcome to the future, 2026 style
December 31, 2025 at 7:31 PM
By the kebab van on the edge of the business park the Deliveroo drivers are making a fire from fallen branches to keep warm. Welcome to the future, 2026 style
I do think that, collectively, we should be challenging ourselves on 'usual suspects syndrome'. Of the four podcast episodes I recorded last year (two about design, two about films) I was a first-time guest on three, and was grateful to be invited.
Some v disingenuous stuff floating around about podcasts in my feed this morning. Exactly the same dodgy reasoning and justification often surfaces for why literature festivals up and down the land all feature the same guest speakers from a very narrow pool of 'usual suspects'.
January 2, 2026 at 10:25 AM
I do think that, collectively, we should be challenging ourselves on 'usual suspects syndrome'. Of the four podcast episodes I recorded last year (two about design, two about films) I was a first-time guest on three, and was grateful to be invited.
Lots of interesting podcast chat today. You might think you could solve the problem below by putting out a call for guests: "Who wants to be on my podcast?" That would have plenty of benefits, from fresh voices to increasing inclusion. However...
Also also: re the “mates on each other’s pods” thing, the most time consuming part of podcasting after editing is guest booking. So, again, without funding, podcasts will repeat guests and choose people with free time (who don’t need paying) which is mates.
January 2, 2026 at 9:57 AM
Lots of interesting podcast chat today. You might think you could solve the problem below by putting out a call for guests: "Who wants to be on my podcast?" That would have plenty of benefits, from fresh voices to increasing inclusion. However...
Reposted by Ray Newman
Think about this a lot.
Editing takes time. Costs money. Most podcasts don’t earn any money. So most podcasts don’t edit. And so leaving all the irrelevant stuff in has been normalised in a way it never has been on radio, which is funded and for that money expects concision in return.
Editing takes time. Costs money. Most podcasts don’t earn any money. So most podcasts don’t edit. And so leaving all the irrelevant stuff in has been normalised in a way it never has been on radio, which is funded and for that money expects concision in return.
So much truth. And controversial view: for me one of the key differences between radio programmes and podcasts is that radio programmes rarely make me shout GET THE FUCK ON WITH IT I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU SAID EARLIER IN THE PUB I WASN’T THERE
podcasts
January 2, 2026 at 9:48 AM
Think about this a lot.
Editing takes time. Costs money. Most podcasts don’t earn any money. So most podcasts don’t edit. And so leaving all the irrelevant stuff in has been normalised in a way it never has been on radio, which is funded and for that money expects concision in return.
Editing takes time. Costs money. Most podcasts don’t earn any money. So most podcasts don’t edit. And so leaving all the irrelevant stuff in has been normalised in a way it never has been on radio, which is funded and for that money expects concision in return.
Reposted by Ray Newman
In Agadoo did Kubla Khan
Push pineapples, shake the tree
Push pineapples, shake the tree
January 1, 2026 at 5:37 PM
In Agadoo did Kubla Khan
Push pineapples, shake the tree
Push pineapples, shake the tree
Reposted by Ray Newman
#LetterboxdFriday #lastfourwatched #FilmSky #MovieSky #Films #Movies Currently backfilling Letterboxd with stuff watched in 2023-2025 but these were the last four film/shows watched before 2026 showed up on the doorstep and demanded to be let in. My profile on Letterboxd: boxd.it/6V3z
January 2, 2026 at 8:58 AM
#LetterboxdFriday #lastfourwatched #FilmSky #MovieSky #Films #Movies Currently backfilling Letterboxd with stuff watched in 2023-2025 but these were the last four film/shows watched before 2026 showed up on the doorstep and demanded to be let in. My profile on Letterboxd: boxd.it/6V3z
Gladys is excellent and this book is a great place to start. Typically dark and horror adjacent.
January 2, 2026 at 7:06 AM
Gladys is excellent and this book is a great place to start. Typically dark and horror adjacent.
Reposted by Ray Newman
Brand new on Dirty Feed:
I absolutely guarantee that you have not read this fact about The Peter Serafinowicz Show and The Butterfield Detective Agency sketch ANYWHERE else.
www.dirtyfeed.org/2026/01/ever...
I absolutely guarantee that you have not read this fact about The Peter Serafinowicz Show and The Butterfield Detective Agency sketch ANYWHERE else.
www.dirtyfeed.org/2026/01/ever...
January 1, 2026 at 10:59 AM
Brand new on Dirty Feed:
I absolutely guarantee that you have not read this fact about The Peter Serafinowicz Show and The Butterfield Detective Agency sketch ANYWHERE else.
www.dirtyfeed.org/2026/01/ever...
I absolutely guarantee that you have not read this fact about The Peter Serafinowicz Show and The Butterfield Detective Agency sketch ANYWHERE else.
www.dirtyfeed.org/2026/01/ever...
Reposted by Ray Newman
Goodnight from Ellie Carver, wishing her dad didn’t always think a good New Year’s Day family treat was a visit to yet another bloody haunted castle. Goodnight from Jennet Covell, constructing psychic flypaper to trap any soul that floats passed in the night. Goodnight from Hookland.
January 1, 2026 at 10:04 PM
Goodnight from Ellie Carver, wishing her dad didn’t always think a good New Year’s Day family treat was a visit to yet another bloody haunted castle. Goodnight from Jennet Covell, constructing psychic flypaper to trap any soul that floats passed in the night. Goodnight from Hookland.
Reposted by Ray Newman
Can't believe they did that in 1985! 65 maybe. My dad used to work there but worked in training by then. I can imagine a few things being thrown at the telly when that came on, despite the cheery voiceover
January 1, 2026 at 10:00 PM
Can't believe they did that in 1985! 65 maybe. My dad used to work there but worked in training by then. I can imagine a few things being thrown at the telly when that came on, despite the cheery voiceover
Imagine watching telly on New Year's Day and your boss pops up to remind you you've got work the next day.
youtu.be/MAR8aAVhX0s?...
youtu.be/MAR8aAVhX0s?...
January 1, 2026 at 9:42 PM
Imagine watching telly on New Year's Day and your boss pops up to remind you you've got work the next day.
youtu.be/MAR8aAVhX0s?...
youtu.be/MAR8aAVhX0s?...
Reposted by Ray Newman
The mouse is a versatile little beast.
January 1, 2026 at 9:23 PM
The mouse is a versatile little beast.
Reposted by Ray Newman
Trinity Buoy Wharf on New Year’s Day
January 1, 2026 at 6:50 PM
Trinity Buoy Wharf on New Year’s Day
“Axelsson and Hammeken picked up the last man living in Cape Hope, a former hunter who, in his solitude, had started seeing tiny ghosts running through the settlement, taunting him.”
www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
One of the Greatest Polar-Bear Hunters Confronts a Vanishing World
In the most remote settlement in Greenland, Hjelmer Hammeken’s life style has gone from something that worked for thousands of years to something that may not outlive him.
www.newyorker.com
January 1, 2026 at 8:48 PM
“Axelsson and Hammeken picked up the last man living in Cape Hope, a former hunter who, in his solitude, had started seeing tiny ghosts running through the settlement, taunting him.”
www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
Reposted by Ray Newman
Very random the places that are open today and those that are closed. Boots, closed. A jewellery shop open. I can get toothpaste tomorrow but today diamonds.
January 1, 2026 at 2:23 PM
Very random the places that are open today and those that are closed. Boots, closed. A jewellery shop open. I can get toothpaste tomorrow but today diamonds.
Reposted by Ray Newman
Work in progress.
I'm slightly obsessed with turn-of-the-(19th)century theatre/pantomime/circus playbills at the moment, so I'm re-creating posters and ads for more recent productions (and products) in that style.
#graphics #movies #davidlynch #victorian
I'm slightly obsessed with turn-of-the-(19th)century theatre/pantomime/circus playbills at the moment, so I'm re-creating posters and ads for more recent productions (and products) in that style.
#graphics #movies #davidlynch #victorian
January 1, 2026 at 1:56 PM
Work in progress.
I'm slightly obsessed with turn-of-the-(19th)century theatre/pantomime/circus playbills at the moment, so I'm re-creating posters and ads for more recent productions (and products) in that style.
#graphics #movies #davidlynch #victorian
I'm slightly obsessed with turn-of-the-(19th)century theatre/pantomime/circus playbills at the moment, so I'm re-creating posters and ads for more recent productions (and products) in that style.
#graphics #movies #davidlynch #victorian