Valerian Forrest
@valerianforrest.bsky.social
Loves theatre, Eurovision, World Expos, Studio Ghibli, travel, and biathlon. Left-wing, asexual, Northamptonian, European. He/him
#OnTheDial today... a bit of mood-setting for the next few weeks.
#WinterOlympics #WinterParalympics #SaremoMusicFestival
#WinterOlympics #WinterParalympics #SaremoMusicFestival
February 6, 2026 at 1:14 PM
#OnTheDial today... a bit of mood-setting for the next few weeks.
#WinterOlympics #WinterParalympics #SaremoMusicFestival
#WinterOlympics #WinterParalympics #SaremoMusicFestival
Oh, that was such fun! Nostalgic but not dated, silly but sincere. Just as it should be.
Also, Sabrina Carpenter was a great choice for the guest star; she looked like she was having a blast.
Fingers crossed for a full series.
#TheMuppetShow
Also, Sabrina Carpenter was a great choice for the guest star; she looked like she was having a blast.
Fingers crossed for a full series.
#TheMuppetShow
I am so excited about this! When I was very small, we had a VHS tape containing, among other things, three episodes of The Muppet Show (Crystal Gayle, Dudley Moore, and Rachel Welch) that my parents had taped off the Super Channel. I loved it so much, I must have been close to wearing that tape out.
The Muppet Show on Disney+ is glorious.
They haven't tried to update it, or twist it in any way. It's just The Muppet Show you watched when you were a kid.
They haven't tried to update it, or twist it in any way. It's just The Muppet Show you watched when you were a kid.
February 4, 2026 at 10:51 PM
Oh, that was such fun! Nostalgic but not dated, silly but sincere. Just as it should be.
Also, Sabrina Carpenter was a great choice for the guest star; she looked like she was having a blast.
Fingers crossed for a full series.
#TheMuppetShow
Also, Sabrina Carpenter was a great choice for the guest star; she looked like she was having a blast.
Fingers crossed for a full series.
#TheMuppetShow
The Winter Olympics are off to a great start for Milan-Cortina. The curling mixed dobles just got underway when all the lights went out. Oops!
#WinterOlympics
#WinterOlympics
February 4, 2026 at 6:14 PM
The Winter Olympics are off to a great start for Milan-Cortina. The curling mixed dobles just got underway when all the lights went out. Oops!
#WinterOlympics
#WinterOlympics
I am so excited about this! When I was very small, we had a VHS tape containing, among other things, three episodes of The Muppet Show (Crystal Gayle, Dudley Moore, and Rachel Welch) that my parents had taped off the Super Channel. I loved it so much, I must have been close to wearing that tape out.
The Muppet Show on Disney+ is glorious.
They haven't tried to update it, or twist it in any way. It's just The Muppet Show you watched when you were a kid.
They haven't tried to update it, or twist it in any way. It's just The Muppet Show you watched when you were a kid.
February 4, 2026 at 1:37 PM
I am so excited about this! When I was very small, we had a VHS tape containing, among other things, three episodes of The Muppet Show (Crystal Gayle, Dudley Moore, and Rachel Welch) that my parents had taped off the Super Channel. I loved it so much, I must have been close to wearing that tape out.
I stumbled across a place selling pizzoccheri in Milan just over ten years ago and I still think about it. Real hearty food.
There’s a wonderful wintry North Italian recipe for buckwheat pasta, savoy cabbage, cheese and potatoes called Pizzoccheri that I love deeply, and #RecipeOfTheDay is my sturdy (and affectionate) British interpretation of it. It’s still cold out there! www.nigella.com/recipes/hear...
Hearty Wholewheat Pasta With Brussels Sprouts, Cheese and Potato
It is not quite normal to feel as joyous as I do when saying the words “Brussels sprouts”, but this recipe does not merely use said much-denigrated ingredient, it also celebrates it.
Sprouts are nutt...
www.nigella.com
January 31, 2026 at 1:44 PM
I stumbled across a place selling pizzoccheri in Milan just over ten years ago and I still think about it. Real hearty food.
Thank you for the suggestions I got back from this post! I ended up going with Major Barbara but, coincidentally, the Oxford World Classics edition contains Man And Superman and John Bull's Other Island, both of which came up in the replies.
www.meetup.com/northampton-...
www.meetup.com/northampton-...
January 30, 2026 at 11:43 PM
Thank you for the suggestions I got back from this post! I ended up going with Major Barbara but, coincidentally, the Oxford World Classics edition contains Man And Superman and John Bull's Other Island, both of which came up in the replies.
www.meetup.com/northampton-...
www.meetup.com/northampton-...
Finally, the monstrosity I've been waiting for! This is a really fascinating perspective on one of the most satisfying spaces to spend time in.
New episode of Monstrosities Mon Amour. See the National Theatre through the eyes of an archaeologist: @reblambert.bsky.social explains how it’s like a henge. Also her love for Dolph Lundgren’s Masters of the Universe! johngrindrod.substack.com/p/monstrosit...
Monstrosities Mon Amour: The National Theatre with Rebecca Lambert
#14. John Grindrod meets archaeologist Rebecca Lambert to discuss the neolithic echoes of the National Theatre and the camp absurdity of the 1987 film Masters of the Universe
johngrindrod.substack.com
January 29, 2026 at 9:35 PM
Finally, the monstrosity I've been waiting for! This is a really fascinating perspective on one of the most satisfying spaces to spend time in.
Theatre people! Does anyone have a favourite George Bernard Shaw play? Someone who joined the play reading group I'm in last night suggested GBS for a future meetup but I'm not sure which play to pick.
#Theatre #TheatreSky 🎭
#Theatre #TheatreSky 🎭
January 29, 2026 at 5:56 PM
Theatre people! Does anyone have a favourite George Bernard Shaw play? Someone who joined the play reading group I'm in last night suggested GBS for a future meetup but I'm not sure which play to pick.
#Theatre #TheatreSky 🎭
#Theatre #TheatreSky 🎭
Reposted by Valerian Forrest
I often hear people say Burns doesn’t do it for them (often based on ‘To a Haggis’ or the first line of ‘To a Mouse’; I thought I’d share my favourite ‘Is There For Honest Poverty’: you are not what you earn or who your parents are but what’s inside the heart.
January 25, 2026 at 8:55 AM
I often hear people say Burns doesn’t do it for them (often based on ‘To a Haggis’ or the first line of ‘To a Mouse’; I thought I’d share my favourite ‘Is There For Honest Poverty’: you are not what you earn or who your parents are but what’s inside the heart.
Oh, for fuck's sake. World Expos have entered the Trumpiverse. I'd love to see a strong German bid to counter this. German pavilions are always well presented, thought-through, and engaged with the expo themes; it would be cool to see them host again.
www.france24.com/en/live-news....
#WorldExpo
www.france24.com/en/live-news....
#WorldExpo
Trump pitches Miami for World Expo 2035
US President Donald Trump on Thursday launched a bid to stage the World Expo 2035 in Florida, entering what is expected to be a crowded race for the prestigious international showcase.
www.france24.com
January 24, 2026 at 12:17 AM
Oh, for fuck's sake. World Expos have entered the Trumpiverse. I'd love to see a strong German bid to counter this. German pavilions are always well presented, thought-through, and engaged with the expo themes; it would be cool to see them host again.
www.france24.com/en/live-news....
#WorldExpo
www.france24.com/en/live-news....
#WorldExpo
I got a book of ice cream recipes for Christmas and I just made my first batch this week. It's... not great. I had two major problems. First, the ice cream didn't even come close to freezing in my machine, which would suggest I used too much sugar.
January 22, 2026 at 8:38 PM
I got a book of ice cream recipes for Christmas and I just made my first batch this week. It's... not great. I had two major problems. First, the ice cream didn't even come close to freezing in my machine, which would suggest I used too much sugar.
Reposted by Valerian Forrest
"The Saint" tv series featured Roger Moore as Shirley Temple. Every week he would tap-dance around while singing in an annoying baby voice.
January 22, 2026 at 4:51 AM
"The Saint" tv series featured Roger Moore as Shirley Temple. Every week he would tap-dance around while singing in an annoying baby voice.
Reposted by Valerian Forrest
Tapping sadly on the window of the swan sanctuary with one of two Pringles cans I’ve got stuck on my hands, sobbing “yes it *has* happened again, please don’t make me go to the people hospital”
January 19, 2026 at 3:43 PM
Tapping sadly on the window of the swan sanctuary with one of two Pringles cans I’ve got stuck on my hands, sobbing “yes it *has* happened again, please don’t make me go to the people hospital”
Reposted by Valerian Forrest
Absolutely extraordinary - and hugely welcome: a great archive collection of Ibsen productions and docs coming to BBC Four and iPlayer; the earliest is the 1953 (!) Lady from the Sea with Irene Worth and Robert Harris, produced by Harold Clayton.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
BBC Four - Ibsen - Episode guide
All episodes of Ibsen
www.bbc.co.uk
January 14, 2026 at 6:35 AM
Absolutely extraordinary - and hugely welcome: a great archive collection of Ibsen productions and docs coming to BBC Four and iPlayer; the earliest is the 1953 (!) Lady from the Sea with Irene Worth and Robert Harris, produced by Harold Clayton.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Reposted by Valerian Forrest
I’m just gonna put up a bunch of these today I don’t think I have a choice
Garfbert 2013.11.11
Garfbert 2013.11.11
January 13, 2026 at 7:14 PM
I’m just gonna put up a bunch of these today I don’t think I have a choice
Garfbert 2013.11.11
Garfbert 2013.11.11
It's been a long slog but I've finally got my Connections stats up to a level where I'm having a perfect game 50% of the time.
What do you mean I could be achieving something worthwhile with my time?
What do you mean I could be achieving something worthwhile with my time?
January 12, 2026 at 6:19 PM
It's been a long slog but I've finally got my Connections stats up to a level where I'm having a perfect game 50% of the time.
What do you mean I could be achieving something worthwhile with my time?
What do you mean I could be achieving something worthwhile with my time?
Rocked up 10 hours after tickets went on general sale. Still managed to bag one of the seats I wanted in the stalls circle. 🎉
#Opera
#Opera
Tickets for the Royal Opera's spring/summer season go on sale at 9am tomorrow. At that exact moment, I will be in a staff development session at work that I cannot get out of. Fingers crossed I'll still be able to get something for Peter Grimes.
#Opera
#Opera
January 7, 2026 at 6:15 PM
Rocked up 10 hours after tickets went on general sale. Still managed to bag one of the seats I wanted in the stalls circle. 🎉
#Opera
#Opera
Porco Rossi is often my answer, too. It is, indeed, better to be a pig than a fascist.
And, my word, that score...
youtu.be/Htq2EUgcrKE?...
And, my word, that score...
youtu.be/Htq2EUgcrKE?...
January 6, 2026 at 5:45 PM
Porco Rossi is often my answer, too. It is, indeed, better to be a pig than a fascist.
And, my word, that score...
youtu.be/Htq2EUgcrKE?...
And, my word, that score...
youtu.be/Htq2EUgcrKE?...
Tickets for the Royal Opera's spring/summer season go on sale at 9am tomorrow. At that exact moment, I will be in a staff development session at work that I cannot get out of. Fingers crossed I'll still be able to get something for Peter Grimes.
#Opera
#Opera
January 6, 2026 at 9:11 AM
Tickets for the Royal Opera's spring/summer season go on sale at 9am tomorrow. At that exact moment, I will be in a staff development session at work that I cannot get out of. Fingers crossed I'll still be able to get something for Peter Grimes.
#Opera
#Opera
And that's the flights booked! That gives me just over ten months to plan my itinerary for Malta. That's the stuff.
#Travel #Travelsky
#Travel #Travelsky
As previously noted, I'm only truly happy when I've got a holiday to plan. Having said that, reserving a hotel room in Valletta for dates that are still 13 months away is probably taking the piss a bit. What can I say, it was a moment of weakness.
#Travel
#Travel
January 4, 2026 at 5:29 PM
And that's the flights booked! That gives me just over ten months to plan my itinerary for Malta. That's the stuff.
#Travel #Travelsky
#Travel #Travelsky
I know I say this every year but, if you're staying in for New Year's Eve, I recommend the live cèilidh on BBC Alba. It starts at 23:30 and it's always a treat to see in the new year with some quality music.
#NYE2025 #HappyNewYear
#NYE2025 #HappyNewYear
December 31, 2025 at 9:56 AM
I know I say this every year but, if you're staying in for New Year's Eve, I recommend the live cèilidh on BBC Alba. It starts at 23:30 and it's always a treat to see in the new year with some quality music.
#NYE2025 #HappyNewYear
#NYE2025 #HappyNewYear
Reposted by Valerian Forrest
Time for my annual Year In Theatre Programmes post, over on Instagram...
www.instagram.com/p/DSiT3SqDQw...
#Theatre
www.instagram.com/p/DSiT3SqDQw...
#Theatre
Mark Smith on Instagram: "With the curtain coming down on 2025, it's time to look back on the theatre I saw this year. Shakespeare and Marlowe feature prominently in my programme collection this year ...
0 likes, 0 comments - valerianforrest on December 21, 2025: "With the curtain coming down on 2025, it's time to look back on the theatre I saw this year. Shakespeare and Marlowe feature prominently in...
www.instagram.com
December 21, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Time for my annual Year In Theatre Programmes post, over on Instagram...
www.instagram.com/p/DSiT3SqDQw...
#Theatre
www.instagram.com/p/DSiT3SqDQw...
#Theatre
Reposted by Valerian Forrest
We’re proud that our beautiful Royal Safety Curtain has been included in the Beyond the 100 online exhibition, created by Northampton Museums & Art Gallery.
Find out more: https://royalandderngate.co.uk/news/royal-safety-curtain-included-in-beyond-the-100-online-exhibition/
Find out more: https://royalandderngate.co.uk/news/royal-safety-curtain-included-in-beyond-the-100-online-exhibition/
December 28, 2025 at 2:00 PM
We’re proud that our beautiful Royal Safety Curtain has been included in the Beyond the 100 online exhibition, created by Northampton Museums & Art Gallery.
Find out more: https://royalandderngate.co.uk/news/royal-safety-curtain-included-in-beyond-the-100-online-exhibition/
Find out more: https://royalandderngate.co.uk/news/royal-safety-curtain-included-in-beyond-the-100-online-exhibition/
Disappointed but not surprised at Northamptonshire's ranking.
The ranking of Norfolk far below Suffolk in this list is an abomination. www.the-fence.com/the-ceremoni...
The Ceremonial Counties of England… Ranked!
God’s Own Counties
www.the-fence.com
December 24, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Disappointed but not surprised at Northamptonshire's ranking.
Reposted by Valerian Forrest
Spooner's career as a continuity announcer was short-lived
December 22, 2025 at 8:08 AM
Spooner's career as a continuity announcer was short-lived