AlanB
@alanjbanks.bsky.social
Retired Doctor. Four wonderful grandkids.
Servant of 4 yr old Staffie.
Love vinyl.
Model Railways in various scales.
Member of the tofu eating, leftie wokerati. Not keen on tofu, but I've eaten it.
Now, a Green Party member.
Ban Blood Sports.
Servant of 4 yr old Staffie.
Love vinyl.
Model Railways in various scales.
Member of the tofu eating, leftie wokerati. Not keen on tofu, but I've eaten it.
Now, a Green Party member.
Ban Blood Sports.
I must have done something right. There are 30 fish in there, and I can't see even 1.
They've all got a home to go to.
Mind the frenzy at feeding time is quite something, too.
Malawi cichlids and cuckoo catfish.
They've all got a home to go to.
Mind the frenzy at feeding time is quite something, too.
Malawi cichlids and cuckoo catfish.
December 6, 2025 at 7:09 PM
I must have done something right. There are 30 fish in there, and I can't see even 1.
They've all got a home to go to.
Mind the frenzy at feeding time is quite something, too.
Malawi cichlids and cuckoo catfish.
They've all got a home to go to.
Mind the frenzy at feeding time is quite something, too.
Malawi cichlids and cuckoo catfish.
My grandson William is now an U17 international footballer. Plays for 🇹🇼 Taiwan. They drew 0-0 yesterday against a strong Lebanon.
An exceptional young man of whom I am extremely proud.
An exceptional young man of whom I am extremely proud.
November 23, 2025 at 8:18 AM
My grandson William is now an U17 international footballer. Plays for 🇹🇼 Taiwan. They drew 0-0 yesterday against a strong Lebanon.
An exceptional young man of whom I am extremely proud.
An exceptional young man of whom I am extremely proud.
It's a hard life for a dog.
November 12, 2025 at 11:32 AM
It's a hard life for a dog.
That's taken longer than I thought it would. After 3 weeks and six days, the aquarium filter has cycled and could in theory be stocked with fish.
I'm now going to let the filter mature somewhat, so I can start with a larger initial population.
Plants in a few days.
I'm now going to let the filter mature somewhat, so I can start with a larger initial population.
Plants in a few days.
November 1, 2025 at 7:27 PM
That's taken longer than I thought it would. After 3 weeks and six days, the aquarium filter has cycled and could in theory be stocked with fish.
I'm now going to let the filter mature somewhat, so I can start with a larger initial population.
Plants in a few days.
I'm now going to let the filter mature somewhat, so I can start with a larger initial population.
Plants in a few days.
That's the hardscape done. Let the glue go off and fill with water.
Should have fish by December. I want to be able to put 24 to 30 juveniles in all at once. This minimises aggression as they get older. Therefore a fully mature filter is needed.
Lake Malawi cichlids are the intended occupants.
Should have fish by December. I want to be able to put 24 to 30 juveniles in all at once. This minimises aggression as they get older. Therefore a fully mature filter is needed.
Lake Malawi cichlids are the intended occupants.
October 5, 2025 at 3:06 PM
That's the hardscape done. Let the glue go off and fill with water.
Should have fish by December. I want to be able to put 24 to 30 juveniles in all at once. This minimises aggression as they get older. Therefore a fully mature filter is needed.
Lake Malawi cichlids are the intended occupants.
Should have fish by December. I want to be able to put 24 to 30 juveniles in all at once. This minimises aggression as they get older. Therefore a fully mature filter is needed.
Lake Malawi cichlids are the intended occupants.
This just got delivered. Looking forward to getting this up and running.
September 30, 2025 at 1:50 PM
This just got delivered. Looking forward to getting this up and running.
Thanks to Google lens I now know what this leaf is from. Found at nursery 10 yrs ago. No one knew what it was.
It grows 2m a year and produces Ash type leaves 800mm long.
I cut it back severely every winter.
It's a Black Walnut and can grow to 40m.
Juglans nigra
Not your suburban garden tree
It grows 2m a year and produces Ash type leaves 800mm long.
I cut it back severely every winter.
It's a Black Walnut and can grow to 40m.
Juglans nigra
Not your suburban garden tree
September 23, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Thanks to Google lens I now know what this leaf is from. Found at nursery 10 yrs ago. No one knew what it was.
It grows 2m a year and produces Ash type leaves 800mm long.
I cut it back severely every winter.
It's a Black Walnut and can grow to 40m.
Juglans nigra
Not your suburban garden tree
It grows 2m a year and produces Ash type leaves 800mm long.
I cut it back severely every winter.
It's a Black Walnut and can grow to 40m.
Juglans nigra
Not your suburban garden tree
I want this on my headstone.
September 18, 2025 at 7:49 PM
I want this on my headstone.
The glorious colours of Autumn.
September 17, 2025 at 5:44 PM
The glorious colours of Autumn.
It's one saying usable in polite society.
It's chucking/throwing/sheeting it down.
It's pissing down.
Raining cats and dogs.
Stair rods out there.
That last one may confuse you.
It's chucking/throwing/sheeting it down.
It's pissing down.
Raining cats and dogs.
Stair rods out there.
That last one may confuse you.
September 14, 2025 at 3:40 PM
It's one saying usable in polite society.
It's chucking/throwing/sheeting it down.
It's pissing down.
Raining cats and dogs.
Stair rods out there.
That last one may confuse you.
It's chucking/throwing/sheeting it down.
It's pissing down.
Raining cats and dogs.
Stair rods out there.
That last one may confuse you.
Introducing the Nige FrogFace incense burner.
Yours for a lot of money at a Reform meeting now.
Yours for a lot of money at a Reform meeting now.
September 7, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Introducing the Nige FrogFace incense burner.
Yours for a lot of money at a Reform meeting now.
Yours for a lot of money at a Reform meeting now.
Bet he's got a few of these on the walls
August 19, 2025 at 7:29 AM
Bet he's got a few of these on the walls
New aquarium started, water in. Now, we have to wait for the filter to establish, and then it's plants and fish. Loosely based on the River Rokel around Bumbuna Falls in Sierra Leone.
August 6, 2025 at 1:07 PM
New aquarium started, water in. Now, we have to wait for the filter to establish, and then it's plants and fish. Loosely based on the River Rokel around Bumbuna Falls in Sierra Leone.
It's 10 yrs since I took down my last aquarium.
About time I did another.
About time I did another.
August 2, 2025 at 4:31 PM
It's 10 yrs since I took down my last aquarium.
About time I did another.
About time I did another.
I was thinking of a rather well placed lightning strike. Or a plague of haggises.
Spellchecker didn't like my plural of the humble haggis.
Haggis haggisii. Didn't like that either.
Spellchecker didn't like my plural of the humble haggis.
Haggis haggisii. Didn't like that either.
July 27, 2025 at 6:43 AM
I was thinking of a rather well placed lightning strike. Or a plague of haggises.
Spellchecker didn't like my plural of the humble haggis.
Haggis haggisii. Didn't like that either.
Spellchecker didn't like my plural of the humble haggis.
Haggis haggisii. Didn't like that either.
I posted this recently. A Sabre Wasp. Spent the night in the kitchen. This is harmless to humans, far less so to other insects. That Sabre is used to deposit eggs in others. The grubs have live food source.
July 4, 2025 at 3:53 PM
I posted this recently. A Sabre Wasp. Spent the night in the kitchen. This is harmless to humans, far less so to other insects. That Sabre is used to deposit eggs in others. The grubs have live food source.
Because this is the real one.
June 21, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Because this is the real one.
Just dug thus out of the garden with the help of the dog. Is it OK to use it as the first in my 'Stumpery'? It's rather smaller than those at Highgrove.
June 18, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Just dug thus out of the garden with the help of the dog. Is it OK to use it as the first in my 'Stumpery'? It's rather smaller than those at Highgrove.
I have the body of a God!
June 18, 2025 at 12:18 PM
I have the body of a God!
Typical UK style glass. It's a pint (20 fl oz) to the brim. No room for foam.
One also gets a slightly larger glass with a measure line for a pint. No more than 1/2in below brim.
One also gets a slightly larger glass with a measure line for a pint. No more than 1/2in below brim.
June 10, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Typical UK style glass. It's a pint (20 fl oz) to the brim. No room for foam.
One also gets a slightly larger glass with a measure line for a pint. No more than 1/2in below brim.
One also gets a slightly larger glass with a measure line for a pint. No more than 1/2in below brim.
French meme doing the rounds.
June 7, 2025 at 8:42 AM
French meme doing the rounds.
Staffy on squirrel watch.
May 31, 2025 at 10:45 AM
Staffy on squirrel watch.
This is the translation, I don't think that's what you said!
May 22, 2025 at 6:59 AM
This is the translation, I don't think that's what you said!
