Alan Bellingham
@bellinghman.bsky.social
I'm sure I've got a user icon round here somewhere
Owie! I mean at 20 she's got every right, but even so
November 27, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Owie! I mean at 20 she's got every right, but even so
That won't help
November 27, 2025 at 7:34 PM
That won't help
Many years ago we went to a wedding in Dublin, attending the ceremony at the registry office and then taking a coach to the Guinness site for the reception. It would have been considerably quicker to have walked
This was before the Port Tunnel was built, and things did ease up in late years
This was before the Port Tunnel was built, and things did ease up in late years
November 27, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Many years ago we went to a wedding in Dublin, attending the ceremony at the registry office and then taking a coach to the Guinness site for the reception. It would have been considerably quicker to have walked
This was before the Port Tunnel was built, and things did ease up in late years
This was before the Port Tunnel was built, and things did ease up in late years
Yeah. I've been using the same dealer for almost 20 years, and they still do it for my annual service. If they didn't, I'd have to go round to Tesco for a valeting
Current car bought new, now 5+ years old but still under warranty, which might be a factor. Previous car lasted me 12+ from new
Current car bought new, now 5+ years old but still under warranty, which might be a factor. Previous car lasted me 12+ from new
November 27, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Yeah. I've been using the same dealer for almost 20 years, and they still do it for my annual service. If they didn't, I'd have to go round to Tesco for a valeting
Current car bought new, now 5+ years old but still under warranty, which might be a factor. Previous car lasted me 12+ from new
Current car bought new, now 5+ years old but still under warranty, which might be a factor. Previous car lasted me 12+ from new
I suspect because that way she doesn't have to move?
November 27, 2025 at 2:42 PM
I suspect because that way she doesn't have to move?
It's usually 'cester' that gets shortened down like that - so Worcester, Bicester and Towcester that I can think of off the top of my head. Chester, Rochester, Manchester and even Godmanchester don't
November 27, 2025 at 2:41 PM
It's usually 'cester' that gets shortened down like that - so Worcester, Bicester and Towcester that I can think of off the top of my head. Chester, Rochester, Manchester and even Godmanchester don't
The fat balls are in cages and though our magpies occasionally have a go at those, they don't get them open. The monkey nuts are specifically for them
November 27, 2025 at 2:36 PM
The fat balls are in cages and though our magpies occasionally have a go at those, they don't get them open. The monkey nuts are specifically for them
I put out monkey nuts (i.e. peanuts still in their shells) in our garden. It's amazing just how quickly the magpies appear
But these are not salted
But these are not salted
November 27, 2025 at 12:31 PM
I put out monkey nuts (i.e. peanuts still in their shells) in our garden. It's amazing just how quickly the magpies appear
But these are not salted
But these are not salted
When the roof needs doing, the roof needs doing
November 27, 2025 at 10:16 AM
When the roof needs doing, the roof needs doing
Ah, not *just* the ash, the different lime as well!
November 26, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Ah, not *just* the ash, the different lime as well!
Oh that's good. I usually see such cases missing their slots and ending up later and later, but then that's Europe with very limited spare capacity
I wonder whether someone just glitched their time zones
I wonder whether someone just glitched their time zones
November 26, 2025 at 12:34 PM
Oh that's good. I usually see such cases missing their slots and ending up later and later, but then that's Europe with very limited spare capacity
I wonder whether someone just glitched their time zones
I wonder whether someone just glitched their time zones
Ah Jeez that's bad. Hope they catch some of that time back up, but I can't see how
November 26, 2025 at 6:31 AM
Ah Jeez that's bad. Hope they catch some of that time back up, but I can't see how
Their concrete apparently incorporated volcanic ash, which seems to have some interesting advantages over more modern recipes
November 25, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Their concrete apparently incorporated volcanic ash, which seems to have some interesting advantages over more modern recipes
Somewhat smaller but, given part of an actual explosive item, more dangerous
November 25, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Somewhat smaller but, given part of an actual explosive item, more dangerous
In our case, we called the police, and the police called the bomb squad
(When I was young, we kids found something embedded in the clay in a river bank out in rural Bucks. My Dad started excavating it, got nervous, police got nervous, bomb squad got nervous before identifying it as a drop tank)
(When I was young, we kids found something embedded in the clay in a river bank out in rural Bucks. My Dad started excavating it, got nervous, police got nervous, bomb squad got nervous before identifying it as a drop tank)
November 25, 2025 at 3:49 PM
In our case, we called the police, and the police called the bomb squad
(When I was young, we kids found something embedded in the clay in a river bank out in rural Bucks. My Dad started excavating it, got nervous, police got nervous, bomb squad got nervous before identifying it as a drop tank)
(When I was young, we kids found something embedded in the clay in a river bank out in rural Bucks. My Dad started excavating it, got nervous, police got nervous, bomb squad got nervous before identifying it as a drop tank)
Damn, beaten to it
November 25, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Damn, beaten to it
But today is Catharine of Alexandria's. It means my college is 552 years old
November 25, 2025 at 3:37 PM
But today is Catharine of Alexandria's. It means my college is 552 years old
I can sort of see 3 'gratings' of nutmeg in a cake. What was the amended amount, do you know?
November 25, 2025 at 1:36 PM
I can sort of see 3 'gratings' of nutmeg in a cake. What was the amended amount, do you know?
I think the package I bought was only about 50g, unlike the paprika ones, which were 250g each
November 25, 2025 at 10:20 AM
I think the package I bought was only about 50g, unlike the paprika ones, which were 250g each
London and Dublin being opposite is not unreasonable if you're somewhere like Reading, but yes, from there Jerusalem and Baghdad ought to be roughly collinear
November 25, 2025 at 12:34 AM
London and Dublin being opposite is not unreasonable if you're somewhere like Reading, but yes, from there Jerusalem and Baghdad ought to be roughly collinear
I notice the article mentions safflower. I have some, bought in Budapest as 'Hungarian Saffron', and yes, while it colours nicely, it doesn't have anything like the same flavour
(I was bulk buying paprika in the central market, and was intrigued by this substance that I knew wasn't really saffron)
(I was bulk buying paprika in the central market, and was intrigued by this substance that I knew wasn't really saffron)
November 25, 2025 at 12:24 AM
I notice the article mentions safflower. I have some, bought in Budapest as 'Hungarian Saffron', and yes, while it colours nicely, it doesn't have anything like the same flavour
(I was bulk buying paprika in the central market, and was intrigued by this substance that I knew wasn't really saffron)
(I was bulk buying paprika in the central market, and was intrigued by this substance that I knew wasn't really saffron)
Yeah. There are reasons why it is more expensive weight for weight than gold
November 25, 2025 at 12:17 AM
Yeah. There are reasons why it is more expensive weight for weight than gold
One of my colleagues had been visiting her family, deep in China (flies to Shanghai, two days on train). She ended up having to buy a new laptop and working remotely, but she was so used to working with Windows in English that the Chinese version was a real pain for her
November 25, 2025 at 12:14 AM
One of my colleagues had been visiting her family, deep in China (flies to Shanghai, two days on train). She ended up having to buy a new laptop and working remotely, but she was so used to working with Windows in English that the Chinese version was a real pain for her
We usually avoid them, but you saw us in Cork last month due to us flying Ryanair from Stansted
BTW we saw Marc Burrows again a fortnight ago, at a local bookshop event, the 5th time I've seen him. That includes when he played in Cambridge with punk band The Men Who Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing
BTW we saw Marc Burrows again a fortnight ago, at a local bookshop event, the 5th time I've seen him. That includes when he played in Cambridge with punk band The Men Who Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing
November 25, 2025 at 12:10 AM
We usually avoid them, but you saw us in Cork last month due to us flying Ryanair from Stansted
BTW we saw Marc Burrows again a fortnight ago, at a local bookshop event, the 5th time I've seen him. That includes when he played in Cambridge with punk band The Men Who Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing
BTW we saw Marc Burrows again a fortnight ago, at a local bookshop event, the 5th time I've seen him. That includes when he played in Cambridge with punk band The Men Who Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing