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cathbooth.bsky.social
cathbooth
@cathbooth.bsky.social
470 followers 360 following 330 posts
If Farage's people are real, ordinary and decent then I must be pretend, weird and immoral.
Section 28 values. #Prejudice #LGBTPrideMonth 2016

Dysgu Cymraeg, byw ym Manceinion
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cathbooth.bsky.social
Croeso o Dafarn yr Haul, Llanengan
Peint hyfryd… ac wedyn dych chi'n sylweddoli ei fod yn dod o Stockport…🤔 #homefromhome!
Nice pint… in a glass etched with ‘F Robinson, Unicorn Brewery’!
October 23, 2025 at 5:18 PM
cathbooth.bsky.social
😆

btw having watched two series of Borderlands/Sorjonen, I decided to dip my toes into Finnish.

Very phonetic, which is good. But so many umlauts - keep getting told off by the owl
Duolingo screenshot: “I laugh often” (beginners Finnish)
October 20, 2025 at 11:41 AM
cathbooth.bsky.social
Post you from a different era.

1988, FE lecturer at the London College of Printing.
‘Who've you come to see?’ asked the chap on the London College of Printing security desk. Catherine Booth. ‘Which department?’ She's a lecturer in machine printing. "A woman?" He seemed suspicious. ‘Standard’, says Catherine Booth. After 8 years in industry and a year’s teaching, she’s heard it all before. In the past she has been asked by her own students whether she is part time or doing voluntary work. Admittedly, it started as a hobby. She did ‘a bit of screen printing’ & had not thought of it as a career. But after a spell with an inplant in Oxford, she got a job with a jobbing printers in London and trained as a machine operator and platemaker. She worked for several other companies and enjoyed most of her time in the trade. She has had to become less sensitive to survive. ‘The working environment varies from company to company. In one place you can get a lot of harassment and in another practically none. ‘I’ve had to turn a blind eye to some of the smaller things.’ Employers have always been ‘fairly amazed’ when she turned up for jobs. One told her she couldn't have the job because there were no toilets for her. The union intervened and the company employed her. Despite the obstacles, she thinks that printing, on balance, is a career that builds women’s confidence. When she is not teaching day-release students and the diploma course, she runs taster courses for fifth formers, 50% of whom are girls, and tries to interest them in a career in printing. ‘Printing is fairly well-paid and very satisfying. Many service jobs that women do are repetitive & you never see an end result. In printing you have an end product which you can see is good. But you’ve never printed the perfect job, you can always get better.’ She feels the immediate problem is getting more women into skilled areas of print and, more importantly, getting them to stay. Many leave. Those who do stick it out tend to be very good. Because they are breaking new ground they cannot afford to be average.
October 13, 2025 at 4:21 PM
cathbooth.bsky.social
Piers Morgan with subtitles: A PENIS Piers Morgan with subtitles: LACKING NUANCE
October 12, 2025 at 9:34 AM
cathbooth.bsky.social
New Statesman archive copy

archive.today/q9mTu
Screenshot of archived New Statesman article (link: http://archive.today/q9mTu)
September 24, 2025 at 3:31 PM
cathbooth.bsky.social
Copied from someone on Bluesky (Alt text in two parts)
“We are incredibly disappointed to see the leadership fallout in Your Party. But we want to assure you that your donations are safe. MOU Operations Ltd was set up before the launch of Your Party's website went live on the 24th of July. It was approved by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana to be the custodian of the donations. All the donations encouraged by both Zarah and Jeremy, or anyone else, went into this bank account, with their approval. The recent email launching a membership system uses exactly the same payment system, and goes into the same bank account. We will not comment on the dispute between Jeremy and Zarah about who should or should not send emails. That email system is not owned or controlled by MOU Operations Ltd. We will speak to Jeremy and Zarah and make sure the mechanism for any refunds is shared with you. As the directors of MOU Operations Ltd, our duty and loyalty is to the members and supporters who have signed up and donated. We will not take sides between Jeremy and Zarah. We will act only in your interests, to deliver the project you signed up for. We want to see this project succeed; it is bigger than anyone involved. This is a fast moving situation, and we hope a resolution can be found. (1/2) [continues] “We take our legal, moral and fiduciary duties extremely seriously. We want to assure you that we have taken no payment of any kind. We have not been involved in running the project since its launch in July. We are simply custodians of the money. Neither Zarah nor Jeremy have received any money from MOU Operations Ltd, nor have they ever asked to. In the spirit of openness, we have to disclose that we have tried to mediate between Jeremy and Zarah for some weeks now. We have raised concerns about the breakdown of trust, poor communication, inadequate governance and a lack of transparency. In blunt terms, we demanded a meeting to get it sorted. One side agreed, the other has not responded despite multiple attempts. We are as exasperated as you are. We have been inundated with messages asking us to help find a solution, which we continue to do. Hundreds of thousands of people see the need for a new kind of politics. They want a party that will build from the grassroots up. One that is truly democratic in practice as well as in principle, and gives the hope for a better Britain and a better world. We share that hope. Jamie Driscoll Beth Winter Andrew Feinstein Directors of MOU Operations Ltd” (2/2)
September 20, 2025 at 3:19 PM
cathbooth.bsky.social
I’m shocked that Matt Chorley, Murdoch man, offered no pushback to Noa Hoffman of The Sun
September 20, 2025 at 10:43 AM
cathbooth.bsky.social
“I did not have relations with that man”
Image: Trump, seated, gazing up at Mandelson, standing to his side: Heading: “Mandelson reveals Trump called him handsome after they held…” Screenshot, article by The Independent
September 18, 2025 at 3:19 PM
cathbooth.bsky.social
Bit rich, considering the last ten years basically got written by Stephen King
‘The Dead Zone’ book
September 12, 2025 at 10:37 AM
cathbooth.bsky.social
My Radiohead tickets experience.

Silent
Silent
This is my final fit
My final bellyache with

No alarms and no surprises Let me out of here.
AXS decided I was a bot - “We are sorry, your access has been restricted Time: 2025-09-12T09:15:19.4892645Z UTC Original URL: q.axs.co.uk/error403 Why Am I seeing this? • Your access was restricted when you tried to visit the website. • The website you tried to access has been configured to block access to a configuration that matches yours. • Are you using Apple's iCloud Private Relay feature or other privacy networks like scaler? Privacy networks feature could be the reason.”
September 12, 2025 at 9:59 AM
cathbooth.bsky.social
“You are John McTernan and I claim my £5”
September 3, 2025 at 9:49 AM
cathbooth.bsky.social
Rework of The National post Text: 'Very encouraging': Keir Starmer reveals he hangs a portrait of Nigel Farage in his hand Image: Starmer with a strange expression on his face
September 2, 2025 at 12:10 PM
cathbooth.bsky.social
Though you will sometimes hear people stressing the last syllable if they have a strong Mancunian accent…
From a Manchester City blog… “Of course not; it's Manchest-uh.” “They call it Manchest-oh in the North of the city. It's the Southern ponces who call it Manchest-uh.” “Hey I was born and dragged up in Moss Side and Longsight. South Manchester = God's own country, the promised land.”
September 2, 2025 at 7:56 AM
cathbooth.bsky.social
Recaptioned, same image 'Very encouraging': Keir Starmer reveals he hangs a portrait of Nigel Farage in his hand [Image of Keir Starmer with a strange expression on his face]
September 1, 2025 at 2:30 PM
cathbooth.bsky.social
Murdochy
Murdoch’s Sky New Australia: “Will Kingston is a SkyNews.com.au contributor based in New York, where he works as a consultant. He also hosts The Spectator Australia podcast Australiana.”
August 17, 2025 at 7:34 AM
cathbooth.bsky.social
Qt this post with someone you wish was still alive

Dawn Foster
1986-2021
Dawn Foster (1986 - 2021) Photo of graffiti on a wall reading ‘DAWN FOSTER FOREVER and a red heart symbol’ Two obituaries - Juliet Jaques: https://artsoftheworkingclass.org/text/dawn-foster-1986-2021 Ben Smoke: https://www.huckmag.com/article/dawn-foster-forever
August 16, 2025 at 4:53 PM
cathbooth.bsky.social
Eventually!
Jupiter directly above Venus in pre-dawn sky, silhouette of smokebush
August 13, 2025 at 3:53 AM
cathbooth.bsky.social
US trade deal
“JD Vance intends to demand that the British government roll back laws against hateful comments, including abuse targeting LGBTQ+ groups, as a condition in any deal between the nations, an anonymous senior Washington figure who has advised the Trump Administration told The Independent”
The Advocate, 17 April 2025 The source said that the vice president is "obsessed by the fall of Western civilization," and believes that free speech is supposedly being suppressed in the U.K. through such laws. "The vice-president expressing optimism [on a trade deal] is a way of putting further pressure on the UK over free speech. If a deal does not go through, it makes Labour look bad," the source said. "No free speech, no deal. It is as simple as that." The source also cited Vance's recent speech at an event in Munich, Germany for the Heritage Foundation, the conservative think tank behind Project 2025. Vance said in his remarks that liberalism and immigration are the "most surefire way to destroy democracy." "The threat that I worry most about vis-a-vis Europe is not Russia, not China, it's not any other external actor. What I worry about is the threat from within, the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values," Vance said, adding, "If American democracy can survive 10 years of Greta Thunberg scolding, you guys can survive a few months of Elon Musk."
August 12, 2025 at 12:25 PM
cathbooth.bsky.social
Deliberate, calculated and very likely based on an offer he won’t refuse.

‘At an event in Munich for the Heritage Foundation, conservative think tank behind Project 2025, Vance said that liberalism and immigration are the "most surefire way to destroy democracy."’

www.advocate.com/politics/us-...
Extract from The Advocate, 17 April 2025 “The United States is reportedly telling the United Kingdom to repeal its hate speech protections for LGBTQ+ people and other minorities in order to secure a trade deal. JD Vance intends to demand that the British government roll back laws against hateful comments, including abuse targeting LGBTQ+ groups, as a condition in any deal between the nations, an anonymous senior Washington figure who has advised the Trump Administration told The Independent. The source said that the vice president is "obsessed by the fall of Western civilization," and believes that free speech is supposedly being suppressed in the U.K. through such laws. "The vice-president expressing optimism [on a trade deal] is a way of putting further pressure on the UK over free speech. If a deal does not go through, it makes Labour look bad," the source said. "No free speech, no deal. It is as simple as that." The source also cited Vance's recent speech at an event in Munich, Germany for the Heritage Foundation, the conservative think tank behind Project 2025. Vance said in his remarks that liberalism and immigration are the "most surefire way to destroy democracy." "The threat that I worry most about vis-a-vis Europe is not Russia, not China, it's not any other external actor. What I worry about is the threat from within, the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values," Vance said, adding, "If American democracy can survive 10 years of Greta Thunberg scolding, you guys can survive a few months of Elon Musk."
August 12, 2025 at 12:00 PM
cathbooth.bsky.social
When I was in Northern Ireland last month I saw flags from proscribed organisations all along main roads the whole time we were there.
No attempt for them to be removed or anyone arrested, Keir Starmer?
Wikipedia entry, Ulster Defence Force “The group is a proscribed organisation and is on the terrorist organisation list of the United Kingdom. Image shows their emblem and their flag https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulster_Volunteer_Force Wikipedia [lists source links] “Since the ceasefire, the UVF, especially the East Belfast UVF, has been involved in rioting, drug dealing, organised crime, loan-sharking and prostitution. Some members have also been found responsible for orchestrating a series of racist attacks.” https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulster_Volunteer_Force
August 10, 2025 at 9:33 AM
cathbooth.bsky.social
In case it’s helpful!

Manchester info:
Moon rise 22:46
Peak 01:43
Set 04:41

It will be low in the sky even at peak, but worth looking for it
Rises opposite to where the sun sets, sets opposite to where the sun rises

[Screenshot of Sundial app]
Manchester info: Moon rise 22:46 Peak 01:43 Set 04:41 It will be low in the sky even at peak, but worth looking for it Rises opposite to where the sun sets, sets opposite to where the sun rises [Screenshot of Sundial app]
June 11, 2025 at 11:58 AM
cathbooth.bsky.social
I’ll just drink my tea with a quizzical expression - gif
June 5, 2025 at 9:54 PM
cathbooth.bsky.social
You have a point, though it’s fairly close to being an editorial - “Martin Sandbu is the Financial Times's European economics commentator”
From FT.com: “Martin Sandbu is the Financial Times's European economics commentator.”
June 2, 2025 at 8:30 PM
cathbooth.bsky.social
“Telegraph Sport had been told…”
we can’t be bothered to name a source
Extract from article: “Telegraph Sport had been told that Earps was not handling her demotion, which came almost a year ago, well.”
May 28, 2025 at 8:41 AM
cathbooth.bsky.social
Quick but important point - typo in the title: ‘cass’ should read ‘Cass’.
Screenshot, title of linked article. The name ‘Cass’ should be capitalised: “Critically appraising the cass report: methodological flaws and unsupported claims”
May 11, 2025 at 6:45 AM