Graham Martin
@graham-martin.bsky.social
Formerly in Yorkshire, now living in Orkney. Lapsed activist, still talking politics. Pro-unions and strikes. Trans Lives Matter. Against all Imperialisms, not just the West. Too many interests to list. Neurodivergent. Christian, but not like that...
When in Norway, Have a break, Have a Quick Lunch!
(Product is nigh-identical, but produced by a Mondalez subsidiary and, crucially, not Nestle).
(Product is nigh-identical, but produced by a Mondalez subsidiary and, crucially, not Nestle).
October 27, 2025 at 11:34 AM
When in Norway, Have a break, Have a Quick Lunch!
(Product is nigh-identical, but produced by a Mondalez subsidiary and, crucially, not Nestle).
(Product is nigh-identical, but produced by a Mondalez subsidiary and, crucially, not Nestle).
Just dropping by whilst in Arctic Norway to say that all bread should come in wrappers with pictures this fun:
October 26, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Just dropping by whilst in Arctic Norway to say that all bread should come in wrappers with pictures this fun:
There is an Alternative that doesn't involve capitulation to Russia - nationalise these companies! Open government-owned munitions factories. No one will be safer if this turns into a corporate handout bonanza - the public won't stand for it, Putin exploit that.
(Image from Bloomberg)
(Image from Bloomberg)
March 18, 2025 at 11:39 AM
There is an Alternative that doesn't involve capitulation to Russia - nationalise these companies! Open government-owned munitions factories. No one will be safer if this turns into a corporate handout bonanza - the public won't stand for it, Putin exploit that.
(Image from Bloomberg)
(Image from Bloomberg)
If you're interested/horrified in Musk's attitude to his children, his son being in the Oval Office, etc. and haven't hard about (Thiel associate) Simone and Malcolm Collins and their genetically-selected wunderkid offspring (ew!), here's your prompt to get to it: www.google.com/search?q=sim...
February 13, 2025 at 3:23 PM
If you're interested/horrified in Musk's attitude to his children, his son being in the Oval Office, etc. and haven't hard about (Thiel associate) Simone and Malcolm Collins and their genetically-selected wunderkid offspring (ew!), here's your prompt to get to it: www.google.com/search?q=sim...
We all need a quick break from the crap on our timelines today. Please pause (pawse?), breath, and say hi to Alfie dog.
January 21, 2025 at 5:47 PM
We all need a quick break from the crap on our timelines today. Please pause (pawse?), breath, and say hi to Alfie dog.
(Loudly, in a Liz Truss voice:)
Pork Markets!
Pork Markets!
January 11, 2025 at 10:41 AM
(Loudly, in a Liz Truss voice:)
Pork Markets!
Pork Markets!
Picture perfect spacing in the women's race at Koksijde. Puck Pieterse leads (Dutch champ) Lucinda Brand and Brand leads (World Champ) van Empel.
January 3, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Picture perfect spacing in the women's race at Koksijde. Puck Pieterse leads (Dutch champ) Lucinda Brand and Brand leads (World Champ) van Empel.
I went to Cyclocross and all Ceri got was this hat. Which she is delighted by.
(Context: X2O Badkammers sell bathrooms and sponsor a series of major Belgian Cyclocross races. They use a bath duck in advertising. Mud -> Bathroom. Perfect sponsor match up.)
(Context: X2O Badkammers sell bathrooms and sponsor a series of major Belgian Cyclocross races. They use a bath duck in advertising. Mud -> Bathroom. Perfect sponsor match up.)
January 3, 2025 at 10:15 AM
I went to Cyclocross and all Ceri got was this hat. Which she is delighted by.
(Context: X2O Badkammers sell bathrooms and sponsor a series of major Belgian Cyclocross races. They use a bath duck in advertising. Mud -> Bathroom. Perfect sponsor match up.)
(Context: X2O Badkammers sell bathrooms and sponsor a series of major Belgian Cyclocross races. They use a bath duck in advertising. Mud -> Bathroom. Perfect sponsor match up.)
Antwerp, your station is ridiculous. How am I supposed to get from train to street without stopping and gawping in amazement?
December 28, 2024 at 12:04 PM
Antwerp, your station is ridiculous. How am I supposed to get from train to street without stopping and gawping in amazement?
So foggy, you can hardly see the Atomium from the Atomium. It's a wonderfully surreal place, but the whole "skyline view" will have to wait for a future visit!
December 27, 2024 at 4:05 PM
So foggy, you can hardly see the Atomium from the Atomium. It's a wonderfully surreal place, but the whole "skyline view" will have to wait for a future visit!
Bold move to put the most famous rider on site's trailer right next to the entrance queue. Mathieu taking a moment with this many fans after his warm up. Also spotted his dad.
(Going to miss the start of the women's race, but I blame SNCB for cancelling a Mol train)
(Going to miss the start of the women's race, but I blame SNCB for cancelling a Mol train)
December 23, 2024 at 12:37 PM
Bold move to put the most famous rider on site's trailer right next to the entrance queue. Mathieu taking a moment with this many fans after his warm up. Also spotted his dad.
(Going to miss the start of the women's race, but I blame SNCB for cancelling a Mol train)
(Going to miss the start of the women's race, but I blame SNCB for cancelling a Mol train)
Looking at my photos from yesterday's Cyclocross, I wish they did better justice to how tall and steep those slopes are! It's a wonderful arena that began life as a sand quarry and was only inclufed in the race after a rider found it whilst warming up near the old version of the course.
December 23, 2024 at 6:44 AM
Looking at my photos from yesterday's Cyclocross, I wish they did better justice to how tall and steep those slopes are! It's a wonderful arena that began life as a sand quarry and was only inclufed in the race after a rider found it whilst warming up near the old version of the course.
Gotta feel for all those male pro-Cyclocross riders. They train and train for a 5 month season, only for Matthieu van der Poel to show up and snatch a bunch of victories and the world championship.
Yet again, he shows up late for the season and suddenly everyone is fighting for 2nd.
Yet again, he shows up late for the season and suddenly everyone is fighting for 2nd.
December 22, 2024 at 6:07 PM
Gotta feel for all those male pro-Cyclocross riders. They train and train for a 5 month season, only for Matthieu van der Poel to show up and snatch a bunch of victories and the world championship.
Yet again, he shows up late for the season and suddenly everyone is fighting for 2nd.
Yet again, he shows up late for the season and suddenly everyone is fighting for 2nd.
Zonhoeven's famous 'De Kuil' sandpit. Getting to the bottom is hard enough for spectators but it makes an excellent arena for Cyclocross.
Photos don't really do justice to how big the drops are. Photo 2 is the U23 world champ making light work of it.
Photos don't really do justice to how big the drops are. Photo 2 is the U23 world champ making light work of it.
December 22, 2024 at 11:56 AM
Zonhoeven's famous 'De Kuil' sandpit. Getting to the bottom is hard enough for spectators but it makes an excellent arena for Cyclocross.
Photos don't really do justice to how big the drops are. Photo 2 is the U23 world champ making light work of it.
Photos don't really do justice to how big the drops are. Photo 2 is the U23 world champ making light work of it.
When in Belgium...
December 20, 2024 at 8:59 PM
When in Belgium...
I've been staying at my parents' in Cambridgeshire. They have a cat who likes to hang out in their living room. It's not theirs, and they know whose it is, but she turns up at theirs or the house across the street most days.
Anyone, any excuse to post cat pictures.
Anyone, any excuse to post cat pictures.
December 18, 2024 at 8:18 PM
I've been staying at my parents' in Cambridgeshire. They have a cat who likes to hang out in their living room. It's not theirs, and they know whose it is, but she turns up at theirs or the house across the street most days.
Anyone, any excuse to post cat pictures.
Anyone, any excuse to post cat pictures.
Left early for Christmas but got to see the first fairy lights appearing on the boats in Kirkwall marina. In the next 2 weeks, the lights will spread. #orkney
December 14, 2024 at 11:38 AM
Left early for Christmas but got to see the first fairy lights appearing on the boats in Kirkwall marina. In the next 2 weeks, the lights will spread. #orkney
I stand with Starmer!
December 13, 2024 at 1:30 PM
I stand with Starmer!
My first Christmas Gift of the season is a somewhat comedic glasses holder. It's an attempt to stop me asking my other half for a hand locating my glasses.
(In defence of the photo, it's not like I was wearing my glasses).
(In defence of the photo, it's not like I was wearing my glasses).
December 12, 2024 at 5:38 PM
My first Christmas Gift of the season is a somewhat comedic glasses holder. It's an attempt to stop me asking my other half for a hand locating my glasses.
(In defence of the photo, it's not like I was wearing my glasses).
(In defence of the photo, it's not like I was wearing my glasses).
Orkney Ferry's Varagen heads out on a sunset cruise of sorts, yesterday. #Orkney runs on ferry services like this one. The vessel was built circa 1990 (young in Scottish ferry terms) and there's no sign of a replacement.
December 11, 2024 at 5:25 PM
Orkney Ferry's Varagen heads out on a sunset cruise of sorts, yesterday. #Orkney runs on ferry services like this one. The vessel was built circa 1990 (young in Scottish ferry terms) and there's no sign of a replacement.
Recent quietness has been in no small part due to creating this corner of the lounge. Now to carefully load the shelves, given that they're screwed to studs not masonry. (Alas my poor books).
November 28, 2024 at 3:32 PM
Recent quietness has been in no small part due to creating this corner of the lounge. Now to carefully load the shelves, given that they're screwed to studs not masonry. (Alas my poor books).
Warming up under a blanket with a hot drink after the Orkney for Gaza vigil in Kirkwall. Glad the wind speeds haven't picked up just yet. The inconvenience is mild by comparison with life in Gaza, but it's a test nonetheless.
November 23, 2024 at 2:16 PM
Warming up under a blanket with a hot drink after the Orkney for Gaza vigil in Kirkwall. Glad the wind speeds haven't picked up just yet. The inconvenience is mild by comparison with life in Gaza, but it's a test nonetheless.