James Wilkinson
@jamesxwilkinson.bsky.social
Self-exiled from Twitter and UK. Ex-Leyther and 30 years' active service in Birmingham. Beer, wine, Claphams pasties when I can, cats, dog-shaped hole, French rurality.
I'll tell you who is sick, Nadhim
January 12, 2026 at 12:13 PM
I'll tell you who is sick, Nadhim
How many is 'everyone these days?
January 11, 2026 at 11:53 AM
How many is 'everyone these days?
There's bound to be a single German word for this.
January 10, 2026 at 4:57 PM
There's bound to be a single German word for this.
... he'd go bowling.
January 5, 2026 at 9:31 AM
... he'd go bowling.
The crows do a similar job round here on market days, when they try to snatch starlings and, when successful, butcher them alive on the ridge of a nearby house...
January 3, 2026 at 9:29 AM
The crows do a similar job round here on market days, when they try to snatch starlings and, when successful, butcher them alive on the ridge of a nearby house...
On the other hand, I could quite easily have remained happily oblivious of the Serpentine Herring Gull.
January 2, 2026 at 11:23 PM
On the other hand, I could quite easily have remained happily oblivious of the Serpentine Herring Gull.
No! Should I now start doubting that Clint Eastwood set foot in ancient times on Smallbrook Queensway?
December 31, 2025 at 4:16 PM
No! Should I now start doubting that Clint Eastwood set foot in ancient times on Smallbrook Queensway?
I feel my past is catching up with me
December 20, 2025 at 12:00 PM
I feel my past is catching up with me
If it had been a Hurricane, I might have been tempted
December 4, 2025 at 9:52 PM
If it had been a Hurricane, I might have been tempted
Normally I'd discuss this as ludicrous and not spare it a thought but I'm beginning to really wonder if there isn't something more sinister going on
December 2, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Normally I'd discuss this as ludicrous and not spare it a thought but I'm beginning to really wonder if there isn't something more sinister going on
Indeed. Getting Sounds to work now is akin to sorcery. I have a combination of things I try without really knowing which one is effective. Sounds normally detects VPN but I'm currently successfully posing as a resident of Douglas IoM. Kind of fun to me but which casual listener is going to bother?
November 29, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Indeed. Getting Sounds to work now is akin to sorcery. I have a combination of things I try without really knowing which one is effective. Sounds normally detects VPN but I'm currently successfully posing as a resident of Douglas IoM. Kind of fun to me but which casual listener is going to bother?
Thanks for the link. I had to battle to follow it as I live in France and BBC Sounds is technically off-limits now. Worth it though as it was interesting and entertaining. Somehow I was completely ignorant about Ian Marchant even though, on the basis of this his output ticks a lot of my boxes.
November 29, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Thanks for the link. I had to battle to follow it as I live in France and BBC Sounds is technically off-limits now. Worth it though as it was interesting and entertaining. Somehow I was completely ignorant about Ian Marchant even though, on the basis of this his output ticks a lot of my boxes.
If you like 70s popular music and Philip Glass you will love Glass's Symphony No 1. I first came across it as background music in an Arena documentary on the Wizard of Oz in 1994. (Thank you internet for memory boost)
November 25, 2025 at 9:17 AM
If you like 70s popular music and Philip Glass you will love Glass's Symphony No 1. I first came across it as background music in an Arena documentary on the Wizard of Oz in 1994. (Thank you internet for memory boost)
The Major - Hampshire won, Fawlty
Basil - Did it?
The quotation is from memory, but case proven, I believe.
Basil - Did it?
The quotation is from memory, but case proven, I believe.
November 23, 2025 at 5:26 PM
The Major - Hampshire won, Fawlty
Basil - Did it?
The quotation is from memory, but case proven, I believe.
Basil - Did it?
The quotation is from memory, but case proven, I believe.
The spirit of Humphrey Lyttleton posts among us
November 22, 2025 at 7:58 PM
The spirit of Humphrey Lyttleton posts among us
I learned about them in Graham Robb's Discovery of France. Quite the eye-opener considering how much time I'd spent studying France & French culture.
November 18, 2025 at 5:18 PM
I learned about them in Graham Robb's Discovery of France. Quite the eye-opener considering how much time I'd spent studying France & French culture.
It may be a slip as he has put 1918 on another post, but I have seen 1919 before as an end date to WWI, based on the signing of the Treaty of Versailles that year.
November 11, 2025 at 10:22 AM
It may be a slip as he has put 1918 on another post, but I have seen 1919 before as an end date to WWI, based on the signing of the Treaty of Versailles that year.
Curious choice of photo to go with the strapline. It isn't Capone
November 9, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Curious choice of photo to go with the strapline. It isn't Capone
On the other hand I am encouraged by a dissenting voice after the usual Mangan nonsense
November 8, 2025 at 1:46 PM
On the other hand I am encouraged by a dissenting voice after the usual Mangan nonsense
For the first time in about 45 years, the name Rachel Sweet has made itself unwelcome in my memory. Was it that year?
November 7, 2025 at 9:43 PM
For the first time in about 45 years, the name Rachel Sweet has made itself unwelcome in my memory. Was it that year?
The implications of this article is that there are millions of us.
November 7, 2025 at 5:32 PM
The implications of this article is that there are millions of us.
Subjectively, I thought the same. I do remember being almost constantly aware of the threat of violence going out in the 70s. The pub, the last bus home, rock concerts etc. I lasted until 1980 before I got beaten up for standing at the 'wrong' bus stop. Some count that as the 70s, of course.
November 3, 2025 at 11:08 PM
Subjectively, I thought the same. I do remember being almost constantly aware of the threat of violence going out in the 70s. The pub, the last bus home, rock concerts etc. I lasted until 1980 before I got beaten up for standing at the 'wrong' bus stop. Some count that as the 70s, of course.
And in time for the resumption of hostilities after the end of the international break, so you can get back to the important stuff.
October 15, 2025 at 8:13 PM
And in time for the resumption of hostilities after the end of the international break, so you can get back to the important stuff.