Jeremy Benson
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jembenson.bsky.social
Jeremy Benson
@jembenson.bsky.social
1.4K followers 2.8K following 3.6K posts
Adviser @aqaeducation.bsky.social, MAT and @RSPH.bsky.social trustee, ex-senior civil servant; classical music, #LCFC 🦊, England⚽️🏏, walks, photos, words (no politics); husband, father, generally curious

https://substack.com/@jembenson
📍 Leicestershire, UK
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jembenson.bsky.social
A picture a week for 2025: 46
A close-up of a poppy surrounded by green crops in a field, and cloudy sky above.
November 14, 2025 at 5:01 PM
jembenson.bsky.social
#FingerpostFriday
A white three-way signpost with black lettering on the B582 east of Newbold Verdon in Leicestershire. It has directions to Brascote, Kirkby Mallory, Desford, Enderby, Newbold Verdon and Barlestone.
November 14, 2025 at 7:13 AM
jembenson.bsky.social
#AdoorableThursday Elton
The double church door to the church in Elton, Cambridgeshire. They are brown with a curved arch at the top and a light stone surround, and the wall of the porch they are in is whitewashed. The doors have horizontal and vertical strips of wood, so are covered in squares. The right hand door is slightly ajar.
November 13, 2025 at 7:16 AM
jembenson.bsky.social
The basses doing some final practice.
The double bass section of the BRSO alone on the Barbican stage
November 12, 2025 at 7:24 PM
jembenson.bsky.social
Barbican, night.
White lights reflected in the Barbican lake, and the skyscrapers in the distance, contrast with the softer lights of St Giles in the background and the buildings to the left.
November 12, 2025 at 7:08 PM
jembenson.bsky.social
To the Barbican this evening to see Simon Rattle and the Bavarian RSO in Janáček and Bruckner. Anyone else going? #classicalmusic
The Barbican: a fountain in the foreground and the stranded St Giles church on the other side of the water.
November 12, 2025 at 7:29 AM
jembenson.bsky.social
The sky’s veins.
A bare-branched tree against a sky of wispy cloud.
November 10, 2025 at 7:18 AM
jembenson.bsky.social
Autumn walk.
In the foreground are some berries: I’m not sure what type of berry they are, but they’re dark blue and clustered on otherwise bare branches with thorns, with beads of dew visible on one or two of the closer ones. In the background, out of focus, are grey, cloudy skies and a green field. It looks colder than it actually was.
November 9, 2025 at 7:55 PM
jembenson.bsky.social
If you see this, post an album cover with a vehicle on it.
Album cover of a Signum Classics release of La Serenissima with Adrian Chandler performing Vivaldi. It has two old orange-red Fiat 500s back to back against a stone wall.
November 9, 2025 at 3:37 PM
jembenson.bsky.social
#handwriteyourpost
@mirandakeeling.com
‘This is very beautiful’
November 9, 2025 at 8:39 AM
jembenson.bsky.social
The Year: a new poem.
(I wrote a few words about it here: jembenson.substack.com/p/the-year)
The Year A blank page, time’s pen hovers; nature takes us, glancing back, as still the year awakes… Out of stubborn earth, anticipation Springs like coloured fountains, weaving telling threads from greygrey clouds; life’s trees begin new rings: we gorge our dark sweet eggs and honeyed breads… While waters trickle, chuckling forest eyes watch Summer butterflies, which flutter-roam in yellow fieldscapes, under life’s vast skies: our languid laughing days, late sunsets home… When fruit-red apples fall on misty ground (a-strewn with wistful crunch-leaves), nature stills as life’s Autumnal streams all tumble round: we bonfire, scarfed against the gnawing chills… With branches stark beneath blue Wintry skies, the frozen river holds its breath, and starts life’s shiv’ring dusk, avails the year’s demise: those clearnight carols, frosts that sing our hearts… Time’s page now full of dancing - nature read its steps - but we must turn, and look ahead… (September 2025)
November 9, 2025 at 7:59 AM
jembenson.bsky.social
Mark-Anthony Turnage’s new opera The Railway Children had some lovely music, great acting especially from the 3 children, & real drama & cumulative power - I found the ending genuinely moving. A bit hard to follow the intricacies of the story on one watch, but hope to have a chance to hear it again.
Mark Anthony Turnage and Rachael Hewer take applause with the cast and conductor at the end of this evening’s performance of their new opera at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
November 8, 2025 at 10:43 PM
jembenson.bsky.social
More #London at night.
Looking southwest from Waterloo Bridge with the London Eye lit up in purple left of centre, the South Bank Centre to the left, boats in the foreground with lights reflected in the dark Thames, and the Elizabeth Tower in the distance towards the right. Looking east from Waterloo Bridge with the lights of the City reflected in the Thames, and St Paul’s Cathedral in the distance. Dark trees on the embankment in front of the National Theatre can be seen to the right.
November 8, 2025 at 6:22 PM
jembenson.bsky.social
#London at night….
I moved the phone while taking the picture so the picture is a series of near-vertical squiggly luminous lines of different colours against a dark background.
November 8, 2025 at 6:02 PM
jembenson.bsky.social
Perhaps the saddest thing about leaving Twitter is standing on a random station platform and not being able to tag Ian McMillan into a tweet claiming (wrongly) that Paul Simon wrote Homeward Bound there. (I’m on the very spot here at Kettering where the song was conceived.)
The platform at Kettering station in the pale November afternoon sunshine. Red pillars hold up the canopy, dutifully standing behind the yellow line.
November 8, 2025 at 3:51 PM
jembenson.bsky.social
In my scrawly handwriting I wrote, ‘I don’t normally handwrite posts but I could make an exception for this one!’
November 8, 2025 at 8:00 AM
jembenson.bsky.social
A picture a week for 2025: 45
A sunny autumn day on the Grand Union canal south of Leicester. A tall tree opposite is reflected in the water. An old brick stone bridge to the left makes a Pac-Man shape with its reflection.
November 7, 2025 at 5:16 PM
jembenson.bsky.social
#FingerpostFriday #Bedford
A four-way black signpost in central Bedford with the spire of St Paul’s Church behind. It has a roundel on the top saying ‘Harpur Street - Bedford Borough’ and directions in gold writing to, among others, Bedford College, Riverside Bedford, the Harpur Centre, the Bus Station, Allhallows, Lurke Street, the Corn Exchange and Museums.
November 7, 2025 at 7:08 AM
jembenson.bsky.social
#AdoorableThursday Thurning
A dark brown door to the church at Thurning in Northamptonshire. It has metal studs in a diagonal pattern across the door. The stone surrounding it is light coloured, and makes a pointed arch above which is slightly wonky, suggesting it is old. It has a stone slab in the grass in front of it and a black metal drainpipe to its left.
November 6, 2025 at 6:39 AM
jembenson.bsky.social
As expected, a tough watch for #LCFC fans, with every successful defensive action applauded by the home crowd; we conceded a corner after 14 seconds. Arsenal 2-0 up but their dominance probably deserves more. Nevertheless O’Brien nearly scored from a goalkeeper mistake on 25 minutes. 🦊💙
Leicester players get tactical advice during an unofficial drinks break
November 2, 2025 at 12:31 PM
jembenson.bsky.social
Matchday. A noon kick-off for the #LCFC women against Arsenal, who are doing less well than expected so far this season - they are below Spurs in the WSL table, which must be painful for them. But it’s a free hit for us - anything other than an easy away win would be a big (and enjoyable) shock. 🦊💙
A Leicester flag being waves at a women’s game at the KP
November 2, 2025 at 8:23 AM
jembenson.bsky.social
On the way to the match.
Black and white photo of fans walking along Raw Dykes Road, with long shadows and pylons ahead. They were blissfully unaware of the grim performance to come. Black and white photo of fans walking along Raw Dykes Road, with long shadows and pylons ahead. They were blissfully unaware of the grim performance to come.
November 1, 2025 at 4:17 PM
jembenson.bsky.social
@thehistorymouse.bsky.social is this you…?! 🐭
A sign in the church in Luddington-in-the-Brook, Northamptonshire, which reads: ‘Welcome all visitors, young & old. In 2022 Mouse came for a visit and loved this place so much that Mouse decided to stay. Mouse is often found praying somewhere in church. If you find Mouse, please write in the visitors book and tell us where. And we hope you enjoy your visit here too.’
October 31, 2025 at 9:51 PM
jembenson.bsky.social
A picture a week for 2025: 44
A staircase on the deck of a passenger ferry in bright sunshine, which creates striking shadows on the wall behind and the floor below.
October 31, 2025 at 5:14 PM
jembenson.bsky.social
#FingerpostFriday Bedford
A black signpost by the Embankment in Bedford, with trees and a road behind. There is a roundel on top saying ‘The Embankment - Bedford Borough’, and many signs pointing many different ways. In gold lettering with symbols, directions include the Athletics Stadium, Bedford Station, the Bunyan Museum, the Higgins, the Castle Mound and Council Enquiries.
October 31, 2025 at 7:33 AM