Lion & Unicorn
@lionunicorn.bsky.social
Culture | History | Politics
thelionandunicorn.com
thelionandunicorn.com
"Starmer’s insouciance about the collapse in numbers – from 649,000 last year to 204,000... – was just the latest example of how damagingly detached from reality political debate about migration has become"
Heather's x-axis starts in 2012, of course.
thelionandunicorn.wordpress.com/2016/06/25/t...
Heather's x-axis starts in 2012, of course.
thelionandunicorn.wordpress.com/2016/06/25/t...
November 30, 2025 at 1:01 PM
"Starmer’s insouciance about the collapse in numbers – from 649,000 last year to 204,000... – was just the latest example of how damagingly detached from reality political debate about migration has become"
Heather's x-axis starts in 2012, of course.
thelionandunicorn.wordpress.com/2016/06/25/t...
Heather's x-axis starts in 2012, of course.
thelionandunicorn.wordpress.com/2016/06/25/t...
Tonight on Amazon Prime, THE LION IN WINTER (1968), Peter O'Toole's second cinematic turn as Henry II.
The greatest of all Christmas movies.
The greatest of all Christmas movies.
November 15, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Tonight on Amazon Prime, THE LION IN WINTER (1968), Peter O'Toole's second cinematic turn as Henry II.
The greatest of all Christmas movies.
The greatest of all Christmas movies.
News coming in that our @finlay24.bsky.social has committed content again...
November 13, 2025 at 8:37 PM
News coming in that our @finlay24.bsky.social has committed content again...
Re-watching BECKET was wonderful. Obviously Burton (born #OTD 1925) is brilliant. But O'Toole is an astonishingly charismatic monster as Henry — surely his best Sixties role, after Lawrence?
Peter Glenville's direction & Geoffrey Unsworth's cinematography are gorgeous too. Spielberg gorgeous.
Peter Glenville's direction & Geoffrey Unsworth's cinematography are gorgeous too. Spielberg gorgeous.
November 10, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Re-watching BECKET was wonderful. Obviously Burton (born #OTD 1925) is brilliant. But O'Toole is an astonishingly charismatic monster as Henry — surely his best Sixties role, after Lawrence?
Peter Glenville's direction & Geoffrey Unsworth's cinematography are gorgeous too. Spielberg gorgeous.
Peter Glenville's direction & Geoffrey Unsworth's cinematography are gorgeous too. Spielberg gorgeous.
"Have you watched the John Lewis Christmas advert yet?"
November 9, 2025 at 12:25 PM
"Have you watched the John Lewis Christmas advert yet?"
And the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role goes to...Michael Kitchen's lips.
November 1, 2025 at 10:39 PM
And the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role goes to...Michael Kitchen's lips.
A film you’ve seen more than seven times with a gif
November 1, 2025 at 10:37 PM
A film you’ve seen more than seven times with a gif
BREAKING: Two men have been arrested in connection with the heist of France’s Crown Jewels from the Louvre
October 26, 2025 at 11:13 PM
BREAKING: Two men have been arrested in connection with the heist of France’s Crown Jewels from the Louvre
The editorial team at L&U are pleased as Punch for our @finlay24.bsky.social that his essay on the PARKINSON debate between Kenneth Williams & trade union legend Jimmy Reid has now been endorsed by two generations of Reids. (Thank you @joanireid.com.)
thelionandunicorn.com/2025/10/23/l...
thelionandunicorn.com/2025/10/23/l...
October 25, 2025 at 3:21 PM
The editorial team at L&U are pleased as Punch for our @finlay24.bsky.social that his essay on the PARKINSON debate between Kenneth Williams & trade union legend Jimmy Reid has now been endorsed by two generations of Reids. (Thank you @joanireid.com.)
thelionandunicorn.com/2025/10/23/l...
thelionandunicorn.com/2025/10/23/l...
The first real sign that Nu Who is going to succumb to 1980s-style fan wank is when Davison-fan Moffat puts Chibnall on a Silurian story (👋 Saward and Byrne). They're a good idea, but not common culture. And just dull in the hands of a poor writer.
October 20, 2025 at 12:24 PM
The first real sign that Nu Who is going to succumb to 1980s-style fan wank is when Davison-fan Moffat puts Chibnall on a Silurian story (👋 Saward and Byrne). They're a good idea, but not common culture. And just dull in the hands of a poor writer.
IMO, Davros makes complete sense in 2008: he's the only remaining 1960s-70s monster who's part of common culture; the war-ravaged, insane creator of the Daleks is an inherently strong concept (and where you go when the tin pepperpots are losing impact); and he easily fits into the Time War.
October 20, 2025 at 12:22 PM
IMO, Davros makes complete sense in 2008: he's the only remaining 1960s-70s monster who's part of common culture; the war-ravaged, insane creator of the Daleks is an inherently strong concept (and where you go when the tin pepperpots are losing impact); and he easily fits into the Time War.
It'll take a lot to convince me that the much-lauded title sequences for THE WHITE LOTUS weren't inspired by those for Auntie's MISS MARPLE.
Mike White's show often feels like Christie — just with more Yanks and guaranteed bumming.
Mike White's show often feels like Christie — just with more Yanks and guaranteed bumming.
October 4, 2025 at 8:17 PM
It'll take a lot to convince me that the much-lauded title sequences for THE WHITE LOTUS weren't inspired by those for Auntie's MISS MARPLE.
Mike White's show often feels like Christie — just with more Yanks and guaranteed bumming.
Mike White's show often feels like Christie — just with more Yanks and guaranteed bumming.
'Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has told analysts that people without smart glasses may one day be at a "significant cognitive disadvantage" compared to those who do use the tech'
September 15, 2025 at 6:01 PM
'Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has told analysts that people without smart glasses may one day be at a "significant cognitive disadvantage" compared to those who do use the tech'
BOOKISH is wonderful. Great cast, lovely design, knowingly Golden Age – in a good way – and largely unpreachy.
And at the risk of coming over all #ProductionValues, the colour grading is delightful. All those crimsons and Bonfire Toffee browns!
And at the risk of coming over all #ProductionValues, the colour grading is delightful. All those crimsons and Bonfire Toffee browns!
September 14, 2025 at 7:24 PM
BOOKISH is wonderful. Great cast, lovely design, knowingly Golden Age – in a good way – and largely unpreachy.
And at the risk of coming over all #ProductionValues, the colour grading is delightful. All those crimsons and Bonfire Toffee browns!
And at the risk of coming over all #ProductionValues, the colour grading is delightful. All those crimsons and Bonfire Toffee browns!
People complain that Britain doesn't have a world-leading tech sector. But I say: "Look how rich Larry Ellison got off of ORACLE!"
September 14, 2025 at 4:28 PM
People complain that Britain doesn't have a world-leading tech sector. But I say: "Look how rich Larry Ellison got off of ORACLE!"
It was an insult that Rayner was ever compared to Prescott.
The better comparison is to Starmer himself.
Both are products of their party's degradation since the fag-end of New Labour; especially its hollowing out in 2015 and during the Corbyn wars.
This is not the felling of a big beast. (4/4)
The better comparison is to Starmer himself.
Both are products of their party's degradation since the fag-end of New Labour; especially its hollowing out in 2015 and during the Corbyn wars.
This is not the felling of a big beast. (4/4)
September 5, 2025 at 10:30 PM
It was an insult that Rayner was ever compared to Prescott.
The better comparison is to Starmer himself.
Both are products of their party's degradation since the fag-end of New Labour; especially its hollowing out in 2015 and during the Corbyn wars.
This is not the felling of a big beast. (4/4)
The better comparison is to Starmer himself.
Both are products of their party's degradation since the fag-end of New Labour; especially its hollowing out in 2015 and during the Corbyn wars.
This is not the felling of a big beast. (4/4)
Three Homes Rayner's defenders tried to proffer Two Jags John in mitigation, except cars aren't houses, and 2025 Britain - with its huge housing costs & #costoflivingcrisis - isn't the country of New Labour.
Tax aside, buying a seaside house 264 miles from her constiuency was awful politics. (3/?)
Tax aside, buying a seaside house 264 miles from her constiuency was awful politics. (3/?)
September 5, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Three Homes Rayner's defenders tried to proffer Two Jags John in mitigation, except cars aren't houses, and 2025 Britain - with its huge housing costs & #costoflivingcrisis - isn't the country of New Labour.
Tax aside, buying a seaside house 264 miles from her constiuency was awful politics. (3/?)
Tax aside, buying a seaside house 264 miles from her constiuency was awful politics. (3/?)
Lion & Unicorn on Angela Rayner:
She was often compared to John Prescott (sometimes in her own acts of self-promotion), but before Prezza became deputy PM he had been a proper union official, he had served 27 years as an MP, and he had led the Labour group in the European Parliament. (1/?)
She was often compared to John Prescott (sometimes in her own acts of self-promotion), but before Prezza became deputy PM he had been a proper union official, he had served 27 years as an MP, and he had led the Labour group in the European Parliament. (1/?)
September 5, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Lion & Unicorn on Angela Rayner:
She was often compared to John Prescott (sometimes in her own acts of self-promotion), but before Prezza became deputy PM he had been a proper union official, he had served 27 years as an MP, and he had led the Labour group in the European Parliament. (1/?)
She was often compared to John Prescott (sometimes in her own acts of self-promotion), but before Prezza became deputy PM he had been a proper union official, he had served 27 years as an MP, and he had led the Labour group in the European Parliament. (1/?)
Tonight on the Dailymotion, KING AND COUNTRY (1964). A Great War court martial drama starring Tom Courtenay, Dirk Bogarde and Leo McKern.
dai.ly/x866f00
dai.ly/x866f00
August 31, 2025 at 11:49 PM
Tonight on the Dailymotion, KING AND COUNTRY (1964). A Great War court martial drama starring Tom Courtenay, Dirk Bogarde and Leo McKern.
dai.ly/x866f00
dai.ly/x866f00
To celebrate Lion & Unicorn passing its ✨️10th anniversary✨️, we've done some rebranding.
A big part of the blog's identity comes from @alwynturner.bsky.social's garish collage work. So we decided to ditch the John Tenniel illustrations and lean into montage.
We hope you like the new look.
A big part of the blog's identity comes from @alwynturner.bsky.social's garish collage work. So we decided to ditch the John Tenniel illustrations and lean into montage.
We hope you like the new look.
August 31, 2025 at 11:03 PM
To celebrate Lion & Unicorn passing its ✨️10th anniversary✨️, we've done some rebranding.
A big part of the blog's identity comes from @alwynturner.bsky.social's garish collage work. So we decided to ditch the John Tenniel illustrations and lean into montage.
We hope you like the new look.
A big part of the blog's identity comes from @alwynturner.bsky.social's garish collage work. So we decided to ditch the John Tenniel illustrations and lean into montage.
We hope you like the new look.