martin'o'mendips
@martinevans2000.bsky.social
Mendip-dwelling retiree: considers himself a West London Cockney.
Pinned
Somerset HER
www.somersetheritage.org.uk
For BaNES & Somerset, these are good.
Also have tithe maps with information on each plot (field name/property name, owner, lessee, etc)
www.somersetheritage.org.uk
Also have tithe maps with information on each plot (field name/property name, owner, lessee, etc)
www.somersetheritage.org.uk
Reposted by martin'o'mendips
Celebrating an incredible coincidence of history today: #OnThisDay in 1859, Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species, and 115 years later, to the day, Lucy was found. 🏺
November 24, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Celebrating an incredible coincidence of history today: #OnThisDay in 1859, Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species, and 115 years later, to the day, Lucy was found. 🏺
This is one of the most beautifully written and affecting pieces I've read for a while:
harpers.org/archive/2025...
(trigger warnings: death/dogs/alzheimer/Gene Hackman)
harpers.org/archive/2025...
(trigger warnings: death/dogs/alzheimer/Gene Hackman)
One Four Two Five Old Sunset Trail, by Joy Williams
On the last days of Gene Hackman
harpers.org
October 28, 2025 at 8:23 AM
This is one of the most beautifully written and affecting pieces I've read for a while:
harpers.org/archive/2025...
(trigger warnings: death/dogs/alzheimer/Gene Hackman)
harpers.org/archive/2025...
(trigger warnings: death/dogs/alzheimer/Gene Hackman)
paging @ejparkinson.bsky.social
“An example of the town of the future is Coventry.... Traffic and pedestrians are kept apart and the roads are planned to let traffic flow smoothly”
(Our Land in the Making, 1966)
Artist: Ronald Lampitt
(Our Land in the Making, 1966)
Artist: Ronald Lampitt
October 3, 2025 at 7:09 AM
paging @ejparkinson.bsky.social
Seeing a picture of a Red Arrows flypast set me wondering if they would have stopped using blue smoke if Scotland had gained independence.
Would the union jack have lost the saltire?
Would the union jack have lost the saltire?
September 12, 2025 at 8:26 AM
Seeing a picture of a Red Arrows flypast set me wondering if they would have stopped using blue smoke if Scotland had gained independence.
Would the union jack have lost the saltire?
Would the union jack have lost the saltire?
Just finished my 2nd read of 'Cuckoo: Cheating by Nature' by Nick Davies, a glorious celebration of a weird and infamous bird. The 1st read was so good I gave it away as a gift - to share the enjoyment - so had to buy another copy.
July 4, 2025 at 7:41 AM
Just finished my 2nd read of 'Cuckoo: Cheating by Nature' by Nick Davies, a glorious celebration of a weird and infamous bird. The 1st read was so good I gave it away as a gift - to share the enjoyment - so had to buy another copy.
Reposted by martin'o'mendips
Sometimes I wake up - like today - thinking quite out of the blue how insanely easy it would’ve been to improve things in even the most marginal of ways after the catastrophe of the Tories, and how insanely incompetent and malevolent Labour have been in actually making it just as bad, if not worse.
July 1, 2025 at 6:24 AM
Sometimes I wake up - like today - thinking quite out of the blue how insanely easy it would’ve been to improve things in even the most marginal of ways after the catastrophe of the Tories, and how insanely incompetent and malevolent Labour have been in actually making it just as bad, if not worse.
1st take-away factoid: eels are the most smuggled animal by weight and value.
2nd take-way factoid: Ely (city) was named for its eels.
Many more amazing factoids available (but why are podcast presenters so banal?)
2nd take-way factoid: Ely (city) was named for its eels.
Many more amazing factoids available (but why are podcast presenters so banal?)
Watch me talk about eels! This was a really fun conversation, and I'm delighted that it's out in the world! Also, I talk about maps a bit, and why meat is sexy in ways that eels just aren't!
Step away from the dumpster fire that is the Earth for a moment and learn about the fascinating world of eels with @greenleejw.bsky.social! You won't regret it. #2complicated4history
June 12, 2025 at 8:00 AM
1st take-away factoid: eels are the most smuggled animal by weight and value.
2nd take-way factoid: Ely (city) was named for its eels.
Many more amazing factoids available (but why are podcast presenters so banal?)
2nd take-way factoid: Ely (city) was named for its eels.
Many more amazing factoids available (but why are podcast presenters so banal?)
Reposted by martin'o'mendips
Happy National Donut Day!
June 7, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Happy National Donut Day!
"Dickensian gruel and 21st-century oat milk are basically the same thing"
Discuss.
Discuss.
May 17, 2025 at 9:16 AM
"Dickensian gruel and 21st-century oat milk are basically the same thing"
Discuss.
Discuss.
And similarly, grief:
tomcox.substack.com/p/lots-of-pe...
tomcox.substack.com/p/lots-of-pe...
Lots Of People Will Unsubscribe As A Result Of This, Solely Because It's My Second Post In Consecutive Days, But The Fact Is My Cat Died And I Needed To Write About It
Back when I lived on the Norfolk-Suffolk border, a little over a decade ago, there was a running joke amongst people who knew me that my house was a kind of after-hours youth club for cats.
tomcox.substack.com
April 23, 2025 at 11:33 AM
And similarly, grief:
tomcox.substack.com/p/lots-of-pe...
tomcox.substack.com/p/lots-of-pe...
I'm always in awe of other people's skills:
bsky.app/profile/dj-a...
bsky.app/profile/dj-a...
A little while ago, my parents' cat Bridget went missing. As the weeks dragged on, they became extremely worried. My dad devised a way to distract himself: he began to paint Bridget's adventures, imagining her travelling through time and popping up in some of art and music's most iconic scenes.
April 23, 2025 at 11:31 AM
I'm always in awe of other people's skills:
bsky.app/profile/dj-a...
bsky.app/profile/dj-a...
Quote from Vittles online magazine about 'Delia Smith’s Complete Cookery Course' (1982)
April 13, 2025 at 8:06 AM
Quote from Vittles online magazine about 'Delia Smith’s Complete Cookery Course' (1982)
Rediscovering childrens fantasy books I never read as I was interested in other things (and a bit too old) when they came out: The Dark is Rising series is FABULOUS
April 4, 2025 at 10:18 PM
Rediscovering childrens fantasy books I never read as I was interested in other things (and a bit too old) when they came out: The Dark is Rising series is FABULOUS
Satanist:
Well, every full moon we do go up to the Heath at midnight, and we do strip ourselves completely naked, and we do passionately ravage each other till dawn.
Interviewer:
And this helps summon up the forces of Evil, does it?
Satanist:
Who cares?
(source: Not the Nine O'Clock News)
Well, every full moon we do go up to the Heath at midnight, and we do strip ourselves completely naked, and we do passionately ravage each other till dawn.
Interviewer:
And this helps summon up the forces of Evil, does it?
Satanist:
Who cares?
(source: Not the Nine O'Clock News)
March 28, 2025 at 9:37 AM
Satanist:
Well, every full moon we do go up to the Heath at midnight, and we do strip ourselves completely naked, and we do passionately ravage each other till dawn.
Interviewer:
And this helps summon up the forces of Evil, does it?
Satanist:
Who cares?
(source: Not the Nine O'Clock News)
Well, every full moon we do go up to the Heath at midnight, and we do strip ourselves completely naked, and we do passionately ravage each other till dawn.
Interviewer:
And this helps summon up the forces of Evil, does it?
Satanist:
Who cares?
(source: Not the Nine O'Clock News)
I can't stop watching this
This mama cat introducing her kitten to her dog bestie might be the most wholesome thing you see today 💞
🎥discoveranimals
🎥discoveranimals
March 23, 2025 at 10:38 AM
I can't stop watching this
Reposted by martin'o'mendips
Did everyone else know this?
@stevenc63.bsky.social @nothingisrealpod.bsky.social
@adrianspecs.bsky.social
@racheltalalay.com
@stevenc63.bsky.social @nothingisrealpod.bsky.social
@adrianspecs.bsky.social
@racheltalalay.com
March 16, 2025 at 1:49 AM
Did everyone else know this?
@stevenc63.bsky.social @nothingisrealpod.bsky.social
@adrianspecs.bsky.social
@racheltalalay.com
@stevenc63.bsky.social @nothingisrealpod.bsky.social
@adrianspecs.bsky.social
@racheltalalay.com
Lovely walk yesterday morning: the first time in 3 years I've felt I could get off-road and use stiles. Arthritis definitely improving.
March 15, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Lovely walk yesterday morning: the first time in 3 years I've felt I could get off-road and use stiles. Arthritis definitely improving.
This isn't, but should be, known by all politicians:
"The appropriate metaphor for education is a garden, not the production line."
Debbie Chachra, Professor of Engineering, Olin College of Engineering.
"The appropriate metaphor for education is a garden, not the production line."
Debbie Chachra, Professor of Engineering, Olin College of Engineering.
March 11, 2025 at 2:06 PM
This isn't, but should be, known by all politicians:
"The appropriate metaphor for education is a garden, not the production line."
Debbie Chachra, Professor of Engineering, Olin College of Engineering.
"The appropriate metaphor for education is a garden, not the production line."
Debbie Chachra, Professor of Engineering, Olin College of Engineering.
Reposted by martin'o'mendips
March 9, 2025 at 7:22 AM
One of our older male cats has started crapping and peeing indoors instead of outside so now we have - as all the advice says - to 'think like a cat' and work out what's happened to him to change his behaviour.
Problem is, it's George, and he's an idiot.
Problem is, it's George, and he's an idiot.
March 4, 2025 at 6:18 PM
One of our older male cats has started crapping and peeing indoors instead of outside so now we have - as all the advice says - to 'think like a cat' and work out what's happened to him to change his behaviour.
Problem is, it's George, and he's an idiot.
Problem is, it's George, and he's an idiot.
"The carnal act is known as 'traumatic insemination,' and copulation kicks off by mutually stabbing each other with 'love darts' — tiny calcium spears that transfer a hormone.
www.npr.org/sections/the...
www.npr.org/sections/the...
Jeremy, The Lonely, Left-Twisting Snail, Dies — But Knows Love Before The End
OK, "love" might be overstating it. But the little lefty — whose seemingly hopeless search for a mate sparked an international quest — did manage to procreate before he slithered off this mortal coil.
www.npr.org
February 18, 2025 at 8:57 AM
"The carnal act is known as 'traumatic insemination,' and copulation kicks off by mutually stabbing each other with 'love darts' — tiny calcium spears that transfer a hormone.
www.npr.org/sections/the...
www.npr.org/sections/the...
You could say Littering Matters ... (I wouldn't)
#OnThisDay in London aeronautical herstory, 1909: Muriel Matters flies over the capital in a suffragette airship to distribute leaflets
wp.me/p74yfw-RS
wp.me/p74yfw-RS
Today in London aeronautical herstory, 1909: Muriel Matters flies suffragette airship over West London
Steampunk rebels eat your heart out… If you thought the scene in the old Ealing Comedy film Kind Hearts and Coronets, where the suffragette aunty flies a hot air balloon to distribute ‘Votes …
wp.me
February 16, 2025 at 9:57 AM
You could say Littering Matters ... (I wouldn't)
Reposted by martin'o'mendips
“Sooner or later, we’re all someone’s dog.”
September 6, 2023 at 1:21 AM
“Sooner or later, we’re all someone’s dog.”