Mal Franks
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merseymal.com
Mal Franks
@merseymal.com
2K followers 1.4K following 2.8K posts
Data Analyst since 2023. IT Supervisor/SysAdmin 1997-2023. Computer tinkerer/gamer since 1982. Console gamer since 1977. Tea drinker since 1974. He/him.

Loves telly, music, comics, movies, games and tea.
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merseymal.com
Mal Franks @merseymal.com · Oct 17
That time when I caught the 3rd Doctor breaking and entering in my street.
A black and red curtain sticking out of a window looking like one of the capes that Jon Pertwee wore as the 3rd Doctor, though it could have equally applied to Dracula, in which case he probably got stuck and his body turned to ash when the Sun came up...
merseymal.com
Was great in the Classic Ghosts stage production of The Signalman and Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come To You, My Lad alongside Terrence Hardiman and Dicken Ashworth that I saw at the Floral Pavilion in New Brighton in 2015
worldoftelly.bsky.social John Williams @worldoftelly.bsky.social · 5h
Shepherd was also blessed with one of the great faces of the late 20th century with his sunken eyes, insane cheekbones, and puckered lips. I love this photo of him because he looks like he’s suddenly remembered that he has children.
Jack Shepherd with his wife Anne, and two babies. Jack looks stunned.
November 25, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Reposted by Mal Franks
jenjea.bsky.social
My latest for @gamesradarplus.bsky.social is up and it's all about the World of Warcraft Midnight beta. Do have a read and enjoy! www.gamesradar.com/games/world-...
After 21 years of feeling at home in World of Warcraft, Midnight finally gives me a real place to call home
Now Playing | It's time to settle down
www.gamesradar.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Reposted by Mal Franks
aptshadow.bsky.social
Last night was the inaugural Speakies - uk audiobook awards, for which Bee Speaker was nominated. We didn’t take it but thanks to Gabrielle Nellis-Pain and Rod Hallett my co-narrators for getting us on the shortlist.
November 25, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Reposted by Mal Franks
timwrite.net
I’m getting old, my eyesight’s going. I really, really appreciate alt text and love you for taking the time to write it.

Don’t know how to use it? I was heavily involved in creating this for the university of Lees (before getting laid off because funding)

digitalaccessibility.leeds.ac.uk/guidance/
Guidance - Digital Accessibility
digitalaccessibility.leeds.ac.uk
November 25, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Reposted by Mal Franks
jothekendall.bsky.social
Fancy a #KingCrimson Christmas? Your wish is granted if you join me, @sidsmith.bsky.social & @mikebarnesjourno.bsky.social on December 7 at 1pm at The Water Rats in King's Cross for a Lizard Listening Party! Tickets and deets here: www.tickettailor.com/events/themo...
#70sProg #MusicSly #70sprogrock
A purple square flyer for our event that has King Crimson's Lizard album cover on and the text: Join Prog Magazine's Jo Kendall, Sid Smith and Mike Barnes for Lizard chat, special guests and a full playback of Steven Wilson's 2025 stereo mix. 1pm-4pm The Water Rats Theatre, 328 Gray's Inn Road, WC1X 8BZ. Tube/Overgroung King's Cross. Tickets £10in advance, £8 concessions, £12 on the door + free King Crimbo mince pies
November 25, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Reposted by Mal Franks
petecarr.net
Is anyone else using The Printspace for their print store backend? It’s… a lot. Just want to add a few new prints, and I think its a few days work to do. Should be easier. #Photographers
November 25, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Reposted by Mal Franks
chriswilliams-dink.bsky.social
It's that time of year! The Reith Lectures start on BBC Radio 4 today ....and I post this old one. #ReithLectures
Cartoon - A lecture hall. A professor is pointing at the screen showing a diagram of a Christmas Wreath. Caption reads 'The Wreath Lectures'.
November 25, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Reposted by Mal Franks
scriblit.bsky.social
Let's GOOOOO!

Factual sketch comedy, for families! Made by the team behind YDTM plus great comedy sketch writers & performers!
Out this Christmas on R4 (3eps) & Sounds (15eps)
It's Ya Gal's 1st production credit!
You're in for a good time, comedy fans!
www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/...
Press release for Dead Funny History. Reads: You’re Dead to Me: Dead Funny History New series launches Monday 15 December. Three special episodes will be broadcast on Radio 4 on 19 December, 26 December and 2 January. Artwork for Dead Funny History featuring BBC branding. Line art symbols and cartoons surround text: “You’re Dead to me Presents Dead Funny History.” Attention kids of all ages! Dead Funny History is the brand-new comedy history show for everyone aged 8 to 108, from the team behind the hit Radio 4 podcast You’re Dead to Me. What links a 70-foot colossus to the prettiest cow in Ancient Egypt? Which world-famous siblings began as terrible teachers? And what was the surprisingly dangerous Christmas game in medieval Britain? From Ramesses the Great to the Brontë sisters to the history of football, Greg Jenner serves up a smorgasbord of the funniest, messiest, and most astonishing stories from history. Expect pirates, spies, superstars, chariot races, bouncing cats, ancient toilets, radioactive notebooks, and a pig named Albert, all crammed into 14-minute episodes packed with jokes and sketches. Dead Funny History is a brilliantly bonkers historical romp for the whole family to enjoy. Starring: Richard David Caine (Horrible Histories), Mali Ann Rees (Mammoth), and John-Luke Roberts (Sound Heap), with scripts by top comedy writers Gabby Hutchinson Crouch, Jack Bernhardt, Athena Kugblenu, and You’re Dead to Me’s own Dr Emma Nagouse. Presenter: Greg Jenner Written by: Gabby Hutchinson Crouch, Jack Bernhardt, Athena Kugblenu, Dr Emma Nagouse Produced by: Dr Emma Nagouse and Gabby Hutchinson Crouch Audio Producer: Emma Weatherill BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.
November 25, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Reposted by Mal Franks
josephlidster.bsky.social
This is gorgeous essential Christmas listening from @jonnymorris.bsky.social & @lisabowerman.bsky.social. Listen to a free preview here: averageromp.com
November 25, 2025 at 11:47 AM
Reposted by Mal Franks
super-deluxe.bsky.social
The super deluxe edition of #MattBerry's 2025 album 'Heard Noises' was released last week on @acidjazzrecords.bsky.social. Limited to 1000 units only, #SDEtv unboxes it in this video > bit.ly/4imDkXJ
November 24, 2025 at 9:17 PM
merseymal.com
Managed somehow to pull a muscle in my right side on Saturday evening which resulted in me only being comfortable when lying on it. Also have a cold which means if I cough or sneeze it also makes my side hurt.
November 25, 2025 at 10:23 AM
Reposted by Mal Franks
gailmyerscough.co.uk
I’m not doing Black Friday this year.
I’d rather be honest with you than try to compete with big brands.
Every purchase genuinely makes a difference to my tiny business.
Shop independent this Christmas.

www.gailmyerscough.co.uk
I’m not offering Black Friday discounts this year because I’m a tiny one woman business and I can’t compete with the likes of Amazon. What I can offer - unique designs, high quality UK made products, customer service from a real person, a warm and fuzzy feeling because you are buying from a tiny independent business.
November 24, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Reposted by Mal Franks
digitalfoundry.bsky.social
We found that a recent Windows Update hit Assassin's Creed Shadows performance by up to 50 percent, necessitating GPU vendor hotfix driver updates to fix the issue: www.digitalfoundry.net/news/2025/11...
Proof That Recent Windows Update Harms Gaming Performance
AC Shadows frame-rate drops by 33 to 50 percent.
www.digitalfoundry.net
November 25, 2025 at 9:40 AM
Reposted by Mal Franks
timwrite.net
It’s not all “Why I’m learning Irish” and tonnes of short stories, and the novels that never made it to an agent let alone a publisher on my site.

There’s also factual writing like this. Which took a lot out of me.

timwrite.net/on-being-que...
On being questioned about the death of my child
It was a case of good cop/good cop. I was living in Sydney, Australia the day that my daughter died of a combination of pneumonia, a badly administered anaesthetic following dentistry work and her cer...
timwrite.net
November 24, 2025 at 1:31 AM
Reposted by Mal Franks
tomgauld.bsky.social
Now for some sports news...
(this week's cartoon for @theguardian.com books pages)
Panel One: A sportscaster speaks to a television camera "You join us just in time for the annual booksellers versus librarians tug of war." Panel Two: We see the participants warming up as he continues... "Two very strong teams this year, they’ve both been in training since February. As always, the real skill in this match is not to start chatting about boo-" Panel Three: "Too late!! A pair of librarians are discussing the new Margaret Atwood! A crowd is forming! The booksellers are joining in! It's all over!!" We see all the participants chatting. Panel Four: The sportscaster finishes up to the camera: "The rope lies untouched! The discussions continue! We have a draw for 325th year in a row! Join us again next year!" End. Bonus alt-text Content: Fun fact! The first tug of war was between the staff of Cranston Library and those of Daniel Midwinter Booksellers www.cranstonlibraryreigate.com/ www.blogs.nottingham.ac.uk/manuscripts/2017/11/10/booksellers/
November 24, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Reposted by Mal Franks
twonks.bsky.social
Last Christmas
November 24, 2025 at 12:34 PM
Reposted by Mal Franks
captainhowdy.bsky.social
From this day in 2020.
The album cover for Prince's 'Purple Rain', but the night-time image of Prince on his motorbike in a rain-streaked alley has been altered to show him as Judge Dredd on a Lawmaster bike. The figure at the top of the stairs, leaning out of the doorway, is now Judge Death. The vertical sidebars on the cover which used to show a selection of flowers on a white background have been swapped for tumbling shell casings from spent bullets. The album title is now 'Judge Dredd'.
November 24, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Reposted by Mal Franks
petepaphides.bsky.social
Lots of artists have been great at B-sides but only The Teardrop Explodes and Julian Cope (albeit perhaps not beyond My Nation Underground) did enough to compile into a stone-cold, no notes, filler-free, ten-out-of-ten, sky-high all-time masterpiece. open.spotify.com/playlist/0ju...
East Of The Equator – The Other Side Of Julian Cope & The Teardrop Explodes
open.spotify.com
November 24, 2025 at 1:13 PM
Reposted by Mal Franks
naomialderman.bsky.social
just incredibly thrilled to announce that after months and months of uncertainty over the future of the game, and several I have bought Zombies, Run!, the game I co-created and have been making for the past 12 years:

zombiesrungame.com

observer.co.uk/the-critics/...
I’m a novelist who’s just bought a video games company. Here’s why you should care about games writing | The Observer
observer.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 6:08 AM
Reposted by Mal Franks
ricklane.bsky.social
Spent one of my news tokens to gush about Sektori for PC Gamer this weekend. A must play if you're fan of Geometry Wars/pre-Returnal Housemarque/Tetris Effect www.pcgamer.com/games/action...
This roguelike take on Geometry Wars is the best game I've played this month, and the latest to become a permanent fixture on my Steam Deck
Sektori is a blistering kaleidoscopic nightmare.
www.pcgamer.com
November 23, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Reposted by Mal Franks
deargodwhatnow.bsky.social
Aiui this is a regional thing too. Give people in London cheaper rent and they can spend more money on Warhammer made in Nottingham, and also on divorce lawyers
stephenkb.bsky.social Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 3d
UK’s problem is that we don’t have enough disposable income, which you can fix by things getting cheaper or by people earning more money, and also either one of those things makes the other easier.
November 23, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Reposted by Mal Franks
dieworkwear.bsky.social
A friend who teaches theology shared with me a post about CS Lewis's Mere Christianity, which discusses foundational Christian logic across denominations. It reminded me of Dale's tweet below, and I wanted to share some thoughts here regarding modesty and respectability, which are often hot topics.
Dale Partridge on Twitter writes: "Feminist media is BIG mad about me saying that women shouldn’t wear underwear (leggings and sports bras) as outerwear. As Pearl says, “It’s amazing how hard women will fight to be naked.” Immodest ladies, read 1 Tim. 2:9, repent, and follow Christ." Attached are two images. Image 1 headline: “Outraged pastor slams worker at quaint coffee shop for wearing ‘sinful’ leggings and sports bra in front of kids” Image 2 headline: “‘Make sin shameful again’: Pastor sparks row after sports bra complaint”
November 23, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Reposted by Mal Franks
barnabyedwards.bsky.social
Happy Doctor Who Day!

On the left: my first time as a Dalek operator (for the BBC’s ‘30 Years in the TARDIS’ in 1993).

On the right: me, still doing it.

62 years for the show. 32 years for me.
November 23, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Reposted by Mal Franks
arusbridger.bsky.social
Sound of penny dropping at the BBC www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...
BBC to expand standards panel and add deputy director general after bias row
Planned overhaul of editorial guidelines committee would dilute influence of Tory board appointment Robbie Gibb
www.theguardian.com
November 23, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Reposted by Mal Franks
doctorwhopn.bsky.social
UK Doctor Who fans are invited to enter a competition to visit the TARDIS set in Cardiff.
cultbox.co.uk/news/uk-doct...
UK Doctor Who fans can enter a competition for a TARDIS set visit
UK Doctor Who fans are invited to enter a competition to visit the TARDIS set in Cardiff.
cultbox.co.uk
November 23, 2025 at 6:41 PM