Sunday 23rd August 2026, 11.50am (day 5,477)
“And together now…. one, two, three, leg up and TUCK that head…. and now SLEEP.”
“Hang on, did we put anyone on watch? Ah, who cares.”
Formation sleeping
Being 42
Life, one day at a time
On guard
Saturday 22nd August 2026, 11.50am (day 5,476)
A first visit to Didcot, one of those towns that simply would not exist without railways, and specifically, the decision of Mr. Brunel (there he is again) that this was the best route for the Great Western line through to Bristol in the 1840s. This was, and still is, a major junction. Anyone who has a penchant for steam trains could do worse than spend time in the Didcot Railway Centre, which is full of them, whether standing in engine sheds or operating up and down the huge yard that nestles within the boundaries of the still-working main lines. Well worth a visit.
Teasels
Friday 21st August 2026, 12.05pm (day 5,475)
Dipsacus fullonum has been used as a natural comb since antiquity, particularly to clean woollens and raise the nap on them (that is, make them fuzzy, like velvet) — and one can see why. One might even argue whether humans would ever even have invented the comb had they not had the teasel as a model. As seen in Raleigh Park, Oxford, just across the road from my accommodation here.
Three muses
Thursday 20th August 2026, 4.30pm (day 5,474)
There are nine Muses, at least according to most classical mythology. Sculpted representations of three of them currently occupy the lobby of the Weston Library, while the building across the road has some cosmetic surgery undertaken. I’d like to think I have engaged with eight of them at some point in my life although I must have done something in my karma to upset Terpsichore as she and I have never really got together.
Flying mummy
Wednesday 19th August 2026, 3.55pm (day 5,473)
It might be a dragonfly or possibly a damselfly: apparently they are very similar. Whichever one it is, it’s a predator, and imagine (if the scales were different) this thing coming towards you intent on murder, for surely what it actually is, is a flying Egyptian mummy/vampire.
Manifesto of the St Helena Labour Party, 1975
Tuesday 18th August 2026, 1.55pm (day 5,472)
Lately if I am to be found in either Oxford or Kew then I’ve gone back to the archive. These days I much prefer making enquiries of archives than of actual people. I don’t have to go through the university ethical approval procedure, and believe me, that is reason alone.
Besides, if looking back into history, any written record is an insight into the minds of the people who made it and so much more reliable than asking someone what they remember about events some 50 years ago. This document was part of a big file recounting the saga of Tony Thornton and the short-lived St Helena Labour Party (1974-1976) is a fine example of what can happen to you if you piss off the British Government too much (and don’t imagine it’s some anti-left-wing thing: in fact, Mr. Thornton was more like what we would now call a libertarian): here is not the place, but see the entry for Thornton on John Turner’s web site.
“New” College, Oxford
Monday 17th August 2026, 11.30am (day 5,471)
You may or may not have gone to university but if you did, and lived in a hall of residence, unless you did in fact go to Oxford or Cambridge I will bet it did not look like New College, or indeed any one of the other medieval halls that lie around this great seat of learning. Statues, cloisters, that kind of thing. It says a lot that this can be called “New” when it was founded in 1387.
China Lane
Sunday 16th August 2026, 10.55am (day 5,470)
The alley of China Lane lies on the shortest walking route between Victoria and Piccadilly stations in Manchester and when I’m walking between them — as I was this morning — it is always worth looking down to see if the opportunity arises for a shot — specifically, this one. Why is it called China Lane? No idea, but as it is lined with warehouses and located right beside Piccadilly Basin on the canal, maybe it’s a tea reference.
Five minutes before the start of the season
Saturday 15th August 2026, 2.55pm (day 5,469)
Well, the football season as a whole didn’t necessarily start today (do these things ever really ‘start’ and ‘finish’ these days, anyway?) — but England’s League One certainly did. Bradford City’s fans seemed cautiously optimistic at 2:55, but this was justified: they won 2-0 v Peterborough, with yours truly in the press box for the afternoon.
Dogprammed
Friday 14th August 2026, 4.20pm (day 5,468)
“I just want to run. Chase a small animal. Maybe drop a turd somewhere! HELP ME!!”
The dog pram: another step backwards for canines. Millions of years of independent evolution, then they made the mistake of hooking up with humanity.
Being 42 