Mike Fall
@mikefall.bsky.social
Cycling, Palace, cricket, golf, walking, nature, cooking, PR. Motorhomer. Retired multi-academy trust CFO/COO.
Yeah, Stonehenge for one. They've had 5,000 years to put a roof on it and not bothered
August 30, 2026 at 8:41 AM
Yeah, Stonehenge for one. They've had 5,000 years to put a roof on it and not bothered
This sums up so much that is wrong with modern Britain. It's the same in education; loads of laws/rules, from building safety standards to special educational needs, but insufficient funding or other resources to actually fulfil them. See also: Policing, courts, prisons, health, social care, etc..
August 30, 2026 at 8:36 AM
This sums up so much that is wrong with modern Britain. It's the same in education; loads of laws/rules, from building safety standards to special educational needs, but insufficient funding or other resources to actually fulfil them. See also: Policing, courts, prisons, health, social care, etc..
Indeed! And of course the irony with Eltham Palace is that it's now more notable for the Art Deco wing than it is for the the Tudor great hall.
August 30, 2026 at 8:24 AM
Indeed! And of course the irony with Eltham Palace is that it's now more notable for the Art Deco wing than it is for the the Tudor great hall.
Absolutely. It's the expectation of being caught/prosecuted that stops people committing a crime, not the relative severity of the punishment. If you know you won't be caught, the sentence isn't a consideration.
July 17, 2026 at 10:09 PM
Absolutely. It's the expectation of being caught/prosecuted that stops people committing a crime, not the relative severity of the punishment. If you know you won't be caught, the sentence isn't a consideration.
Actually I've just checked and it turns out they were competing brands. The kids in my playground just called a Jubilee a Jubbly!
July 14, 2026 at 9:20 AM
Actually I've just checked and it turns out they were competing brands. The kids in my playground just called a Jubilee a Jubbly!
As an aside, I am pretty certain "Jubbly" drinks started out named "Jubilee". But everyone pronounced it as 'jubbly' (in my playground, approx 1979, certainly), so the producers changed the name to match
July 14, 2026 at 9:16 AM
As an aside, I am pretty certain "Jubbly" drinks started out named "Jubilee". But everyone pronounced it as 'jubbly' (in my playground, approx 1979, certainly), so the producers changed the name to match
And you can be pretty certain that the adults saying this - on social media no less - think that it's 'other' adults who need their social media use restricted, certainly not them
June 8, 2026 at 11:45 AM
And you can be pretty certain that the adults saying this - on social media no less - think that it's 'other' adults who need their social media use restricted, certainly not them
Gimme Shelter -Rolling Stones
The Asphalt World -Suede
Kindling (Fickle Flame) -Elbow/John Grant
Lucky -Radiohead
Citizen Erased -Muse
Mother of Pearl -Roxy Music
Turn! Turn! Turn! - Byrds
Intervention -Arcade Fire
Fake Tales of San Francisco -Arctic Monkeys
How Soon Is Now -The Smiths
The Asphalt World -Suede
Kindling (Fickle Flame) -Elbow/John Grant
Lucky -Radiohead
Citizen Erased -Muse
Mother of Pearl -Roxy Music
Turn! Turn! Turn! - Byrds
Intervention -Arcade Fire
Fake Tales of San Francisco -Arctic Monkeys
How Soon Is Now -The Smiths
May 1, 2026 at 9:29 AM
Gimme Shelter -Rolling Stones
The Asphalt World -Suede
Kindling (Fickle Flame) -Elbow/John Grant
Lucky -Radiohead
Citizen Erased -Muse
Mother of Pearl -Roxy Music
Turn! Turn! Turn! - Byrds
Intervention -Arcade Fire
Fake Tales of San Francisco -Arctic Monkeys
How Soon Is Now -The Smiths
The Asphalt World -Suede
Kindling (Fickle Flame) -Elbow/John Grant
Lucky -Radiohead
Citizen Erased -Muse
Mother of Pearl -Roxy Music
Turn! Turn! Turn! - Byrds
Intervention -Arcade Fire
Fake Tales of San Francisco -Arctic Monkeys
How Soon Is Now -The Smiths
And no government of any colour will have the balls to confront this because to do so will reduce the equity of older members of the electorate, who are more likely to vote. In the meantime things that are still as cheap vs. incomes as they were 50 years ago (eg food/eating out) will get the blame
April 14, 2026 at 9:31 AM
And no government of any colour will have the balls to confront this because to do so will reduce the equity of older members of the electorate, who are more likely to vote. In the meantime things that are still as cheap vs. incomes as they were 50 years ago (eg food/eating out) will get the blame
Especially when most politicians and members of the public think that the cost of living issue is caused by things like food and energy costs, when actually it's caused by housing costs. Any sensible analysis will show that's what has eaten up ever-increasing shares of household income for years.
April 14, 2026 at 9:31 AM
Especially when most politicians and members of the public think that the cost of living issue is caused by things like food and energy costs, when actually it's caused by housing costs. Any sensible analysis will show that's what has eaten up ever-increasing shares of household income for years.
And of course who can forget the Mitchell and Webb sketch "Touching Cloth". Magical
April 2, 2026 at 2:45 PM
And of course who can forget the Mitchell and Webb sketch "Touching Cloth". Magical
Just googled it and there's also a prototyping firm in Cambridgeshire with the same name. Glorious
April 2, 2026 at 2:44 PM
Just googled it and there's also a prototyping firm in Cambridgeshire with the same name. Glorious
A little off topic but the best company name I ever saw was a south London building firm called "Complete Fabrication". Until this day I am not convinced the firm themselves even realised there was a second meaning
April 2, 2026 at 2:41 PM
A little off topic but the best company name I ever saw was a south London building firm called "Complete Fabrication". Until this day I am not convinced the firm themselves even realised there was a second meaning
Absolutely. And as for everyone these days saying "The proof will be in the pudding" instead of "The proof of the pudding will be in the eating". It doesn't even make any sense
March 24, 2026 at 8:39 AM
Absolutely. And as for everyone these days saying "The proof will be in the pudding" instead of "The proof of the pudding will be in the eating". It doesn't even make any sense
You've gotta feel for Iraq, with both a red dot and a blue dot. It takes something to be attacked by both sides in a war
March 22, 2026 at 5:44 PM
You've gotta feel for Iraq, with both a red dot and a blue dot. It takes something to be attacked by both sides in a war
Generally I can't stand them, particularly the self-checkout experience where you have to say "no" to at least 5 "offers" before you're allowed to pay. But I will say the WH Smith (now branded TG Jones) in Bromley is the best greetings card shop in the area, by a margin. I would miss that.
March 3, 2026 at 10:45 AM
Generally I can't stand them, particularly the self-checkout experience where you have to say "no" to at least 5 "offers" before you're allowed to pay. But I will say the WH Smith (now branded TG Jones) in Bromley is the best greetings card shop in the area, by a margin. I would miss that.
It's the pejorative tone that gets me: "stuck behind" rather than "driving patiently and appropriately behind", as if the cyclist has no right to be where they are. From someone teaching the law of the road, no less
March 1, 2026 at 11:11 AM
It's the pejorative tone that gets me: "stuck behind" rather than "driving patiently and appropriately behind", as if the cyclist has no right to be where they are. From someone teaching the law of the road, no less
I reckon just turn the lights on and then you'll know for sure
February 7, 2026 at 11:09 PM
I reckon just turn the lights on and then you'll know for sure
The Man with the Golden Sausage
January 30, 2026 at 7:52 AM
The Man with the Golden Sausage
Some like Sausage Hot
January 30, 2026 at 7:45 AM
Some like Sausage Hot
I can die a happy man
January 13, 2026 at 7:59 PM
I can die a happy man
Not exactly the same thing but I get very irritated by so many people on radio and TV these days saying "the proof will be in the pudding". No! It doesn't even make sense. It's "the proof of the pudding will be in the eating", you ignoramus. And no-one picks them up on it! Grrrr
January 13, 2026 at 7:53 PM
Not exactly the same thing but I get very irritated by so many people on radio and TV these days saying "the proof will be in the pudding". No! It doesn't even make sense. It's "the proof of the pudding will be in the eating", you ignoramus. And no-one picks them up on it! Grrrr
(I do appreciate that many people no longer consider Labour to be a progressive party! But I suspect the vast majority of their supporters fit the definition)
January 13, 2026 at 10:06 AM
(I do appreciate that many people no longer consider Labour to be a progressive party! But I suspect the vast majority of their supporters fit the definition)
What I find most encouraging about these very recent polls is that the sum of the progressive parties is once again higher than the sum of the right wing parties. This was the case almost throughout the 14 years of Tory rule, but (ironically) stopped almost the very moment Labour won the election
January 13, 2026 at 10:06 AM
What I find most encouraging about these very recent polls is that the sum of the progressive parties is once again higher than the sum of the right wing parties. This was the case almost throughout the 14 years of Tory rule, but (ironically) stopped almost the very moment Labour won the election