BigPhil
@phillusmajor.bsky.social
Family~Basil 🐶~History ~Food~Wine~Coffee~Holidays~History~Music~Books~Railways~Aviation~History..bit of everything really. Based in the North East of England. Lover of history
open.spotify.com/episode/3qDi... A great podcast. Do add it to your schedule
Episode 30 Extra Bit: Rescuing Pilots From the Channel
The Untitled History Podcast · Episode
open.spotify.com
September 22, 2026 at 6:57 AM
open.spotify.com/episode/3qDi... A great podcast. Do add it to your schedule
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/weve-start... Consider signing up - quality independent North East based and focused journalism
We’ve started: what now?
Picture special from launch of The Source - and why we need support to keep going
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com
September 20, 2026 at 10:03 AM
eyesandearsnortheast.substack.com/p/weve-start... Consider signing up - quality independent North East based and focused journalism
Reposted by BigPhil
Great to see @eurcorrespond.bsky.social covering @jonworth.eu's longest train journey project.
europeancorrespondent.com/en/r/from-fi...
europeancorrespondent.com/en/r/from-fi...
From Finland to Portugal by train in just 125 hours
Last week, Jon Worth, a railway activist who advocates for better cross-border train travel across Europe, completed the longest train journey in the EU – from…
europeancorrespondent.com
September 17, 2026 at 6:27 PM
Great to see @eurcorrespond.bsky.social covering @jonworth.eu's longest train journey project.
europeancorrespondent.com/en/r/from-fi...
europeancorrespondent.com/en/r/from-fi...
Cities for Life!
A vital city doesn’t just work for the strong, fast, or economically productive.
It continues working for us as we age; enabling dignity, independence, and the freedom to grow old in the place where we grew up.
That’s the kind of urban vitality we write about, and it’s the kind worth fighting for.
It continues working for us as we age; enabling dignity, independence, and the freedom to grow old in the place where we grew up.
That’s the kind of urban vitality we write about, and it’s the kind worth fighting for.
September 14, 2026 at 12:08 PM
Cities for Life!
www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte... Reminiscent of British pub closures
The battle to save the dying heart of rural France: the village bistro
Once central to rural life, cafe-bistros are closing in the face of depopulation and falling alcohol consumption, but campaigners are seeking new ways forward
www.theguardian.com
September 13, 2026 at 4:19 AM
www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte... Reminiscent of British pub closures
Reposted by BigPhil
An RNLI lifeboatman is taking part in the Great North Run tomorrow, wearing his full kit. Please donate here if you can: fundraise.rnli.org/fundraisers/...
James Waters
I'm taking on Great North Run 2026 - please help me reach my fundraising goal of £1000!
fundraise.rnli.org
September 12, 2026 at 6:12 AM
An RNLI lifeboatman is taking part in the Great North Run tomorrow, wearing his full kit. Please donate here if you can: fundraise.rnli.org/fundraisers/...
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s... "spurious data" should be rejected, not cause a system meltdown. This is a problem with the system, not the data.
Military aircraft reportedly blamed for UK air traffic control outage
Meltdown that grounded thousands of flights caused by ‘spurious’ flight data being entered into system, report says
www.theguardian.com
September 12, 2026 at 5:47 AM
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s... "spurious data" should be rejected, not cause a system meltdown. This is a problem with the system, not the data.
Reposted by BigPhil
NEW
Why holding a placard is a terrorist act, while causing disruption in a balaclava is not
The mess caused by ministers and the police not taking terrorism law seriously
By me at @prospectmagazine.co.uk
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/law/th...
Why holding a placard is a terrorist act, while causing disruption in a balaclava is not
The mess caused by ministers and the police not taking terrorism law seriously
By me at @prospectmagazine.co.uk
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/law/th...
September 11, 2026 at 11:50 AM
NEW
Why holding a placard is a terrorist act, while causing disruption in a balaclava is not
The mess caused by ministers and the police not taking terrorism law seriously
By me at @prospectmagazine.co.uk
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/law/th...
Why holding a placard is a terrorist act, while causing disruption in a balaclava is not
The mess caused by ministers and the police not taking terrorism law seriously
By me at @prospectmagazine.co.uk
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/law/th...
Reposted by BigPhil
share.google/AWA0QowotTF2... The RNLI is one of those institutions that make me proud to be British - join me in donating to show your support
Donate to the RNLI and help save lives at sea
Your donations really make a difference. We depend on your generosity to educate people to stay safe and prevent tragedies on and offshore. Donate here.
share.google
September 10, 2026 at 6:57 AM
share.google/AWA0QowotTF2... The RNLI is one of those institutions that make me proud to be British - join me in donating to show your support
Reposted by BigPhil
Ok so.... one I've been avoiding for 6 years! Here goes - though if you want a defining history read The Tyne Bridge book by Paul Brown! 😂
the Tyne Bridge then - a landmark of familiarity and civic pride that is only a century old.
the Tyne Bridge then - a landmark of familiarity and civic pride that is only a century old.
September 7, 2026 at 4:37 PM
Ok so.... one I've been avoiding for 6 years! Here goes - though if you want a defining history read The Tyne Bridge book by Paul Brown! 😂
the Tyne Bridge then - a landmark of familiarity and civic pride that is only a century old.
the Tyne Bridge then - a landmark of familiarity and civic pride that is only a century old.
Reposted by BigPhil
So #LongestTrainEU might well go wrong - trains cancelled or delayed, connections missed
But between Sundsvall 🇸🇪 and Strasbourg 🇫🇷 I have solid backup routes
It's on 10th September - Strasbourg - Lyon - Barcelona - Madrid where anything going wrong breaks it all
Explained 👇
But between Sundsvall 🇸🇪 and Strasbourg 🇫🇷 I have solid backup routes
It's on 10th September - Strasbourg - Lyon - Barcelona - Madrid where anything going wrong breaks it all
Explained 👇
What happens if the record attempt goes wrong?
18 trains. 100 hours and 9 minutes. If it all goes to plan for the trip from Kemijärvi to Lagos. But what happens if it doesn't go to plan and something doesn't work? Re-plan and reschedule accordingly. But there are limits. First, 100 hours 9 minutes is the fastest trip [...]
crossborderrail.eu
August 25, 2026 at 4:32 PM
So #LongestTrainEU might well go wrong - trains cancelled or delayed, connections missed
But between Sundsvall 🇸🇪 and Strasbourg 🇫🇷 I have solid backup routes
It's on 10th September - Strasbourg - Lyon - Barcelona - Madrid where anything going wrong breaks it all
Explained 👇
But between Sundsvall 🇸🇪 and Strasbourg 🇫🇷 I have solid backup routes
It's on 10th September - Strasbourg - Lyon - Barcelona - Madrid where anything going wrong breaks it all
Explained 👇
Woohoo! Fantastic
After traveling 9 years and covering 3 billion miles, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft got this shot of Pluto.
August 22, 2026 at 7:17 PM
Woohoo! Fantastic
Reposted by BigPhil
The crossover happened in the 2024 data, but I didn't want to share it in case there were revisions. But now that I've checked in the 2025 data, I can be sure it's real.
August 21, 2026 at 4:15 PM
The crossover happened in the 2024 data, but I didn't want to share it in case there were revisions. But now that I've checked in the 2025 data, I can be sure it's real.
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a... so do we now have too many charity shops, especially as times have changed, when people can recycle unwanted stuff themselves via Vinted etc?;
Oxfam ‘can’t guarantee future’ of charity shops as it also reviews warehouse business
Dwindling donations and stiff competition from secondhand sellers online prompt review but ‘no plans for closures yet’
www.theguardian.com
August 20, 2026 at 7:27 AM
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a... so do we now have too many charity shops, especially as times have changed, when people can recycle unwanted stuff themselves via Vinted etc?;
loconundrum.aaronc.cc#/tutorial it's like Wordle, but for UK railway stations. Good fun 😊
Loconundrum
A daily game: can you guess the UK rail station?
loconundrum.aaronc.cc
August 19, 2026 at 5:37 AM
loconundrum.aaronc.cc#/tutorial it's like Wordle, but for UK railway stations. Good fun 😊
Reposted by BigPhil
Minibar fridges in hotels should be able to accommodate a wine bottle without having to rearrange the contents.
August 18, 2026 at 1:55 PM
Minibar fridges in hotels should be able to accommodate a wine bottle without having to rearrange the contents.
Reposted by BigPhil
65 years ago, construction of the Berlin Wall began.
In the early hours of the morning, barbed wire fences were erected, tearing families & friends apart.
The wall that divided not just Berlin, but the country in two, was brought down by a peaceful revolution 28 years later.
In the early hours of the morning, barbed wire fences were erected, tearing families & friends apart.
The wall that divided not just Berlin, but the country in two, was brought down by a peaceful revolution 28 years later.
August 13, 2026 at 6:42 AM
65 years ago, construction of the Berlin Wall began.
In the early hours of the morning, barbed wire fences were erected, tearing families & friends apart.
The wall that divided not just Berlin, but the country in two, was brought down by a peaceful revolution 28 years later.
In the early hours of the morning, barbed wire fences were erected, tearing families & friends apart.
The wall that divided not just Berlin, but the country in two, was brought down by a peaceful revolution 28 years later.
Reposted by BigPhil
The best ideas don't always start from scratch, they often start by reimagining what's already there.
In Miami, an underused space beneath the Metrorail is being transformed into The Underline: a 10-mile corridor that combines safe cycling, walking, public space, and community: buff.ly/udo0Z95
In Miami, an underused space beneath the Metrorail is being transformed into The Underline: a 10-mile corridor that combines safe cycling, walking, public space, and community: buff.ly/udo0Z95
August 1, 2026 at 3:02 PM
The best ideas don't always start from scratch, they often start by reimagining what's already there.
In Miami, an underused space beneath the Metrorail is being transformed into The Underline: a 10-mile corridor that combines safe cycling, walking, public space, and community: buff.ly/udo0Z95
In Miami, an underused space beneath the Metrorail is being transformed into The Underline: a 10-mile corridor that combines safe cycling, walking, public space, and community: buff.ly/udo0Z95
I have to say that there is a dangerous constitutional precedent which has been established here😭: a transfer from one PM to another WITHOUT A LECTERN. I fear for our future and will be watching with interest 🤣
Is the lectern out yet? 😀
July 20, 2026 at 4:05 PM
I have to say that there is a dangerous constitutional precedent which has been established here😭: a transfer from one PM to another WITHOUT A LECTERN. I fear for our future and will be watching with interest 🤣
Is the lectern out yet? 😀
July 20, 2026 at 9:24 AM
Is the lectern out yet? 😀
Reposted by BigPhil
The world's best cycling cities aren't born. They're built.
The Dutch approach isn't about culture or coincidence. It's about making choices that prioritize people over cars, and creating places where bikes become the safest, easiest, and most attractive option for everyone.
WATCH: buff.ly/fAoV8lN
The Dutch approach isn't about culture or coincidence. It's about making choices that prioritize people over cars, and creating places where bikes become the safest, easiest, and most attractive option for everyone.
WATCH: buff.ly/fAoV8lN
July 8, 2026 at 3:07 PM
The world's best cycling cities aren't born. They're built.
The Dutch approach isn't about culture or coincidence. It's about making choices that prioritize people over cars, and creating places where bikes become the safest, easiest, and most attractive option for everyone.
WATCH: buff.ly/fAoV8lN
The Dutch approach isn't about culture or coincidence. It's about making choices that prioritize people over cars, and creating places where bikes become the safest, easiest, and most attractive option for everyone.
WATCH: buff.ly/fAoV8lN
Reposted by BigPhil
Spent years building up a big following on Twitter, essential for publicising my aviation blog, which I live from. Desperate to leave it & publicise on nicer platforms, but I have too few follows. If you want to help me escape, do give this a share. Much obliged. My blog here: hushkit.substack.com
July 1, 2026 at 12:24 PM
Spent years building up a big following on Twitter, essential for publicising my aviation blog, which I live from. Desperate to leave it & publicise on nicer platforms, but I have too few follows. If you want to help me escape, do give this a share. Much obliged. My blog here: hushkit.substack.com
Absolutely first class 😂😂😂😂😂
Today, the Sandbach Music Festival has broken out at the rugby club next door.
I'd like to thank the participants for bravely having a go, despite clearly having never played any of their instruments before.
And it's a bold artistic choice to depart so radically from established melodic norms.
I'd like to thank the participants for bravely having a go, despite clearly having never played any of their instruments before.
And it's a bold artistic choice to depart so radically from established melodic norms.
June 27, 2026 at 5:57 PM
Absolutely first class 😂😂😂😂😂