The Executive Vice President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, has kindly said that Britain will be welcome to rejoin the EU at some stage in the future. He is an unashamed Anglophile, but the sentiment is shared across a wide spectrum of continental politicians. Of course, the UK has not actually left yet, but [...]
From the blurb on YouTube: Here we see three very different types, starting with something of a surprise - an ex-GCR LNER class A15 Pacific tank (no. 69816 of Lincoln shed) passing through with a pair of six-wheeled vans and three non-corridor coaches. It's followed - to the great excitement of the Locospotters at the lineside - by BR class 7 "Britannia" class Pacific no. 70021 "Morning Star" on an express and, finally, a true "Derby" machine in the form of LMS 2P class 4-4-0 no 40416 shunting a solitary coach.
It's not very Christmassy, but the Guardian supplies our Headline of the Day. On a happier note...
Wed, 21:21: When Salvador Dal� Created Christmas Cards That Were Too Avant Garde for Hallmark (1960) | Open Culture https://t.co/gHw1b9iGPJ Thu, 10:45: RT @johnb78: If the courts had declared me to be a massive bigot, I would simply spend Christmas compiling a list of the bigoted things tha... Thu, 11:54: RT @DavidOBowles: It's become popular to deny that the Dual God Ometeotl was ever a thing. Many folks argue that scholar Miguel León-Portil...
The Times carries an interesting interview with the Chair of press regulator, IPSO in which he argues that there is no right to be offended, and that any attempt to censor people for unpleasant views would be fundamentally dangerous. Sir Alan Moses told the paper that sensitive issues such as religion should be up for discussion and emphasised the importance of a free press: 'If you're the victim of something that is deeply offensive, it is the most unpleasant, uncomfortable thing that you can imagine,' he said. 'But what we have to acknowledge is that, in striking the right balance ...
It is customary, or so he assures me, for Lord Bonkers to spend those lazy days between Christmas and the new year looking back on his adventures over the past year. So here goes... January When you've had a hard day wandering around a library in a suit, you need refreshment. pic.twitter.com/Ayt7ro4ET5— CFB Clips (@CFBClips) January 11, 2019A reader alerted me to this Double Diamond television commercial from the 1960s, which was shot in the library of the National Liberal Club. He suggested, surely correctly, that Lord Bonkers had arranged the filming to alleviate one of the club's regular financial ...
Boxing Day is widely celebrated in countries that are part of the Commonwealth. Its origins are obscure, but they date back centuries. Below is an interesting short documentary about the origins of Boxing Day.
