Tim Dowling

Tim Dowling: the old dog snorted with delight – and then she was gone | Tim Dowling Our short stay in the country ended in heartbreak. If there’s a best way for an animal to die, I can’t say I’ve found it

RIP, the old dog.

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Tim Dowling: the dog is destroying the lawn, but I need to catch her red-pawed I spend all afternoon watching the dog. Then an email pings and I turn to read it. When I turn back, the dog is gone and there’s a new hole in the lawn

Tim Dowling: the dog is destroying the lawn, but I need to catch her red-pawed

Let me add my outrage.

fine but how far do I have to walk

Any incentive to keep the industry viable is worth considering

The fisherman aesthetic: anglercore is everywhere – but does it suit me? Waders you could wear to a gallery opening, vests cropped weirdly short and laden with pockets. I tried the biggest trend in fashion to find out why so many non-fishers are wearing it

The short answer to the question is: yes, I'm afraid it does suit me.
www.theguardian.com/fashion/2025...

never. A monstrous oversight

Is it one of those words that has to be plural?

Tim Dowling: let my tortoise’s humiliating mishap be a lesson to him A freak thunderstorm soaks the middle one on his way to our house (he’s come to raid the fridge), but the real drama is the toppled tortoise

As a custodian of an ancient tortoise adept at concealing himself with the least available ground cover, that elusive Pimpershell, I always identify with @timdowling.bsky.social’s columns about his.

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Tim Dowling: Help! We have no internet and I really do have work to do I’ve got a date with one of the country’s worst-rated customer service departments. What could possibly go right?

Here's this week's column, posted a bit later than usual (no idea why).

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it's up now, anyway!

Dunno what’s happened there. I mean, I did write one.

If nothing else, it may survive as a handy guide

god bless you

Tim Dowling: it’s the last date of my band’s tour – do I risk telling my Italian sausage joke? There is one story I’ve prepared but never used. Is the world ready for it?

The world is still not ready for my joke.

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I'd forgotten that when I went to interview Onion staff 23 years ago, their photographer asked to borrow my gormless, self-satisfied mug.

actually it is me, 23 years ago.

Tim Dowling: I’m on tour with my band – and my wife is ignoring my calls After a misunderstanding over who was using the car, my wife teaches me a lesson without saying a word

The less I say about this the better, except: there are ticket still available for Glasgow, Edinburgh and Brighton.

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Kate Bush and Damon Albarn among 1,000 artists on silent AI protest album Recordings of empty studios represent impact on musicians of UK’s plans to let AI train on their work without permission

Somewhere on this album is the sound of me not playing the banjo, which is now destined to become a popular live request.

www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

Is This What We Want? More than 1,000 musicians have come together to release Is This What You Want?, an album protesting the UK government’s proposed changes to copyright law.

We're among 1,000+ musicians who are jointly releasing this album of recordings of empty studios to protest the government's planned changes to copyright law, which would hand the life's work of the country's musicians to AI companies for free.
Don't legalise music theft! isthiswhatwewant.com

half lab, half terrier, and not on purpose.

Will a dog bed for humans improve my life? My pets and I found out The Snuggle Pod is big enough for a 6ft person and at least one dog. Unfortunately, I have two dogs

I slept in a giant human dog bed, with dogs

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Me too.

My week with a man bag: am I cool enough for winter’s hottest trend? Timothée Chalamet, Pharrell Williams and Jacob Elordi have no qualms about using one. But can our writer carry it off?

For the record I would like to state that I know you're not supposed to wear them around your neck like a feed bag.
But I am eerily compliant in the company of photographers.

www.theguardian.com/fashion/2025...

Tim Dowling: doing dry January is a doddle these days – but I can’t wait for it to be over I’ve succumbed to peer group pressure and am abstaining this month. So why are friends still bringing all this booze to my house?

Celebrating my sobriety in this the 11th week of January.

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Celebrating #SteveEarle at 70 on #ralphmcleancountry tonight. Some old favourites and a couple of exclusive session tracks. Also new music from Brown Horse, Dean Owens and Police Dog Hogan plus a classic live performance from #GarthHudson. 8pm on BBC Radio Ulster & Sounds folks.

Ralph McLean - Country - Steve Earle at 70 - BBC Sounds Ralph celebrates the music of Steve Earle.

Many thanks to Ralph McLean for playing the title track from our album Lightning Strike on BBC Radio Ulster last night! Listen here: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

I have a big ask. My 9yo son is autistic and he’s been raising a betta fish he named Kevin. Yesterday He asked if he could “share a photo of Kevin with the whole world“. I don’t know if this will work, but a dad’s gotta try. Like and share if that’s your thing. Kevin says hi! 🐟👋

Super-rare all the animals portrait.

When kids set their parents’ screen time rules: ‘I hit my limit before I even get out of bed’ Would six-year-old Malakhi be strict? Could the grownups give up their phones? Three writers let their children set the rules

When kids set their parents’ screen time rules: ‘I hit my limit before I even get out of bed’