Paul Stokes

This articulates something of felt a lot, but never quite put my finger on ;-)

Charity Park Rangers Podcast Episode · QPR Podcast · 06/11/2025 · 57m

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An image of a painting by Joseph Wright of Derby called 'Experiment on a Bird in the Airpump'. A group of people, young and old, gather round an airpump in which a bird is placed, and being experimented on.

New episode of the podcast out today. We ask if art is good for your health; interview Katy Hessel about her new book; and try and work out if the bird lives or dies in Wright of Derby's epic 'Airpump'.

Always loved Elizabeth David’s assertion (with Renato Guttuso’s drawings) that that Mozzarella In Carrozza is “as common south of Rome as eggs and bacon in England.”

No explosions, no crashes, no fights Fog on the mind, perpetual scrolling, endless Sunday, boredom meets optimism

Wrote about brain fog - a common side effect of chemo treatment that ends up feeling like scrolling social media for hours with no end in sight. Written last week - today feels more optimistic thanks to Zohran Mamdani and his brilliant speech. Thanks for reading! open.substack.com/pub/acloudab...

Don’t forget, other arm in the air: I’m going to take a short corner, it won’t go well but variety is the spice if life.

📈

#OnThisDay 1083 Matilda of Flanders, queen of William the Conqueror, died in Normandy. Contrary to popular myth, she was not 4’2” tall. A (short) thread:

@heawood.bsky.social on the front page as she should be 👌

The Count Protection League
#turnacharityimtoahorrormovie

I feel there’s 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 room for something more authentic ;-)

(In fairness to the Mick Heron adaptation, the Simon Gillespie tribute is not the hook)

Bendor, have you seen the lead character in Down Cemetery Road is an art restorer and the chap from True Blood has a new crime series called Art Detectives (catchy title ;-), with over-paint as a plot point?
Post BLM TV!

🙏
University?! Yet more tabs I’m going to have open…

When I’n stood in a trendy street asking Gordon Ramsay what is the oldest tab open on his phone it will all be your fault ;-)

TabTok starts here!

*opens tab on how to make TikTok videos*

Closed around 30 tabs this morning, some open for years. Now ready to option the experience as a make-over TV format.

🎵 That much is true…

The album cover for Different Class by Pulp

30 years of Difference Class courtesy of Pulp.

Blackberry/WAP enabled handset ;-)

I rewatched it in the summer and it’s funny how the element that has dated is the phone stuff.

The WhatsApp Archived Chats of…

Paging all the actors who missed out on The Thursday Murder Club…

Baxter Dury Prince Of Tears

Baxter Dury released Prince Of Tears on this day in 2017 (27 October 2017). You can replay the listening party (no_345) here:

Bonne chance!

I thought it was a good feature (considering it in the annual an end of year discount) it was just as I was scrambling to remember words I did start thinking ‘why are you being so nice to me?’ particularly after the way she treated the lad who asked her about drawing in the park ;-)

Pedantic quibble (had a free trial) but it was a little annoying how completely out of character the AI Lily is from the one they present in stories.

I was intrigued to see which two of the Vatican’s ten Raphael tapestries were chosen for today’s unprecedented service in the Sistine Chapel. The tapestries are very rarely shown - was Pope Leo XIV conveying any message in the choice?
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The album cover of PJ Harvey's Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea which features the artist just up the road from New York's Times Square

Happy 25th to PJHarvey's Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea...

and also happy birthday to the easiest 'Where It's At' (cover location feature) I did for Q, though it was very nice to speak to Maria Mochnacz about her evening wandering around Times Square with Polly.

Qpr beating Swansea 1-0 away

Splashdown 🌧️🤞🦢

We Hate It When The Old Firm Becomes Successful #McMorrissey