Jonathan Jordan

Speaking of which, if you think back to the 1990s, or even 2010, my own constituency having a Labour MP seems astonishing. But it has had one (or "Independent elected as Labour") since 2017 now.

I was replying to the question about who the most unlikely was.

Terry Jermy (South West Norfolk)?

A Moorhen on a frozen over pond, with a faint reflection

Moorhen on the ice, Holme Wheel dam, Endcliffe Park

I've been reasonably happy with lwarp (and got a quick and helpful response from the developer when I found a problem)

Do you often get them these days in Glasgow? I know they've spread north, but the range shown on www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wi... doesn't get closer than parts of Lothian and Galloway

Meanwhile its "translation" from Swedish refers to the Great Horned Owl as the Virginia vulture, the Virginia grebe and the Virginia creeper. This is quite an impressive taxonomic range.

Yes, Burnley is one of the councils where every ward has three seats and only one is up in each election. The by-election seat was won by Labour with 68% of the vote in 2022, but the comparison given is with 2024, when an Independent won with 69%.

I know quite a few of you who follow me are trade unionists; some of you may be fans of YP, UCU Left, and other groups who believe that defending Ukraine is "western imperialism".

Please read this thread from fellow trade unionists who actually know something about the subject.

Sorry to hear that

A brockenspectre (my shadow projected onto mist and surrounded by a colourful halo). White Edge, Derbyshire, 12 October 2025

Brockenspectre on White Edge. Not the easiest phenomenon to photograph, but I think this gives the idea.

A spider's web, picked out by autumn moisture. White Edge, Derbyshire, 12 October 2025

Spider architecture

Looking at RealTimeTrains suggests they have run a replacement train from Chester to Birmingham and that that may turn into your train

View west-south-west from near the summit of Ben Macdui (Cairngorms) in June 2018. Cairn Toul, Sgor an Lochain Uaine and Braeriach are the most prominent mountains but others are visible in the distance if you zoom.

A snow bunting sitting on the trig point on Ben Macdui in June 2018

The last time I was there it was ridiculously hot and I spent most of my time photographing a snow bunting. Ben Lawers and Ben More were visible though:

Using a combination of that site and Viewfinder Panoramas, something like Mull of Galloway, Merrick, Ben Lawers, Ben Macdui, Morven (Caithness), Ward Hill (Hoy), Ward Hill (Fair Isle), Ronas Hill, Out Stack. You can see England from Ben Macdui (on a very clear day) but not Galloway

What's the furthest into the Highlands that you can see from there?

Congratulations on that epic! Great to follow along as usual

Wikipedia has a whole article devoted to the variations of the Swedish sj sound.

Broxtowe Alliance, breakaway group from Labour and the largest party on the council

We certainly went to the school, and for some reason ITN always chose my school for A level results day. NB we had a different exam board for Chemistry than for my other A levels

Coastal scenery, including a rock arch, Thornwick Bay, East Riding, 1 August 2025

Waves and caves, Thornwick Bay, 1 August 2025

I walked a little along the coast path from @RSPB Bempton to Thornwick Bay, where there is some nice coastal scenery and the waves were rolling in

A nestling Gannet (guga), with an adult behind it, Bempton Cliffs, East Riding, 1 August 2025

A guga, as they say in Gaelic. Most of the Gannet nests seemed to have one.

An immature Gannet gliding past Bempton Cliffs, East Riding, 1 August 2025

A pair of Gannets pointing their beaks skywards together, Bempton Cliffs, East Riding, 1 August 2025

A Gannet riding on the wind past Bempton Cliffs, East Riding, 1 August 2025

Three Gannets on the edge of the cliff. Bempton Cliffs, East Riding, 1 August 2025

Gannets at @RSPB Bempton

Crook Hill, Derbyshire, in the snow, 11 January 2025

Grey Heron in the Rivelin valley, 2 February 2025

Skiddaw, Cumberland, with heather in flower, 2 July 2025

The gorge below the Falls of Glomach, 22 July 2025

A rather belated update to my photos page www.grinah.org.uk/photos.html with various photos from this year. Some samples

The top of the Falls of Glomach, 22 July 2025

A view towards the bottom of the Falls of Glomach, 22 July 2025

It’s hard to give a full impression of the Falls of Glomach but here are a photo of the top and one looking down to the bottom. A lot of water coming down

A baby toad. Near Dornie, 21 July 2025

Toad

That poem!

Skiddaw taken from Latrigg, near Keswick, Cumbria, 2 July 2025

Skiddaw on Wednesday. One of those occasions when we were in cloud on the summit but it then cleared up very nicely on the way down

I might put it a bit more strongly than that. I don’t think it was just the timing of English school holidays that meant we never visited NI around 12 July when I was growing up

Wasn’t he at the non-racist end of the right-wing Brexiteer spectrum back when he was a UKIP MP?