BrightAire

Tell me about it. I hope your head is a less troubled place.

Thanks @jackthurston.bsky.social, for the route. My legs will reserve their opinion for a day or two.

Some thoughts on why I think it's important to remember that the natural and physical world provide joy and curiosity, even though global geopolitics is very mean and horrible right now. Appreciating the world around us gives us joy & agency. Don't forget the bad, but hold on to the good too.

Bike leaning against a wall. Naked birch trees and Heptonstall's ruined St Thomas a Becket church. "King" David Hartley, leader of the Cragg Vale Coiners, is buried in the churchyard.

Garmin map of today's route.

55km of brutal ups'n'downs, around Calderdale, by bike today.

Still in recovery, fighting the urge to loaf about eating biscuits.

Ha. You beat me to it.

I guess it can be difficult to see what effect we might have on others but I'm indebted to Usman for telling me.

I agreed with Usman that the news is bleak and that it takes its toll on all of us. I said I didn't really know what to do about it but that I think kindness and cheerfulness sends out ripples. And, maybe, expressing those qualities, for others nearby, can improve our own experience of the world.

This moved me. I try to be positive and to project cheerfulness (I rate it an important virtue, in the Aristotlean sense). The theory being that it rubs off on others.

"Hey, Clive", he said yesterday. And usually it's just that. To get an acknowledgement. And I'll offer an "Alright"? But then he added "I'm so glad to see you" and said how sad and angry he was at the recent violence in the world, and how I cheered him up.

There's a wide-boy kid at my work. Let's call him Usman. He'll greet me in a cocky, over-familiar way and I like his roguish character while hoping he's not into anything too dodgy outside of college. 🧵

“In the first week of March the wind blows hard, swaying the reeds and bushes and bending the big trees beyond the lake to its cold breath.”

The first page of ‘What to Look for in Spring”
Artist: CF Tunnicliffe
Writer: EL Grant Watson

My bike leaning on a drystone wall.

Out on the bike for the first time in ages. A circuit of Ilkley Moor. I need to do more of this if I'm to avoid suffering too much in the Cairngorms at Easter.

Yes. I did. That was fantastic. Actually quite a tranquil respite from a lot of the other works.

It was a bit dark to look at a tree.

That's quite a pleasing accidental composition.

A plan is in place. Bradford Beer Festival ticket obtained.

Been to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park today. Some amazing exhibitions but, lordy, my head hurts. It's exhausted my critical faculties and I'm knackered.

"What does it mean"? "What are the references"? "How am I being provoked"? "Why"?

I think I just need to look at a tree now. Or have a pint.

That Burnham could have won it for Labour doesn't necessarily mean it was the wrong decision to block him.

I hope so.

As a green-leaning Labour voter, I've mixed feelings about today's by-election result. I hope it's the shove-in-the-right-direction Labour needs.

How wonderfully eccentric. 🙄

Rotherham Council will pay for St George's Day celebrations Residents say they want to see a more prominent and inclusive celebration of St George’s Day.

I'm absolutely in favour of inclusive celebrations of English identity. It's sad that authentic, distinctive representation of joyful Englishness is somewhat lacking in our national, cultural life. I'm intrigued what it'd look like, mind.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

That'll be it. Thanks. Bosque, Bocage, Boscage...

I think it's from the Spanish "bosque", meaning "forest". I don't think we have "bosk" in modern English, I've known "bosky" to mean "densely wooded" for ages but I can't remember when I first heard it.

The French have "bocage", wooded, hedge-lined pasture, which might have similar roots (ha, ha).

I've not heard the term "bosky" for a long time. Thanks for that.

We need to fix fines proportionally to income in this country. Thoroughly antisocial behaviour, like this, is a pastime rich people can engage in with impunity.

That he didn't hit someone is close to irrelevant, in my view. This stuff contributes to a climate of intense toxicity. Needs stamping on.

Yes! Marble run and rubber band contraption triggers release of chickens and grain. Cunningly attached string removes grenade pin. 😆

March 2026 news With around a month to go before Peregrines will be laying eggs, it's the peak time for watching our Peregrines as they display, perform courtship, mate, and defend their territories from other Peregr...

Latest news from Bradford Peregrines as the 2026 breeding season gets started.

www.bradfordperegrines.com/post/pre-bre...

I'd much, much rather Labour worried about "pandering" to the sensibilities of Green voters than those of Reform...