Adventy Elms

Who wouldn't want to hear her belt out the Finland song?

You will be visited by three spirits

It seemed to be on relatively hard rotation on Virgin Radio in 1997-odd, so suspect Chris Evans might be responsible for pushing it into public consciousness

Photo by Alan Horton. Electric locomotive carrying Network SouthEast blue, white, red and grey stripes livery "A freshly re-painted (NSE Mk.2 livery) and re-named Class 87 is seen at Euston station in March 2005. It now carried the name "The Olympian" and the words "Back the Bid - London 2012". This was part of the promotional work being done to get London to host the 2012 Olympics" https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10166267044903782&set=gm.1697991990888720&idorvanity=127530047934930

Photo by Colin Moss Liverpool Street Station Pilot 08 833 / D4001 at Platform 1 of the eponymous London terminus in 1988. She caries Great Eastern Railway dark blue lined in red, with a white cab roof, with the first variant of the old British Railways emblem and the then contemporary Cockney Sparrow loco adorned by Stratford locos. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=6457284834382492&set=gm.2412516052262681&idorvanity=174601542720821

Photo by Britannia247 on Flickr Locomotive 47 164 in BR blue "Silver Jubilee" livery with white roof, red buffer beam and large bodyside Union Flag at the buffers of Liverpool Street station, 9th June 1977 https://www.flickr.com/photos/72399068@N08/7303002506/in/album-72157628467966581/

Photo by Brian Clift "brianac37" on Flickr Class 168-168001 in original Chiltern Railways, blue and white livery with a red stripe, stands in Snow Hill Station, Birmingham. The paint scheme was based on that of British Airways "Landor" colours https://www.flickr.com/photos/brianac37/6172166423

Proof you can incorporate the Union Flag or red, white and blue into train paint schemes and it still looks good #GreatBritishRailways

The new England mens football shirt with what Nike calls a "playful update" to the St George's Cross, consisting of triple lines of different shades of blue and pury

I've just remembered what the two shades of blue reminded me of

The launch only consists of a model and artwork - they haven't vinyled up a whole train, so if the reaction is poor, it can be quietly dropped. Sorry, amended following consultation

Can we have Warners purchase Paramount instead?

Basil Fawlty (John Cleese) points out the Doctor Who spinoff on the horizon to the belligerent Mrs. Richards (Joan Sanderson) in Fawlty Towers: Communication Problems (1979)

"You *can* see the War; It's over there, between the Land and the Sea!"
#DoctorWho

It's pronounced "Sea De Ville"

The Partridge in a Pear Tree Family #xmasbands

Sleighed #xmasbands

Fireflash atomic hypersonic airliner, taxiing at London Airport

The mighty Fireflash Airliner

Can we have a un-dubbed edition with Southmead's finest as Darth Farmer and Peter Mayhew doing Chewie's lines in English, please?

Yes, was common for visitors to Cambridge too

"Pinky... are you pondering what I'm pondering?"
"Um.. I think so, Brain, but which way round would it go - NetBros, or Wetflix?"

<thump>

Fond memories of Gorra Lorra Fings On

Count Duckula - with Jay Foreman Podcast Episode · Comfort Blanket · 04/12/2025 · 1h 12m

Now available wherever you get your podcasts! Me on @gralefrit.bsky.social’s Comfort Blanket, talking about Count Duckula. (Warning: contains cosy nostalgia and geeky analysis of British animation.)

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/c...

The routine with the high priests of the goddess Upshe talking about the Egyptian god of the sun is still one of my favourite pieces of comedy writing.

Heat 2: The New Hotness

A syringe of "No Nonsense" glue, named "I Can't lt's Not Nails"

My new favourite glue.

It's not nails
It's not No More Nails
It's...

Having missed the 4k Thunderbirds episodes in the cinema this year, I would have loved to see "Trapped in the Sky" after His Maj.

For all their singing the second verse of "Jerusalem", they ceased from mental fight pretty damn easily.

If they wanted to do one with proper, charismatic, well-known celebrities, they could just pitch the Gladiators against each other

Wonderful place. There's an excellent chapter about it in @gralefrit.bsky.social 's "Bollocks to Alton Towers"

I don't want to get into too much discourse, but ever since the Beeb showed it one Christmas Eve in the mid-nineties, I've always regarded the Renny Harlin film "Cliffhanger" as a Christmas film. It's got snow, jumpers, a red flying machine...

Why do trains in the UK cost so much at peak hours?

It's mostly NOT due to privatisation

It is because the UK state has not invested enough in its network to up capacity, and even today does not subsidise operations very much

Want to be like 🇨🇭, 🇦🇹, 🇳🇱?

POUR IN MORE MONEY

Platforms at Malden Manor station with Chisarc reinforced concrete awnings, free from pillars. Note the fluorescent lighting system.

Platform canopies at Pontoon Dock station, Docklands Light Railway, steel beams and purlins with cladding. The shape is similar to that of the Chisarc

Always had a soft spot for the shape of the canopies. Reminded me of the "Chisarc" ones on the Chessington South branch

Opened ahead of time and to budget, One of the most memorable projects I worked on, learnt a great deal while in the viaduct design team.

Will dig out some site photos later

James Dean Bradfield and Nicky Wire, in grey suits and red shirts, playing in front of a plain red background for the "Kevin Carter" video

Your Party conference, with AI generated captions saying Dogs put down the Queen's tail antique real jump. Ridiculous. Join their laughter. The brothers are legal now"

"Dogs put down the Queen's tail
Antique real jump. Ridiculous.
Join their laughter.
The brothers are legal now.
Kevin Carter!"