Nick Royle

Paul Darbyshire and Mike Gregory from the 1990s Warrington rugby league team.

This is a very perceptive piece. Music fans at outdoor gigs are treated appallingly. The facilities are really poor, and yet fans are routinely paying €100+ for their tickets.

Though the food combinations the chaffies inspire are all disgusting. So, I’m blaming you if he starts begging me to make him a beetroot and lettuce burger…

Currently on my 15th consecutive day of reading the new Max and Chaffy to my five-year old. I missed reading out a ‘chomp’ the other night, and was corrected pretty sharpish.

Hi Jamie. Is there any research you know of that measures the difference visual cues (pencil bollards outside school) make to driver speeds? I’m looking online but can’t see any? TIA

ARG-W vs CHI-W Cricket Scorecard, 1st T20I at Buenos Aires, October 13, 2023 Get cricket scorecard of 1st T20I, ARG-W vs CHI-W, Chile Women in Argentina 2023/24 at St Albans Club, Buenos Aires dated October 13, 2023.

I was wondering whether this was the highest T20I score without a six scored. Turns out, not even close! www.espncricinfo.com/series/chile...

I agree. Change the law so you can train up and hire civilians to oversee traffic light and speed offences caught on camera. But, as always, the political will is lacking.

On a side note, “The Miracle Pill” is a great book. I’ve bought at least five copies to give to give to friends.

As a constituent, I get the feeling there is a huge sense of buyers remorse. Our previous MP was very focused on local issues, so to have an MP who is more focused on the burqa than the bins has been a shock for many.

Waited 40 minutes for an S6 yesterday. One cancelled, the second was full because the first was cancelled. As @dublininquirer.com noted, seems to be a particular Go-Ahead problem. Reliability is the number one issue for many travellers - if a bus is cancelled, they’ll just go back to their cars.

Definite Norman Wisdom in "What's Good For The Goose' vibes about this...

Blackrock Clinic takes court challenge over BusConnects corridor and compulsory land purchase Hospital chief executive says it supports project ‘in principle’ but believes it will have ‘serious’ negative effect on operations and patients

Blackrock Clinic. The Blackrock/Belfield Route. www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/co...

Ah shame. The local private hospital is taking a judicial review against our local Bus Connects route. I was hoping you could go in to tell them why they shouldn’t!

Are you coming to Dublin as well, Jarrett?

I agree, and have a theory. Smokers who vape as well (cheaper, more socially acceptable) are back to smoking more because duty free cigarettes are readily available from UK airports following Brexit.

What a fascinating piece, and beautifully written. I felt cold just reading it! Congratulations.

If you are assuming NI on private pensions, then around £8bn a year. Based on 12m pensioners, and their estimated pension payouts of 100bn a year. That 100bn is an extrapolation of HMRC tax figures on pensions. www.gov.uk/government/s...

Another fine piece from the unofficial historian of 1970’s television/Granadaland. I actually remember that 90s Match of the Day Madchester theme.

I’m not sure on this figures re fuel duty. Total UK treasury receipts per year for fuel duty are £25bn. So likely a penny rise would bring in less than 500m.

Also, Runcorn mirrors Liverpool in being Remain inclined. As a constituent, I reckon Labour could keep on to it with a popular local candidate.

There’s a touch of the Partridge about that photo, Ed. The mustard-coloured jumper. The giant tank. The stance…10/10…no notes.

I had the incredible experience of meeting Michael Lewis after his appearance at the L&H in UCD last night. He’s as good a storyteller in person as on the page. Stories about Christian Bale, Brad Pitt, Billy Beane and some highbrow stuff about the USA and Ireland’s future relationship.

I was at Bohs v Rovers as well. It was a brilliant day, and a real show of support for the #LOI. 33,208 at Lansdowne Road, a League of Ireland record. It was a big risk for Bohs, because a crowd of less than 18,000 would have been a financial disaster.

Great piece, Ben. When I go back to work after my youngest starts school, I will cite that study about parents brain age in any interviews I do. If I remember…

I agree. Also, an amazing staging, with the war room and the bombe. And BGET has the best sight lines of any theatre I’ve been in. The back row view in the stalls is an almost good as the front.

The digital match programme looks great. Well done to all.

I’m off to see him in Dr Strangelove next week. His character choices are so eclectic, and his willingness to open up his own shortcomings in The Trip is genuinely admirable. I loved him in ‘Greed’ as well, a film that went a bit under the radar.

I assumed it was already in place! I have been travelling on numerous routes with a 7-year-old since the budget without paying for him. Every bus driver has let him on without question.

This surely elevates you to the rank of ‘boffin’?

I always enjoy Mike Whalley’s pieces. This is a great one, on AI and sub-editing.