Nick McLoughlin

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A paperback copy of Birding by Rose Ruane.

I couldn’t wait any longer. I’ve been dying to get stuck into this lovely book by the wonderful @regretteruane.bsky.social for a while now, so I moved it 47 places up my physical TBR pile and I’m going in. 📚💙 #books

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A truck packed with labourers on their home from work on a road in Lombok, Indonesia, a moped on either side.

Lombok, Indonesia - full of the nicest, most apparently content people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting - a joy 😊

It is a lovely village. I’ve played a few rounds at the Chevin with members: the Riley’s (Mike, John and David) are probably on a board in the clubhouse somewhere.

It’s not a shop anymore. It was on the corner of King Street and Fisher Lane. I’m old though (56), this was in the early 1970’s. Played cricket for Duffield until around 1991/2.

Yes. I was born and grew up in Derby, though we had a shop in Duffield when I was little, and me and my dad played cricket for them for many years. My family are still in Derby.

I’ve just noticed in your profile you’re a Derby fan - are you from there?

Here in France every village has a ‘bassin’ with free running water. As a cyclist, a runner, and a parent I have always appreciated this.

Border Crossing by Pat Barker.

Current read 📚💙

Best wishes 🖤

Michelle Agyemang celebrating her goal tonight.

Wow ⚽️. My nerves are shredded. #lionesses

Oh, haha brilliant 😊.

Intrigued about the shape of your wardrobe - triangle? 😂

Indeed there were 😂. As I’m from Derby I’m a bit disappointed he didn’t go there, but understandable I suppose! This made me laugh: ‘between Manchester and Bolton the ugliness is so complete that it is almost exhilarating’ 😂. And that was in 1931!

A copy of JB Priestley’s English Journey.

My latest read. Priestley’s utterly brilliant travelogue of his 1931 trip around England. Fascinating, wise and remarkably prescient - social history at its finest. 📚💙#books

I read this a couple of years ago and didn’t enjoy it as much as some of her others.

Thanks Jan, I thought so to when he showed me, but I have zero credentials (possibly negative number credentials as his dad) so he was unconvinced.

A portrait in pencil of Winston Churchill drawn by my son Noah, 17.

Noah (17) has had his pencils out again. 1.5 hrs. No art at school, never had a lesson, and prepping to study Maths and Physics at uni next year! This looks pretty decent to me. Thoughts? #art

Oh, perfect for a rainy day. I hope you’re in a library in an old country house somewhere. 😊

With the limited number of characters on here it sounds like I liked the novel less than I did. I’m enjoyed it hugely and honestly couldn’t put it down for the last 200 pages.

I concede that is funny. I think a lot of her humour (and yes there definitely is some) is so subtle, and clever that it is missed on a first reading. One day I will go back and read it more closely.

Yep, I’ll give you both of those points Rob, though almost anyone would have been an upgrade on Casaubon!

You’re right Joanna. I have my Dickens hat on. She is less obviously comic, but she is so clever in her observational wit.

My ideal day. Enjoy 😊 📚. What are you reading?

An image from the BBC adaptation of Middlemarch showing Juliette Aubree and Rufus Sewell as Dorothea and Ladislaw.

Well after 30 years on my TBR pile I finally read Middlemarch. Is it the best English novel. IMHO no. But I did really enjoy it. Why is it not at the top of my all-time list?
1. It’s 200 pages too long.
2. Ladislaw is not the man for Dorothea.
3. There is no humour in it at all.
Thoughts? 💙📚 #books

Very few days that can’t be improved by a Jaws rewatch 🦈 😊

And they’re both bad.

As is his voice!

#LiveAid