John Bassett

This is like the reverse of those Haribo adverts.

Someone’s rattled by the arrival of Nadine on their manor. Utterly bonkers people.

The Telegraph Rayner tax scandal - £40k tax dodge - Statement Angela Rayner dodges £40,000 stamp duty Deputy Prime Minister reduces tax bill for Hove flat by declaring it as her main residence [Photo: Angela Rayner pictured at the weekend in Hove, where she has just bought a flat Credit: Dan Charity/The Sun on Sunday] Robert Mendick Chief Reporter. Amy Gibbons Political Correspondent 29 August 2025 8:57am BST

The Telegraph Money > Property > Second homes How to avoid tax on your second home From stamp duty to council tax, shield your wealth from Labour's tightening net [Photo of houses around a bay - Areas such as Cornwall have added a premium to council tax bills for second homes Credit: iStockphoto] Fran Ivens Senior Money Writer 29 August 2025 1:21pm BST

On the same day in the Telegraph:

Melvyn Bragg is an incredible broadcaster, one of the best ever. Under-celebrated I’d say.

Amid all the stuff about ‘dangerous London’ and ‘broken Britain’, new figures show the homicide rate in London is at a 10-year low. Killings dropped by 26% over the last year, from 78 to 58. No one under 25 was murdered during the school summer holidays.

Proposal: instead of “free speech”, we call it “cunt speech”.

Since that’s what they’re mainly keen on defending, apparently.

Medievil guy sings with his lute to a lady

Thou wast working
as a maiden
in a meade tavern
when I met thee

Making them wear high-visibility vests over camo is such a good joke you couldn’t write it

I’ve been a defender of the BBC for all of my life, I think, and I have worked in their newsrooms and on other shows and projects. Ever since we were told they were going to go further right to appease right wing people, the whole news department has gone mental.

Pritzker: Trump looked at the cameras and asked for me personally to say, Mr. President, can you do us the honor of protecting our city? Instead, I say, Mr. President, do not come to Chicago.

Your remarks about this effort have betrayed a continuing slip in your mental faculties

Absolutely, a mentality I hope is taught; to not only deal with the pressure of playing, but the pressure of not playing. Much trust must be placed in the manager and senior players to deal with it. Loved Arsenal’s verve today, felt simultaneously to have confidence and control on display.

A lovely piece as always, Paul. Acknowledged the reality that there is no first XI at the top level.
Players buying into a greater good at the expense of their own aims has never been more important as a criteria for success.

People go to therapy for those that won’t (but should).

Black and white photo. Three ladies doing press-ups. Bums in the air.

Farting Contest, Chichester, 1956.

You say Sedaka and I say Sodoku. Sedaka. Sodoku. Sodoku. Sedaka. Let's call the Neil thing math.

My dog lies about her age. She’s a week old if she’s a day.

Wiltshire teenager makes free lunches to help hungry families Buddy wants to ensure no child goes hungry over the long summer break.

Nice things. You’re a hero, Buddy.

Spock and a lady in love

Take-away this evening would indeed seem logical.

Diakité looks proper.

Standard football commentary. Nothing mentioned about tactical set-ups or stuff that we might not spot, but as soon as a debatable point crops up, they’re frothing at the mouth and can’t shut the fuck up.

Imagining Kraftwerk as a metal band

A street in Punta del Diablo, Uruguay, based on a photo I took in 2008. Front, back, pixel drawing guide, original photograph

Trying to look like the big tough boy ahead of meeting the boss.

Sorry duh I reposted with the photo!

A pint of IPA and a copy of The Fence. Outside The Bohemia, North Finchley, London N12.

Been saving this one for a while @thefence.bsky.social 🫡

From The Archives: Trump Teeters On White House Ledge Weighing Pros And Cons Of Killing Self Right Now To Distract From McCain’s Funeral

From The Archives: Trump Teeters On White House Ledge Weighing Pros And Cons Of Killing Self Right Now To Distract From McCain’s Funeral

This is so, so fucking stupid.

If you’d actually been shot for real, no way do you ever do this.