Webrarian

I have a few first lines if they'd help. Titleless and with no second (or subsequent) lines.

Public libraries were marginally simpler. My early experience involved the sealed Tottenham Box. Only later, when I moved to Devon, did I come across "fines tickets" (rolls of receipt tickets which had to balance with takings) and the Ups Tin. It seems so primitive now.

Wonderful!

Interesting to see a register from before the Poor Law changes.

That's when the Paddington Bear Hard Stare comes in so useful.

Such happy memories. I'd have been nine and had no idea about the Clyde or the puffers but it was so exciting a couple of years ago when I saw the current Vital Spark at Inveraray.

Done!

Possibly not a problem when buses had uniformed conductors walking around wearing a peaked cap?

Been there, done that, a long time ago. And it really does work.

Or anywhere else outside London, for that matter.

Stop reading it. Life is too short. There is no shame. You are not "giving up".

Tomorrow is Old Christmas Day. Keep them up until Old Twelfth Night.

I'm sure it is. My parents celebrated very simply and I was the only child, so no big family Christmases. I do remember one when my ex-wife's grandmother keeled over at the table and our eldest daughter chose that very moment to fill her nappy explosively.

Fear not. Tomorrow is Old Christmas Day, and 17th is Old Twelfth Night. New Year isn't until Lady Day in March. Seriously, though, I do remember those wonderful glass baubles with the concave decoration. And lights which were large. And paper chains, and decorations you rolled up for next year.

Do you have any French onions?

A housing estate car park with a light fall of snow

Snow in suburban Plymouth. 100m above sea level.

Old man pretending to sleep

This is what happens when you go to bed at a sensible time on New Year's Eve and find you're still awake at 2am.

Steam tank locomotive on a frosty morning

Frosty morning on the South Devon Railway

I'll send you a DM about this morning's dream...

You're only a year older than me. I can certainly identify with not getting tired enough, especially at the moment with dreary weather and physical infirmities. When I'm away from home and doing stuff I sleep very well.

There have been times (not many) when I've forced myself to stay awake to avoid those dreams. Usually i drift off and then it all starts up. But you're not alone.

The perfect Christmas present! @jkaconductor.bsky.social

Happy Christmas 🎁

That's very sweet of you, Lee

I need a human pet but they don't have them in Lidl

A Pig in Blankets - from The Million - Saturday, 2 March 1895; Courtesy, British Library Board

I have two start words which I use religiously. But I only needed one. It was a risk and paid off for once.

Thank you! My first ever.

Wordle 1,646 2/6

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I'm thinking toilet paper...

My mother said "If you can't say something nice, then don't say anything". So I'm keeping my thoughts to myself.