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Chris Drew

@mesnilman.bsky.social

Ex UK gov economist incl 2 years in Euro Parl econ & monetary cttee. Normandy. Level 1 umpire. Semi-veggie. UTV EN & FR (DE after beer). Views personal etc. Glamorgan CCC fan.Welsh. And French Born at 325ppm

2,547 Followers  |  3,232 Following  |  5,847 Posts  |  Joined: 04.09.2023  |  2.2232

Latest posts by mesnilman.bsky.social on Bluesky

Wordle 1โ€ฏ705 4/6

โฌœโฌœ๐ŸŸจโฌœโฌœ
โฌœ๐ŸŸจ๐ŸŸจโฌœโฌœ
๐ŸŸจ๐ŸŸฉโฌœ๐ŸŸฉ๐ŸŸจ
๐ŸŸฉ๐ŸŸฉ๐ŸŸฉ๐ŸŸฉ๐ŸŸฉ

18.02.2026 03:01 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Minute Cryptic - 18 February, 2026
"He's into splattering paint - quite the scene-maker!" (8)
๐ŸŸฃ๐ŸŸฃ๐ŸŸฃ๐ŸŸฃ๐ŸŸฃ๐ŸŸฃ๐ŸŸฃ๐ŸŸฃ๐ŸŸฃ๐ŸŸฃ๐ŸŸฃ
๐Ÿ† 0 hints โ€“ 2 under the community par (29โ€ฏ030 solvers so far).
www.minutecryptic.com?utm_source=s...

18.02.2026 02:57 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

As Martin says, nicknames for different classes

Class 50s = Hoovers (the sound they make)
I *think* 60s = sheds (after my time in the UK)
You also have class 20s = choppers. Class 25s were rats, because they got everywhere (now mostly scrapped).

17.02.2026 19:15 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine Find out about the MMR vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella, including who should have it, when it's given and possible side effects.

Quick reminder to us GenXers or older -

"If you were born before 1970 and haven't had #measles, mumps or rubella (german measles) or vaccines...you can ask your GP for MMR vaccine."

We didn't all catch this stuff when we were littlies, so we're not all protected!

www.nhs.uk/vaccinations...

17.02.2026 17:19 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 25    ๐Ÿ” 13    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 5    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
FACE 
Has their face fallen on one side? Can they smile?

ARMS 
Can they raise both arms and keep them there?

SPEECH
Is their speech slurred?

TIME
To call 999 If you see any single one of these signs

999

FACE Has their face fallen on one side? Can they smile? ARMS Can they raise both arms and keep them there? SPEECH Is their speech slurred? TIME To call 999 If you see any single one of these signs 999

Sharing this - the symptoms of stroke. Someone important to me didn't recognise loss of speech as a sign, to their cost, upsettingly so.
Know the signs: F. A. S. T.
Dropped side of the FACE
Inability to raise both ARMS
SPEECH slurred or impossible
Act FAST, call an ambulance
#Stroke #StrokeAwareness

16.02.2026 21:47 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 41    ๐Ÿ” 29    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 2

I keep saying this, but please get vaccinated. And check *everyone*

17.02.2026 18:21 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 9    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

*Cough*

As the local here say

"Le Couesnon, dans sa folie, a mis le Mont en Normandie!"

17.02.2026 13:05 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
a crowd of people are sitting in a theatre applauding . ALT: a crowd of people are sitting in a theatre applauding .
17.02.2026 13:03 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Reference !

We're alright!!!

17.02.2026 12:05 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Just gave a talk to a group of sixth formers from a state school in Shropshire. Many questions asked, along the lines of: will the UK rejoin? How can I work for the EU? etc. These young people had their future stolen from them by Brexit, and they want that future back. ๐Ÿ’ช

17.02.2026 10:06 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 194    ๐Ÿ” 45    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 6    ๐Ÿ“Œ 4

You did your job. And you did it properly.

But it's a good policy not to hold those grudges.

17.02.2026 08:49 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Post image

Chitting nicely ๐Ÿ˜Š this year Sarpo Axona (maincrop, blight resistant), Sagitta (2nd early) and Home Guard (1st early). You don't have to chit - makes no difference to growth rates except for new #potatoes, & even then not much. But it's useful for keeping tubers healthy till sowing time #gardening ๐ŸŒฑ

17.02.2026 07:22 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 17    ๐Ÿ” 4    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

@kimwillsher.bsky.social

End of Penelopegate I see.

17.02.2026 08:05 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Connections
Puzzle #982
๐ŸŸฉ๐ŸŸฉ๐ŸŸฉ๐ŸŸฉ
๐ŸŸฆ๐ŸŸฆ๐ŸŸฆ๐ŸŸฆ
๐ŸŸจ๐ŸŸช๐ŸŸจ๐ŸŸจ
๐ŸŸจ๐ŸŸช๐ŸŸจ๐ŸŸจ
๐ŸŸจ๐ŸŸช๐ŸŸจ๐ŸŸจ
๐ŸŸจ๐ŸŸจ๐ŸŸจ๐ŸŸจ
๐ŸŸช๐ŸŸช๐ŸŸช๐ŸŸช

17.02.2026 03:26 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Wordle 1โ€ฏ704 4/6

๐ŸŸจโฌœโฌœ๐ŸŸจโฌœ
โฌœ๐ŸŸจโฌœโฌœโฌœ
๐ŸŸฉ๐ŸŸจ๐ŸŸฉโฌœโฌœ
๐ŸŸฉ๐ŸŸฉ๐ŸŸฉ๐ŸŸฉ๐ŸŸฉ

17.02.2026 03:20 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Minute Cryptic - 17 February, 2026
"Package returned in Wednesdayโ€™s post" (4)
๐ŸŸฃ๐ŸŸฃ๐ŸŸฃ๐ŸŸฃ๐ŸŸฃ๐ŸŸฃ๐ŸŸฃ
๐Ÿ† 0 hints โ€“ 1 under the community par (31โ€ฏ420 solvers so far).
www.minutecryptic.com?utm_source=s...

17.02.2026 03:16 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
landscape, person on a bike cycling down a country lane, a building in the distance

landscape, person on a bike cycling down a country lane, a building in the distance

Goodnight

Donegal, Ireland
Joseph McKenzie, 1969

16.02.2026 19:19 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 128    ๐Ÿ” 14    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Very, very best wishes.

16.02.2026 18:03 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
a man in a cowboy hat says you can do it in front of a crowd of people Alt: a man in a cowboy hat says you can do it in front of a crowd of people
16.02.2026 17:28 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Happy birthday !

16.02.2026 17:07 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Latest MRN Forecasts Point to Higher Than Expected Inflation for the Second Half of 2026 - NIESR In this monthโ€™s update, we are trying something slightly new. ย We are taking the โ€œsimpleโ€ MRN (based on the CPI data alone), and adding one variable to it: the updated Divisia Price Dual (DPD). In add...

โšก๏ธOUT NOW โšก๏ธ Latest MRN forecasts point to higher than expected #inflation for the second half of 2026 ๐Ÿ“ˆ

Ahead of the latest official figures out on Wednesday, read here Huw Dixon's latest #blog ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿ‘‡

@cu-cardiffbusiness.bsky.social
niesr.ac.uk/blog/latest-...

16.02.2026 15:12 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 3    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Awful stuff, Annie.

16.02.2026 11:16 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Yoicks, indeed

16.02.2026 10:59 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

One in five children infected in the recent London measles outbreak were reportedly hospitalised.
Donโ€™t believe the anti-vaxxers when they say โ€œitโ€™s a mild diseaseโ€ or โ€œitโ€™s better to get immunity naturallyโ€.
It isnโ€™t.

16.02.2026 08:00 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 492    ๐Ÿ” 219    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 18    ๐Ÿ“Œ 6

Connections
Puzzle #981
๐ŸŸฆ๐ŸŸจ๐ŸŸฆ๐ŸŸฆ
๐ŸŸจ๐ŸŸจ๐ŸŸจ๐ŸŸจ
๐ŸŸฆ๐ŸŸฆ๐ŸŸฆ๐ŸŸฆ
๐ŸŸช๐ŸŸช๐ŸŸช๐ŸŸช
๐ŸŸฉ๐ŸŸฉ๐ŸŸฉ๐ŸŸฉ

16.02.2026 07:53 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Minute Cryptic - 16 February, 2026
"No more texting inside by primary classmatesโ€ฆ & teachers" (7)
๐ŸŸฃ๐ŸŸฃ๐ŸŸฃ๐ŸŸฃ๐ŸŸฃ๐ŸŸฃ๐ŸŸฃ๐ŸŸฃ๐ŸŸฃ๐ŸŸฃ
๐Ÿ† 0 hints โ€“ 3 under the community par (42โ€ฏ288 solvers so far).
www.minutecryptic.com?utm_source=s...

16.02.2026 07:45 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Wordle 1โ€ฏ703 3/6

โฌœ๐ŸŸจ๐ŸŸฉ๐ŸŸฉโฌœ
๐ŸŸจโฌœโฌœโฌœโฌœ
๐ŸŸฉ๐ŸŸฉ๐ŸŸฉ๐ŸŸฉ๐ŸŸฉ

15.02.2026 23:54 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

My book about Britain ends with a memory.
Of the first time I ever worked at Broadcasting House as a guest commentator, what that meant to me, and what the BBC means for ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡งโ€™s place in the world.
The idea that the World Service could end is awful, and frankly embarrassing for the British Government.

15.02.2026 19:58 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 303    ๐Ÿ” 103    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 15    ๐Ÿ“Œ 5

Probably one of the greatest scenes in cinema history

youtu.be/cOeFhSzoTuc?...

15.02.2026 20:19 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 8    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Thanks

15.02.2026 19:28 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

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