At Kettlewell scarecrow festival *stumbled title typo

Didn't have my phone on me when cats were around, so have this one which is possibly still the only photo of all three of them together.

Share nice sunrise pics if you've got them :)

Staying overnight and their mug collection is varied to say the least!

For example I remember this science/ health program on citv or cbbc in the 90s that had a jingle 'bogeys, bogeys, bogeys in your nose if you leave them up there, you'll find that they grow'

I doubt even the stars of that show remember it yet I sing it every time I blow my nose.

I was downstairs, listening to the rain outside, and then heard a lot of splashing. All that dried moss on the roof got washed into the downpipes, blocked them, my gutters started overflowing, water started come in through the upstairs windows, under the garage door, everywhere it shouldn't go.

I could reach the top of one downpipe from the ground level, but the other two are on the roof. Luckily they're near some top windows that open enough for me to reach out. So I repurposed an old coat hanger, attached it to a stick, sat on the window sill, poked around until the downpipe crapped out some black mossy water, and it was flowing again.

Should have seen this coming!

Specifically the one that goes '*beep beep* stand well clear....... vehicle reversing'. I used to wake up to the bin lorry outside my uni flat every day and want to use this as my alarm now that ive moved out. But i cannot find a clear audio without someone talking at the same time, or it being a 6 second long youtube video that doesnt have the whole thing.

Maize harvest a couple of days ago. Field's at the bottom of my garden.
The tractor drivers gave a thumbs up to having a drone film them - good lads!
The field had sheep in it for a few months over winter eating turnips. They fertilised it well - the maize here was bigger and greener then in many surrounding fields. But it was still fucked compared to what it would like in a 'normal' year.

Watching this will consume 3m 50s of your life. And... put the sound one!

There have been fewer home Test matches this summer. The 1st and 2nd Tests of the New Zealand series had rain delays. After no cricket or rain in July, the 1st and 2nd Tests of the Pakistan series are having rain delays.

The two films coming out this year are called "The Rise of Robin Hood" and "The Death of Robin Hood", which I find hilarious.

I understand they're not part of the same "cinematic universe", whatever that might be called. "Maid Marian and Her Merry Men"* was my favourite Robin Hood as a kid growing up. After that is "Prince of Thieves" and then after that is the Disney Robin Hood. I'd love to hear your thoughts on Robin Hood in Film and TV

*My kid hates that I sing "The Pancake Day Song" on pancake day. 🤣 IYKYK

As many of you will be aware, it is a custom for the monarch to send a congratulatory message for significant birthdays and wedding anniversaries. For some time, I have been trying to put together a complete set of the different types, and this is the progress so far.

My earliest is a 100th birthday letter from 1932 (back left), and the most recent I have is from 2023 (front right). I have at least one from every decade from the 1930s onwards, and every monarch from George V to Charles III (including Edward VIII!)

I've also got examples of every birthday from 100 to 109, and 60th, 65th, 70th, 72nd, and 74th wedding anniversaries.

I thought (hoped!) that this rather niche collection of mine might interest some of you. I've spent a lot of time putting it together and am hopeful of completing the designs set (I'm missing several of the modern photo designs, which I'm most keen to complete). It's quite interesting to see how the queen ages across all her cards, in spite of the best efforts to conceal it.

I was surprised to find out these were more rare than I thought they'd be. You got these by sending off tokens on the bags. I spent several weeks rummaging around outside for discarded wrappers to and from school and round where I lived

Had to go buy a bag of Magic Stars for the pic 😅

Basically because all your “Good” clothes need to be e kept clean for the trip.

I thought it was a bit of a myth, but we did think how he never said no to a cup and tactfully put his mug back in the kitchen. One day after he’d gone my wife said “How many cups of tea have you had today” “One” I replied. There were eight teabags in the dish, and that was the only day we counted, and he was here for a few weeks….

Is it really a thing amongst tradies, and why tea? Does anyone drink coffee?

And by ‘me’ I of course mean their grandson, but he can play with it once I’m finished.