Gareth Oakland 🇫🇷🏏🏉
@goakl.bsky.social
2.3K followers 3.2K following 10K posts
Published on 19th Century Vendéen memorials. Former PwC partner. Trustee at Institute of Historical Research. Trustee at NHS Retirement. Active travel in Bishop’s Stortford. Keyboard warrior. Bearsted CC. Cricket, cycling, rugby à XV. France and England.
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goakl.bsky.social
Anyway. You sit down and have a nice cup of tea and a bit of fruit cake. Maybe a nap. There’s a venison stew and some rough red for later.
Tea and cake Venison and mushroom stew
goakl.bsky.social
Thing is they know exactly how old I am. And where I live. They know exactly what drugs I’m on and my immune status. So why even show me the box to tick?
goakl.bsky.social
Hah me too. Old enough to be protected against flu. Young enough not to be at risk from Covid. Born in 58 so shingles definitely won’t get you. Ain’t life grand?
goakl.bsky.social
Perhaps. I’m taking the “not sufficiently vulnerable” as a (small) victory in my struggle with aging.
goakl.bsky.social
Would you like the Covid jab with your flu jab? Tick this box if yes.

Turn up for jabs. You don’t look over 75. Do you live in a care home? Obviously not. You know this. Sorry, no Covid jab. Maybe later when all the vulnerable people are done.

What a bizarre process.
goakl.bsky.social
If it’s anything like France, the secular nature of metropolitan society means that very few present for the priesthood. So they have to import. Mainly from ex-colonial Africa.
goakl.bsky.social
Terrifying. Of course I’ll be long dead before the flag people realise there isn’t enough razor wire and machine guns to keep “safe” the bits of Britain that aren’t already under water.
goakl.bsky.social
I was struck by the parochialism of this reporting. You think you will be able to deal with the consequences of climate change on global migration, interconnected businesses, access to food and water…by building smarter houses in Surrey?
UK must prepare buildings for 2C rise in global temperature, government told
Climate advisers warn that current plans to protect against extreme weather are inadequate
www.theguardian.com
goakl.bsky.social
This is what we looked like.

Aged 19 and 22.
Me. Aged 19. Me. Aged 22
goakl.bsky.social
This evening’s episode of House MD bought to you from probably the oldest bit of my music collection.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=CJxp...
Old 45
goakl.bsky.social
I'm not an expert on this. In my tiny village in rural France we have 5G and fibre. Delivered by Orange/France telecom. In the UK in a market town/dormitory for London we struggle sometimes to get 3G and fibre is coming "sometime soon".
goakl.bsky.social
and even then you still have to go via Northwood Hills
goakl.bsky.social
Nobody ever pays attention to my dreams.
goakl.bsky.social
You lived a more interesting life for knowing that though! And stealing from the GPO was actually getting one over “the man”. Anyway isn’t all property, theft…
goakl.bsky.social
Let me tell you youngsters about “party lines” and Button A and Button B.

Oh and the urban mythology of free calls from phone boxes if you tapped out the number on the phone rest.
goakl.bsky.social
Ooops - I meant to write - but wouldn't you need a browsdresser? Nah it still isn't funny.
goakl.bsky.social
With £15,000 in currency in a bag. Nope, nothing dodgy about this at all...
k8tshires.bsky.social
"PS Farmer, who was supervising the officers at the Channel Tunnel entrance that day, told the court that Mr Lennon had said he was delivering a friend's "extremely high value" Bentley Bentayga to Benidorm."
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Tommy Robinson refused to give police phone Pin to protect 'journalistic material'
The far-right activist was charged under the Terrorism Act over an incident at the Channel Tunnel in July 2024.
www.bbc.com
goakl.bsky.social
Are you sure it’s not Christmas yet?
Port and Stilton
Reposted by Gareth Oakland 🇫🇷🏏🏉
gravelinfluencer.bsky.social
Sometimes I think about how absolutely wild it is that drivers think they're being oppressed when they get punished for breaking the law
goakl.bsky.social
Dinner tonight is autumnal nursery food.
Smoked haddock. Carrot and potato mash, sprouting.
Reposted by Gareth Oakland 🇫🇷🏏🏉
davidzipper.bsky.social
This is good news.

A few vehicles with Intelligent Speed Assist can have an outsized impact on safety bc they’ll also prevent vehicles behind them from speeding.

www.nyc.gov/site/dcas/ne...
goakl.bsky.social
Not yet. But Aldi was eerily quiet. Felt I had to buy something from their Christmas shelf.