Peter
@gatesheadgeek.bsky.social
Yorkshire-raised, Smoggie-born engineer with a penchant for photography, LEGO, travel, food & wine. Based in Tyneside since 2007, but once lived & worked in New Zealand. Servant to Hild the cat & occasionally to her brother Bede. Blood donor.🏳️🌈 he/him/his
I lived in NZ for about 3 years around 20 years ago & would have been delighted to have Ikea. There was not much choice of affordable homeware - I daresay that some local retailers will be very unhappy www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...
‘I’m rapt!’: meatball chants but no mania as New Zealand assembles for first Ikea store
Overnight camping was banned and motorists were told to plan their journey as New Zealand finally joined the flatpack family
www.theguardian.com
December 4, 2025 at 9:08 AM
I lived in NZ for about 3 years around 20 years ago & would have been delighted to have Ikea. There was not much choice of affordable homeware - I daresay that some local retailers will be very unhappy www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...
Glad that sense has prevailed here - while empty coaching stock movements occur across the network every day, this seemed a mistake given that Network Rail and others supported its retention as a public service. www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Manchester-London 7am ‘ghost train’ to carry passengers after outcry over regulator’s decision
Avanti service was to have been axed from mid-December but would have still run because of needs out of Euston
www.theguardian.com
December 1, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Glad that sense has prevailed here - while empty coaching stock movements occur across the network every day, this seemed a mistake given that Network Rail and others supported its retention as a public service. www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Have messaged the local FB group to ask neighbours not to feed our cat Bede. His prescription diet food stops a recurrence of his urinary problems. Of course he acts like he’s never been fed before, but he could have died this weekend.
November 30, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Have messaged the local FB group to ask neighbours not to feed our cat Bede. His prescription diet food stops a recurrence of his urinary problems. Of course he acts like he’s never been fed before, but he could have died this weekend.
Update, Bede is now recovering from the procedure to remove the blockage in his bladder. On a drip to help his kidneys to recover. Thank **** pet insurance is paying for all this.
Stressful morning sorting out emergency care for our part time-cat Bede. Our neighbours, who he’s adopted, took him to emergency vet overnight as neither of us heard them knocking. Thankfully his urinary issue should be fixed with a small operation. Almost as thankfully, pet insurance should pay.
November 29, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Update, Bede is now recovering from the procedure to remove the blockage in his bladder. On a drip to help his kidneys to recover. Thank **** pet insurance is paying for all this.
Introduce yourself with 5 cars you’ve owned.
2012 Ford Fiesta
2015 MINI Cooper
2018 MINI Countryman
2021 Jaguar E-Pace
2024 Jaguar E-Pace
All except Fiesta on PCP. The 2nd E-Pace was bought because it was the best car I’d owned & they stopped making them last year, or I would have kept 1st longer
2012 Ford Fiesta
2015 MINI Cooper
2018 MINI Countryman
2021 Jaguar E-Pace
2024 Jaguar E-Pace
All except Fiesta on PCP. The 2nd E-Pace was bought because it was the best car I’d owned & they stopped making them last year, or I would have kept 1st longer
Introduce yourself with 5 cars you’ve owned.
1983 VW Polo MK2
1990 Peugeot 309
2007 Peugeot 206
2013 VW Polo MK5
2023 Toyota Yaris
The Yaris is the fastest and most powerful of the lot!
1983 VW Polo MK2
1990 Peugeot 309
2007 Peugeot 206
2013 VW Polo MK5
2023 Toyota Yaris
The Yaris is the fastest and most powerful of the lot!
Introduce yourself with 5 cars you've owned.
2005 Renault Clio "Authentique" (with the 1.2 8v engine...)
2006 VW Golf Mk5
2010 Volvo C30
2013 Mercedes SLK250d
2015 Mercedes C220d... which continues to ferry me around today.
2005 Renault Clio "Authentique" (with the 1.2 8v engine...)
2006 VW Golf Mk5
2010 Volvo C30
2013 Mercedes SLK250d
2015 Mercedes C220d... which continues to ferry me around today.
November 29, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Introduce yourself with 5 cars you’ve owned.
2012 Ford Fiesta
2015 MINI Cooper
2018 MINI Countryman
2021 Jaguar E-Pace
2024 Jaguar E-Pace
All except Fiesta on PCP. The 2nd E-Pace was bought because it was the best car I’d owned & they stopped making them last year, or I would have kept 1st longer
2012 Ford Fiesta
2015 MINI Cooper
2018 MINI Countryman
2021 Jaguar E-Pace
2024 Jaguar E-Pace
All except Fiesta on PCP. The 2nd E-Pace was bought because it was the best car I’d owned & they stopped making them last year, or I would have kept 1st longer
Stressful morning sorting out emergency care for our part time-cat Bede. Our neighbours, who he’s adopted, took him to emergency vet overnight as neither of us heard them knocking. Thankfully his urinary issue should be fixed with a small operation. Almost as thankfully, pet insurance should pay.
November 29, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Stressful morning sorting out emergency care for our part time-cat Bede. Our neighbours, who he’s adopted, took him to emergency vet overnight as neither of us heard them knocking. Thankfully his urinary issue should be fixed with a small operation. Almost as thankfully, pet insurance should pay.
Spent a day this week working from home and hated it. Reinforced why I go to the office every day.
November 22, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Spent a day this week working from home and hated it. Reinforced why I go to the office every day.
A pattern of behaviour that will surprise no-one but should appal everyone. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Twenty people allege he has a racist past. He denies it. Who’s telling the truth about Farage’s schooldays?
Reform UK’s leader refuses to answer questions about his abusive behaviour, claiming there’s ‘no evidence’. We talk to victims and witnesses
www.theguardian.com
November 22, 2025 at 6:40 PM
A pattern of behaviour that will surprise no-one but should appal everyone. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
A match made in hell. www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...
Daily Mail owner strikes £500m deal to buy Telegraph titles
Acquisition likely to trigger in-depth investigation by regulator after agreement between DMGT and Redbird IMI
www.theguardian.com
November 22, 2025 at 4:45 PM
A match made in hell. www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...
Lots for the Mail to clutch its pearls over (not a euphemism) www.theguardian.com/film/2025/no...
‘I think my mum’s going to like it’: Alexander Skarsgård on his gay biker ‘dom-com’ Pillion
In May, Cannes went weak at the knees for Harry Lighton’s tale of BDSM and bootlicking in suburbia. Ahead of its release, the director and his stars reveal the explicit shots snipped from the final cu...
www.theguardian.com
November 21, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Lots for the Mail to clutch its pearls over (not a euphemism) www.theguardian.com/film/2025/no...
Hadnt realised who did the Geordie commentator www.theguardian.com/culture/2025...
‘People still blame me for their perforated eardrums’: how we made the Tango ads
‘Gil Scott-Heron did the closing voiceover. He was giggling away, saying, “You English guys are crazy!”’
www.theguardian.com
November 17, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Hadnt realised who did the Geordie commentator www.theguardian.com/culture/2025...
Just returning from Durham Lumiere. Some great light installations.
November 15, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Just returning from Durham Lumiere. Some great light installations.
Pretty intense day of data crunching today which seemed to be well received by the client. Pretty unsustainable workload at the moment though, with multiple projects (and sub-projects) requiring my focus. Another project opportunity landed this week too, with my inputs likely also required on that 🤯
November 11, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Pretty intense day of data crunching today which seemed to be well received by the client. Pretty unsustainable workload at the moment though, with multiple projects (and sub-projects) requiring my focus. Another project opportunity landed this week too, with my inputs likely also required on that 🤯
Currently watching Murder Before Evensong, based on Rev Richard Coles’s book. Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom from Potter films) plays Canon Clement really well. It’s an enjoyable whodunnit
November 11, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Currently watching Murder Before Evensong, based on Rev Richard Coles’s book. Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom from Potter films) plays Canon Clement really well. It’s an enjoyable whodunnit
I miss having Wilko in town and city centres. It filled a useful gap for miscellaneous DIY products, electrical spares and hardware that avoided a trip to B&Q etc. Yes you can order things online but sometimes it’s good to be able to browse and compare in-store.
November 9, 2025 at 1:53 PM
I miss having Wilko in town and city centres. It filled a useful gap for miscellaneous DIY products, electrical spares and hardware that avoided a trip to B&Q etc. Yes you can order things online but sometimes it’s good to be able to browse and compare in-store.
My Brick Borrow journey continues. This set is about 2/3 complete - just the street setting to finish. They’ve now added the Lego Titanic to sets that can be borrowed, but I think that’ll be in high demand and also have a slow turnover due its size and complexity.
November 8, 2025 at 5:25 PM
My Brick Borrow journey continues. This set is about 2/3 complete - just the street setting to finish. They’ve now added the Lego Titanic to sets that can be borrowed, but I think that’ll be in high demand and also have a slow turnover due its size and complexity.
Having donated blood platelets last week, I’ve been told that my donation has gone to the local Freeman Hospital here in Newcastle. It’s great to hear they’re being used wherever they go, but particularly so when it goes to a local facility.
November 7, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Having donated blood platelets last week, I’ve been told that my donation has gone to the local Freeman Hospital here in Newcastle. It’s great to hear they’re being used wherever they go, but particularly so when it goes to a local facility.
Crappy day at work. Trying to juggle too many pressing tasks and projects and not focusing enough on any
November 3, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Crappy day at work. Trying to juggle too many pressing tasks and projects and not focusing enough on any
Hmm. The choice seems to be between posting into the void here on BlueSky or the AI bots, rage posting and facebook-esque horror of Threads. Some choice that is!
November 1, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Hmm. The choice seems to be between posting into the void here on BlueSky or the AI bots, rage posting and facebook-esque horror of Threads. Some choice that is!
Staying at my mum’s this weekend. She’s deaf and has her Echo Dot playing music in her bedroom next door. Might need to put my AirPods in …
November 1, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Staying at my mum’s this weekend. She’s deaf and has her Echo Dot playing music in her bedroom next door. Might need to put my AirPods in …
Just got messaged by a guy on Grindr who was apparently in Denver. Played along for a few minutes and then got bored and blocked.
November 1, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Just got messaged by a guy on Grindr who was apparently in Denver. Played along for a few minutes and then got bored and blocked.
Almost exactly 21 years ago (oof!) this was my view of Auckland harbour from my new New Zealand employer’s apartment. I stayed here for 2 weeks while finding a place to rent. Made quite a change from suburban Birmingham!
November 1, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Almost exactly 21 years ago (oof!) this was my view of Auckland harbour from my new New Zealand employer’s apartment. I stayed here for 2 weeks while finding a place to rent. Made quite a change from suburban Birmingham!
Famous last words, but it looks like Reeves has survived the latest attempted political assassination. Feels like all prospective cabinet ministers need to have party tax specialists look at all their financial affairs. If it already happens, they’re not looking hard enough. Too much naivety about
October 30, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Famous last words, but it looks like Reeves has survived the latest attempted political assassination. Feels like all prospective cabinet ministers need to have party tax specialists look at all their financial affairs. If it already happens, they’re not looking hard enough. Too much naivety about
This is a beautifully observed puece about Scales’s talents. Its sad tgat sges died but by apl accoubts the dementia had been cruel to her and her husband Timothy West died a year ago. RIP www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
Fawlty Towers actor Prunella Scales dies aged 93
Actor portrayed Sybil Fawlty and later charmed viewers with her canal boat journeys alongside husband Timothy West
www.theguardian.com
October 28, 2025 at 4:18 PM
This is a beautifully observed puece about Scales’s talents. Its sad tgat sges died but by apl accoubts the dementia had been cruel to her and her husband Timothy West died a year ago. RIP www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
Resisting the temptation to post about the early dark evening …oh wait….
October 26, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Resisting the temptation to post about the early dark evening …oh wait….