Glynis Paxton
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glynispax.bsky.social
Glynis Paxton
@glynispax.bsky.social
200 followers 470 following 320 posts
Local bluebells . Few random observations, books, art, gardening, food. Surrey
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Reposted by Glynis Paxton
artukdotorg.bsky.social
Tomorrow's #OnlineArtExchange theme is 'sisterhood' for Women of Influence: The Pattle Sisters at Watts Gallery 💞🖼️

See you there!

'The Sisters' by George Frederic Watts (1817–1904) 📷 Watts Gallery
December 10, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Reposted by Glynis Paxton
stephenkb.bsky.social
Fantastic piece of work this
December 9, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Reposted by Glynis Paxton
philipcball.bsky.social
Glad a lot of people are discovering the facts behind the legends.
December 9, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Reposted by Glynis Paxton
columnist.bsky.social
Relatedly there is nothing better than the Muppets Xmas Special with John Denver
columnist.bsky.social Dr Stylite @columnist.bsky.social · 5d
Worked out good
Sausage roll Sausage roll cut Individual roll
December 7, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Reposted by Glynis Paxton
gillmphoto.bsky.social
This is really sad news. RIP Martin Parr. One of the great photographers. What a legacy he leaves, I attended a talk he gave to MMU students,a few years back, he was still full of passion for photography & very open and encouraging to the next generation. He set up his Foundation in Bristol too. 📸🕊️
theguardian.com The Guardian @theguardian.com · 5d
Landmark British photographer Martin Parr dies aged 73
Landmark British photographer Martin Parr dies aged 73
Parr said his brightly coloured, closely observed pictures of British life were ‘disguised as entertainment’ but they became hugely popular Martin Parr, the British documentary photographer who captured the peculiarities of the nation with clarity and hilarity, has died aged 73. He had been diagnosed with cancer in May 2021. Known for his acute observations of the English class system, Parr’s images covered sunbathers and Conservative clubs, village fetes and coffee mornings, often in vivid colour and with more than a dash of humour. His iconic 1986 photobook The Last Resort: Photographs of New Brighton captured working-class holidaymakers in the Wirral, Liverpool and helped mark a sea change in British documentary photography, from the gritty, black and white style of the past towards a cheekier and more colourful style. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
December 7, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Reposted by Glynis Paxton
motorwayservices.uk
On this day 5 years ago (2020): the first GRIDSERVE electric forecourt opened at Braintree. Dubbed the 'forecourt of the future', it was laid out like a petrol station, but with charging points powered by on-site energy generation
Braintree Electric - motorway services
Guide to Braintree electric forecourt on the A131 at Great Notley: location of Gridserve services at Braintree Electric, Braintree ev forecourt reviews and more about Braintree services from Motorway…
motorwayservices.uk
December 7, 2025 at 11:28 AM
Reposted by Glynis Paxton
fesshole.bsky.social
I live in Wales and today received my Join Us letter from Reform UK, complete with SAE which I posted back to them, immediately, empty. If every other person in Wales did this, Reform would spend over £1.5 million on postage. Not sorry. Join me Cymru.
December 6, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Reposted by Glynis Paxton
hansmollman.bsky.social
I need to claim asylum in this embassy
December 6, 2025 at 10:34 AM
Reposted by Glynis Paxton
paisleystars.bsky.social
Update from the north pole: Santa is in location and Christmas preparation is underway
A small disused minehead, Mine 2B, the home of Santa, on a mountain above a small town. The minehead is illuminated, as of yesterday.
December 1, 2025 at 5:57 AM
Reposted by Glynis Paxton
garius.bsky.social
Well that's my evening sorted.
geoliminal.bsky.social Eric Williams @geoliminal.bsky.social · 14d
need something fun to watch? how about this: THREE MEN IN A BOAT (1975), dramatized by Tom fuckin' Stoppard and starring Tim Curry and Michael Palin
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgwk...
"THREE MEN IN A BOAT" (1975 Jerome K. Jerome TV Adaptation-starring Tim Curry, Michael Palin)
YouTube video by Archive Media Vault
www.youtube.com
November 29, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Reposted by Glynis Paxton
john-self.bsky.social
“I write twelve pages to get one page, and I cut all the time. Unless a writer is superb, I don’t think it’s enough just to go wuffling on.”
john-self.bsky.social John Self @john-self.bsky.social · Feb 22
And here's my own tribute to Beryl Bainbridge (and her 1973 novel The Dressmaker in particular).

She should have won the Booker "three or four times," said her friend Paul Bailey* after her death. "Hers were better than the junk that did win."

*they used to watch Corrie and compare notes by phone
The Dressmaker at 50: a novel that encapsulates Beryl Bainbridge’s idiosyncrasies | The Booker Prizes
An uncompromising and funny story of love and death, The Dressmaker was the first of five novels by Beryl Bainbridge to be shortlisted for the Booker.
thebookerprizes.com
November 28, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Reposted by Glynis Paxton
naomialderman.bsky.social
I'm starting to think I should do some read-ins on Zoom/Substack live or something where we all just turn up with our books, pop a few words about what we're reading into the chat and sit in silence for 45/60/75/90 minutes to read companionably together.
November 2, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Reposted by Glynis Paxton
imageplotter.bsky.social
Brilliant.
se1.news London SE1 community website @se1.news · Sep 28
At Southwark Cathedral this morning, Hodge the cat was ready to preach a sermon from the pulpit
October 7, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Reposted by Glynis Paxton
jennyrhodes42.bsky.social
Wise words from a wonderful woman.
Please watch.
kojamf.bsky.social KOJAMF🤘🖤🤘 @kojamf.bsky.social · Oct 5
Dr. Jane Goodall filmed an interview with Netflix in March 2025 that she understood would only be released after her death.
October 5, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Reposted by Glynis Paxton
greenleejw.bsky.social
Do you like supporting your local eel historian? Well! Have I got some opportunities for you!

1. Over at my ETSY store, I'm selling subway-style maps of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and Narnia. You can get them as prints or as digital versions!
#LOTR #maps

www.etsy.com/shop/Surpris...
Art. Subway-style map of the itinerary in The Hobbit. The main journey is show in three different lines: red (Hobbiton to Goblin Town); green (Goblin Town to the Elvenking's Halls); and blue (Elvenking's Halls to Erebor). There are multiple stops on these lines. There is a yellow line going back from Erebor to Hobbiton, making stops at Beorn's Hall, Rivendell, and the Troll's Lair. There is an orange line directly from the Iron Hills on the map's right side to Erebor, and a purple line from Gundabad directly to Erebor. The map's title reads: "Hobbit Transit Map" and there are directions for both There and Back Again listing the lines and transfer points. Between them, in the middle of the page, is a dragon drawn to resemble the dragon on Thror's Map from The Hobbit. A key shows the names of each colored line: Red: Western Lands Line Green: Mountains and Forests Line Blue: Barrel Line Yellow: Gandalf Express Orange: Iron Hills Business Line Purple: Orc and Goblin Reserve Line Text at the bottom right reads Surprised Eel Maps, 2025 Art. Subway style map to go with The Lord of the Rings, showing the different pathways of various parties throughout the book. The title reads: "Lord of the Rings Transit Map: One Does Not Simply Walk Ino Mordor When One Can Ride." The map takes up the middle part of the page, and there are two keys. The one on the left is titles "Standard Service Lines, and has color keys matched to the subway lines on the map. Lines are named: "Shire-Bree Commuter Line Old Forrest Crescent Wildland Scenic Line Fellowship Line Gollum / Sméagol Line Uruk Hai Express Three Hunters Line Fangorn Slow Service Rohan to Gondor Business Line Black Ships Ferry Service Oliphant Direct Line Army of the West Line Gandalf Express A smaller key on the right side of the map is labeled: "Limited Service Lines" and has color keys matched to the following names lines: "Eagle Express Paths of the Dead Line Nazgûl Search & Resuce Valinor Ltd." A note at the bottom reads: "* Mount Doom station only accepts Rings of Power in payment. Plan accordingly." Art. A subway style map on a parchment background. The map's title reads: "Narnia Transit Map: Talking Beasts Ride Free." The map has seven keys, one for each of the seven books in C.S. Lewis's Narinia series. The main movements of characters and action in each book are traced by colored lines, like a subway map. Locations in each book are marked out as stops in the lines. There is a drawing of a lion above the title of the map, and in the lower right corner there is a compass rose.
October 5, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Reposted by Glynis Paxton
jemroberts.bsky.social
I wonder how many others out there are dumbstruck today that Patricia Routledge only ever performed FOUR Kitty sketches which run to less then 10 minutes in total. She and Victoria Wood created an immortal comedy character in less than 10 minutes.
jemroberts.bsky.social Jem Roberts, Author etc. @jemroberts.bsky.social · Oct 3
RIP the great Kitty. Say hello to Victoria, and save some gypsy creams for me "up there". youtu.be/T-iDlTBZhKg
Patricia Routledge Kitty
YouTube video by ukcomedy
youtu.be
October 4, 2025 at 11:04 AM
Reposted by Glynis Paxton
davidsonofaaron.bsky.social
A free post on Robert Jenrick's campaign to become the next Reform party leader. Plus UnHerd and English folk music
open.substack.com/pub/davidaar...
Aces Low
Robert Jenrick and the political uses of nostalgia
open.substack.com
September 29, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Reposted by Glynis Paxton
rohanmaitzen.bsky.social
I haven't had a Mac since around 2002 but I'm a bit tired of the planned obsolescence of Windows laptops and wondering . . . if I switch back to Apple will I be glad or sad or mad?
August 28, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Reposted by Glynis Paxton
john-self.bsky.social
Naomi Alderman and I have broken the fourth wall and are continuing the article in the comments...
Comment from me (replying to a comment not shown): Yes. Lots more to be said in this area that I didn't have room for in the article. Naomi Alderman made the point that the process of writing is a way for a writer to work through the topic and 'exorcise' it. You can't do that by giving ChatGPT a prompt and delegating the writing. Delegating the writing is delegating the thinking. Comment from Naomi Alderman (replying to my comment): In that way it's like any machine, right? The strengths and the weaknesses. As an analogy: used to be when a person wanted to chop down a tree they had to get an axe out, think carefully about how that particular tree was growing, whether it was too big for them to safely control, and then swing the axe themselves again and again, they would see what was happening to it and whether a bird or an interesting beetle flew [comment continues, unseen]
August 2, 2025 at 11:21 AM
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tomjam.bsky.social
Can’t believe all the time we’ve wasted down the years watching men’s football
July 27, 2025 at 6:56 PM
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ghostwoods.bsky.social
French sign saying (in French) "Crepes and chocolates", left arrow. "Cruel world", right arrow. Harvested from the webs, no idea of attribution.
July 27, 2025 at 8:10 AM
Reposted by Glynis Paxton
john-self.bsky.social
The novel that pretends to be a biography of its own author after his death; a story in the form of a report on Earth by aliens; a book that runs backwards and forwards; one that runs entirely backwards; and more.

I wrote about some of the genre-bending novels from @thebookerprizes.com library:
10 of the best genre-bending Booker Prize-nominated novels | The Booker Prizes
If you enjoy innovative books that switch between genres, play with forms, and generally turn the reader’s expectations upside down, this list is for you
thebookerprizes.com
July 17, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Reposted by Glynis Paxton
daveyfwright.bsky.social
"i asked grok" "i asked chatgpt" yeah well i asked carl sagan and he said the greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance but the illusion of knowledge 🧪
July 18, 2025 at 4:12 AM
Reposted by Glynis Paxton
bsky.app
Verification update: In April we announced a new form of verification to help you know which voices are authentic and noteworthy. We continue the verification process through Bluesky and our trusted verifiers - which distribute power of verification beyond Bluesky to other notable entities 1/5:
July 2, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Reposted by Glynis Paxton
localnotail.bsky.social
I'd like to thank The Telegraph for illustrating my point about the importance of liking posts on @bsky.app so clearly 👍
Stagnant engagement Bluesky data show that the number of unique posters on its service peaked at around 1.5m on Nov 19 2024. That figure has since dropped more than 50pc to 697,000 as of June. The number of unique "likes" has more than halved from 2.8m to 1.2m over the same period. https://archive.ph/endvT
July 2, 2025 at 6:04 PM