Ian Banks
@atoll.ltd
"...all good things-trout as well as eternal salvation-come by grace and grace comes by art and art does not come easy": Norman Maclean
Honestly, don’t know why I waited for DJT to turn up 45 minutes + late for his press briefing. Now have to listen to the ramblings of a truly crazy man talk of his “accomplishments” after 1 year. Honestly a joke if you have watched real statesmen like Canadian prime Minister Mark Carney at Davos
January 20, 2026 at 7:07 PM
Honestly, don’t know why I waited for DJT to turn up 45 minutes + late for his press briefing. Now have to listen to the ramblings of a truly crazy man talk of his “accomplishments” after 1 year. Honestly a joke if you have watched real statesmen like Canadian prime Minister Mark Carney at Davos
“Prince Harry feels targeted for ‘standing up’ to Daily Mail publisher, court hears” … Oh hang on sorry: Harry lookee-likee Kasper Hogh has just given Bodo/Glimt an early two goal lead against Manchester City: Bodo/Glimt 0-2 Manchester City www.theguardian.com/uk/sport
January 20, 2026 at 6:52 PM
“Prince Harry feels targeted for ‘standing up’ to Daily Mail publisher, court hears” … Oh hang on sorry: Harry lookee-likee Kasper Hogh has just given Bodo/Glimt an early two goal lead against Manchester City: Bodo/Glimt 0-2 Manchester City www.theguardian.com/uk/sport
Watching the wierd Live Chat scroll whilst waiting on the White House Press Briefing on LiveNoW from Fox. Beats the Grandstand Teleprompt
January 20, 2026 at 6:33 PM
Watching the wierd Live Chat scroll whilst waiting on the White House Press Briefing on LiveNoW from Fox. Beats the Grandstand Teleprompt
Struggling to find any non-right-leaning channel to view White House briefing impartially. Just sacked RSB as reporting was so biased, but now on LiveNow Fox but not much better. Whilst waiting, I spotted the expedient poll: “Will the US acqiring Greenland be good for the stock market?” Nuff said.
January 20, 2026 at 6:14 PM
Struggling to find any non-right-leaning channel to view White House briefing impartially. Just sacked RSB as reporting was so biased, but now on LiveNow Fox but not much better. Whilst waiting, I spotted the expedient poll: “Will the US acqiring Greenland be good for the stock market?” Nuff said.
Not high quality Japanese ‘#Kintsugi but having dropped & smashed my beloved Loaf ‘Muggins’ mug in ‘Burnt Orange’ colour, I could at least turn it into a succulent plant pot. Have now ordered a new Muggins for builders tea as (knowing my skills are not ‘Repair Shop’ standard) suspect this will leak!
January 14, 2026 at 5:35 PM
Not high quality Japanese ‘#Kintsugi but having dropped & smashed my beloved Loaf ‘Muggins’ mug in ‘Burnt Orange’ colour, I could at least turn it into a succulent plant pot. Have now ordered a new Muggins for builders tea as (knowing my skills are not ‘Repair Shop’ standard) suspect this will leak!
Ex Tory Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi defects to Reform UK? www.bbc.co.uk/news Given Dulwich College signed open letter from Farage schoolmates on his inherent racism & mayoral candidate Chris Parry’s recent offence to Deputy PM David Lammy, I hope Iraqi-born Zahawi knows and trusts his new bed fellows.
January 12, 2026 at 4:48 PM
Ex Tory Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi defects to Reform UK? www.bbc.co.uk/news Given Dulwich College signed open letter from Farage schoolmates on his inherent racism & mayoral candidate Chris Parry’s recent offence to Deputy PM David Lammy, I hope Iraqi-born Zahawi knows and trusts his new bed fellows.
Forget a ‘No Joy January’ of tea-totalism . Can’t resist the last if my Jura single malt in a hip flask for Tatton Park watching the Fallow Deer. (and of course in congratulations of nearby Macclesfield FC win in the FACup 3-rd round v Crystal Palace today!!)
January 10, 2026 at 2:47 PM
Forget a ‘No Joy January’ of tea-totalism . Can’t resist the last if my Jura single malt in a hip flask for Tatton Park watching the Fallow Deer. (and of course in congratulations of nearby Macclesfield FC win in the FACup 3-rd round v Crystal Palace today!!)
US special military operation to oust Manchester United Head Coach Reuben Amorim: Statement by President Trump and US officials, raises UK and international responses, and questions of international law.
January 8, 2026 at 5:01 PM
US special military operation to oust Manchester United Head Coach Reuben Amorim: Statement by President Trump and US officials, raises UK and international responses, and questions of international law.
Not sure if our Christmas visitor, the Jack Russell Mr Kipling, was a fan of my concertina version of ‘The Primrose Lass’ or not.
December 27, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Not sure if our Christmas visitor, the Jack Russell Mr Kipling, was a fan of my concertina version of ‘The Primrose Lass’ or not.
Bought our Christmas Tree today. Ours seems to come with its very own bold little robin redbreast and accompanying soundtrack. Signalling a really happy holiday we hope!
December 3, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Bought our Christmas Tree today. Ours seems to come with its very own bold little robin redbreast and accompanying soundtrack. Signalling a really happy holiday we hope!
Storm Claudia may have caused havoc with Avanti West Coast trains getting home on Friday, but I did still make most of The Riverfly Partnership Conference at Flett Theatre, Natural History Museum, including Joshua Cohen’s fascinating talk on River Kinship www.tickettailor.com/events/theri...
November 15, 2025 at 7:47 AM
Storm Claudia may have caused havoc with Avanti West Coast trains getting home on Friday, but I did still make most of The Riverfly Partnership Conference at Flett Theatre, Natural History Museum, including Joshua Cohen’s fascinating talk on River Kinship www.tickettailor.com/events/theri...
Busy last day in a rainy London on Friday started with a visit to Imperial War Museum Research Rooms to view our families donated WWII RAF pilot logbook from my maternal grandfather Reg Worth.
November 15, 2025 at 7:37 AM
Busy last day in a rainy London on Friday started with a visit to Imperial War Museum Research Rooms to view our families donated WWII RAF pilot logbook from my maternal grandfather Reg Worth.
Great time today mudlarking the Thames with Steve Brooker the self styled “Mud God”. Fabulous day!
November 13, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Great time today mudlarking the Thames with Steve Brooker the self styled “Mud God”. Fabulous day!
Wonderful afternoon yesterday getting to know the beautiful Cutty Sark in Greenwich, followed by a lovely pint in the Gypsy Moth.
November 13, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Wonderful afternoon yesterday getting to know the beautiful Cutty Sark in Greenwich, followed by a lovely pint in the Gypsy Moth.
Probably the most cozy, intimate live music venue ever gor me in Cafe#9 Sheffield. Lookin forward to seeing Holly Carter and Joe Wilkins play tonight www.hollycartermusic.com
November 1, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Probably the most cozy, intimate live music venue ever gor me in Cafe#9 Sheffield. Lookin forward to seeing Holly Carter and Joe Wilkins play tonight www.hollycartermusic.com
Prospect of Invertebrate monitoring yesterday at River Wharfe Addingham promised a lot, given the look of the water - but actual ‘Riverfly Monitoring Initiative’ (RMI) test results proved my lowest in 4 years monitoring the Wharfe with a score almost below the lowest Trigger Level. Looks deceive.
October 19, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Prospect of Invertebrate monitoring yesterday at River Wharfe Addingham promised a lot, given the look of the water - but actual ‘Riverfly Monitoring Initiative’ (RMI) test results proved my lowest in 4 years monitoring the Wharfe with a score almost below the lowest Trigger Level. Looks deceive.
The red plaque commemorating the October 1945 Pan African Congress at Chorlton on Medlock and a RAF cluster map of the blitz bombing of the same area December 1940 that destroyed St Augustine’s just five years earlier.
October 19, 2025 at 2:38 PM
The red plaque commemorating the October 1945 Pan African Congress at Chorlton on Medlock and a RAF cluster map of the blitz bombing of the same area December 1940 that destroyed St Augustine’s just five years earlier.
Any mushroom foragers out there? This is growing in long lawn grass in our back garden in Cheshire UK and never seen in 30 odd years living here. A free fungi app gave me three different species. is it edible, inedible, toxic or deadly. Presuming not the first one but curious as there are a few.
October 16, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Any mushroom foragers out there? This is growing in long lawn grass in our back garden in Cheshire UK and never seen in 30 odd years living here. A free fungi app gave me three different species. is it edible, inedible, toxic or deadly. Presuming not the first one but curious as there are a few.
…I needed not fear a shortage of Sloes in Anglesey today: A veritable bounty is still left on the blackthorn there, and we have more than enough for 1 litre of Xmas Sloe Gin as well as gifts of surplus Sloe fruit for all our friends.
October 12, 2025 at 3:54 PM
…I needed not fear a shortage of Sloes in Anglesey today: A veritable bounty is still left on the blackthorn there, and we have more than enough for 1 litre of Xmas Sloe Gin as well as gifts of surplus Sloe fruit for all our friends.
Halloween fast approaching, and nice to see a farmers field with pumpkins actually growing there and not just falsely scattered as a tourist gimic.
September 24, 2025 at 6:39 AM
Halloween fast approaching, and nice to see a farmers field with pumpkins actually growing there and not just falsely scattered as a tourist gimic.
Wild hops seen growing in many hedgerows just off the route of the old Roman London Road in our circular walk around Stretton, Appleton and Lower Stretton in Warrington yesterday. Seeing it started a thirst and craving that only a pint of Timothy Taylor’s Landlord could quell.
September 24, 2025 at 6:33 AM
Wild hops seen growing in many hedgerows just off the route of the old Roman London Road in our circular walk around Stretton, Appleton and Lower Stretton in Warrington yesterday. Seeing it started a thirst and craving that only a pint of Timothy Taylor’s Landlord could quell.
“I am the ressurection and the life” says the carving on the beautifully crafted oak Lychgate at St Matthew’s Church in Stretton seen yesterday. It forms a fitting gateway into our hoped-for afterlife, but shouldnt the strategically placed wheelie bin also be for 100% recyclebles?
September 24, 2025 at 6:26 AM
“I am the ressurection and the life” says the carving on the beautifully crafted oak Lychgate at St Matthew’s Church in Stretton seen yesterday. It forms a fitting gateway into our hoped-for afterlife, but shouldnt the strategically placed wheelie bin also be for 100% recyclebles?
Thanks Wright Landscapes for the very kind invitation to your external living garden party today. Sorry I had to dash but your hospitality, gardens and everything was wonderful (and those tomahawk steaks wow!) wrightlandscapes.co.uk/contact/
September 18, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Thanks Wright Landscapes for the very kind invitation to your external living garden party today. Sorry I had to dash but your hospitality, gardens and everything was wonderful (and those tomahawk steaks wow!) wrightlandscapes.co.uk/contact/
Lovely but long coastal ‘detour’ drive back home to Cheshire from Foulsham, Norfolk via places like Cromer & Cley. Beautiful vernacular architecture all over, but Cley smokehouse appealed to all my senses: Hot smoked kippers, haddock and crevettes all in the fridge at home now.
September 11, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Lovely but long coastal ‘detour’ drive back home to Cheshire from Foulsham, Norfolk via places like Cromer & Cley. Beautiful vernacular architecture all over, but Cley smokehouse appealed to all my senses: Hot smoked kippers, haddock and crevettes all in the fridge at home now.
A sad blank dry fly fishing Norfolk’s River Wensum at Bintry Mill - one of our beloved chalksreams - today. So choked with weed & sediment causing low flow & so few invertebrates. Depressing reading after of Special Area of Conservation Evidence Pack & Review of EA Macroinvertebrate Monitoring
September 10, 2025 at 7:43 PM
A sad blank dry fly fishing Norfolk’s River Wensum at Bintry Mill - one of our beloved chalksreams - today. So choked with weed & sediment causing low flow & so few invertebrates. Depressing reading after of Special Area of Conservation Evidence Pack & Review of EA Macroinvertebrate Monitoring