Peter Hutchinson
@catus14.bsky.social
Retired international construction program director. PPE & European Law degrees. Granda to 4 superstars, loyal to family, Labour and NUFC. Worked globally, love the UK, despise Brexit, still enjoy rowing, wine, arguing, reading
I thought Hegseth's middle name was "Foolish"?
November 30, 2025 at 7:15 PM
I thought Hegseth's middle name was "Foolish"?
I suspect it was private. Certainly in the 50s there were council courtsmore centrally in Forest Hall, this seemed out of the way, in a area surrounded by big houses, and with a big looking clubhouse. I just can't visualize it
November 30, 2025 at 6:56 PM
I suspect it was private. Certainly in the 50s there were council courtsmore centrally in Forest Hall, this seemed out of the way, in a area surrounded by big houses, and with a big looking clubhouse. I just can't visualize it
Yep, I like Uk and US blogs and Crace/Dent but less and less else, after 60 years of cover to cover!
November 30, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Yep, I like Uk and US blogs and Crace/Dent but less and less else, after 60 years of cover to cover!
It's immediately south of the metro line, east of Benton station, opposite the quarry, before the Newcastle-Edinburgh mainline. There's a small Edwardian/thirties estate with a road called The Oval which loops round an extensive looking tennis club on the 1913 map. I remember my dad talking about it
November 30, 2025 at 6:49 PM
It's immediately south of the metro line, east of Benton station, opposite the quarry, before the Newcastle-Edinburgh mainline. There's a small Edwardian/thirties estate with a road called The Oval which loops round an extensive looking tennis club on the 1913 map. I remember my dad talking about it
Similar grumble about the Guardian & Times is that the on-line version shows the same articles all week. I used to read a paper and buy a new one the next day. Now I have to scroll through acres of stuff I read days ago. Either give me a "delete when read" function or print days in different colours
November 30, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Similar grumble about the Guardian & Times is that the on-line version shows the same articles all week. I used to read a paper and buy a new one the next day. Now I have to scroll through acres of stuff I read days ago. Either give me a "delete when read" function or print days in different colours
Looking at an old Ordnance Survey map of Benton, I was reminded again about the tennis club/courts/ clubhouse "inside" the Oval , between the quarry and the railway line. I had friends lived there, played there for years, and still have no vision of it or how to get in
November 30, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Looking at an old Ordnance Survey map of Benton, I was reminded again about the tennis club/courts/ clubhouse "inside" the Oval , between the quarry and the railway line. I had friends lived there, played there for years, and still have no vision of it or how to get in
Fair, although I think Professor Deborah Prentice may disagree, and since he speciality was Psychology she should be eminently suitable to say.....DON'T!!!
November 30, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Fair, although I think Professor Deborah Prentice may disagree, and since he speciality was Psychology she should be eminently suitable to say.....DON'T!!!
I don't disagree with anything you say, but was trying to add that some of the kites were built, decorated, flown & crash-landed by the media, with a little help from the government. If they were better at comms (including denials) it would be easier to avoid the traps
November 30, 2025 at 4:27 PM
I don't disagree with anything you say, but was trying to add that some of the kites were built, decorated, flown & crash-landed by the media, with a little help from the government. If they were better at comms (including denials) it would be easier to avoid the traps
Probably true, but the problem is exacerbated by media commentators eager to either display their economic and moral superiority or to diminish the government's credibility by building colourful kites then saying the government definitely is/definitely isn't flying these & it's a disaster in waiting
November 30, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Probably true, but the problem is exacerbated by media commentators eager to either display their economic and moral superiority or to diminish the government's credibility by building colourful kites then saying the government definitely is/definitely isn't flying these & it's a disaster in waiting
Yep, I keep thinking I've missed something. The markets didn't react to a policy that wasn't announced and so couldn't be dropped.....
November 30, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Yep, I keep thinking I've missed something. The markets didn't react to a policy that wasn't announced and so couldn't be dropped.....
I assume the supersmart academics understand that even if they renamed colleges after Farage and his acolytes, gave him their firstborns as servants, and the contents of their wine cellars, Reform would still break any "understanding" and screw them just for the bantz? Surely?
November 30, 2025 at 2:44 PM
I assume the supersmart academics understand that even if they renamed colleges after Farage and his acolytes, gave him their firstborns as servants, and the contents of their wine cellars, Reform would still break any "understanding" and screw them just for the bantz? Surely?
So no-one wanted to go twice?
No-one was invited twice?
The "Party" lost the "membership" list 3 times?
No-one was invited twice?
The "Party" lost the "membership" list 3 times?
November 30, 2025 at 2:00 PM
So no-one wanted to go twice?
No-one was invited twice?
The "Party" lost the "membership" list 3 times?
No-one was invited twice?
The "Party" lost the "membership" list 3 times?
Presumably completely different people at each one?
November 30, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Presumably completely different people at each one?
Highly educated, gullible idiots. Why would you expect Farage to honour a deal, any more than his crooked friend Trump, or their boss, Putin?
Have they not been taking notes?
Have they not been taking notes?
November 30, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Highly educated, gullible idiots. Why would you expect Farage to honour a deal, any more than his crooked friend Trump, or their boss, Putin?
Have they not been taking notes?
Have they not been taking notes?
Ongoing discussions about who will emerge as Kruschev from the ashes of the Central Committee
November 30, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Ongoing discussions about who will emerge as Kruschev from the ashes of the Central Committee
Strange, I must have driven through it, spent a lot of time around there, but the name never registered in 76 years...now twice in 2 days!
November 30, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Strange, I must have driven through it, spent a lot of time around there, but the name never registered in 76 years...now twice in 2 days!
Bizarrely, we had a drink yesterday in our very southern village with friends from the north east. The guy's family came from Hipsburn, a name I didn't know!!!!
November 30, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Bizarrely, we had a drink yesterday in our very southern village with friends from the north east. The guy's family came from Hipsburn, a name I didn't know!!!!
Democratic Centralism Rules, Again
November 30, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Democratic Centralism Rules, Again
I feel Democratic Centralism coming back into fashion
November 30, 2025 at 12:15 PM
I feel Democratic Centralism coming back into fashion
Yes, it's particularly annoying for them because they've spent months saying they understand the economy/markets/politics MUCH better than the ChEx.....
November 30, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Yes, it's particularly annoying for them because they've spent months saying they understand the economy/markets/politics MUCH better than the ChEx.....
I'm re-reading "Heart of Darkness" at the moment. One footnote (it's a slightly bizarre US College edition) is "serviette* = a table napkin"
November 30, 2025 at 11:14 AM
I'm re-reading "Heart of Darkness" at the moment. One footnote (it's a slightly bizarre US College edition) is "serviette* = a table napkin"
I remember back in the late sixties there were about 6 different variants of
"International/Marxist/ Leninist/CP/GB/Engl/Revolutionary" parties in the car works in Oxford. You could rearrange the words in any order and find a "Party" that had adopted that identity
"International/Marxist/ Leninist/CP/GB/Engl/Revolutionary" parties in the car works in Oxford. You could rearrange the words in any order and find a "Party" that had adopted that identity
November 30, 2025 at 11:03 AM
I remember back in the late sixties there were about 6 different variants of
"International/Marxist/ Leninist/CP/GB/Engl/Revolutionary" parties in the car works in Oxford. You could rearrange the words in any order and find a "Party" that had adopted that identity
"International/Marxist/ Leninist/CP/GB/Engl/Revolutionary" parties in the car works in Oxford. You could rearrange the words in any order and find a "Party" that had adopted that identity
I feel at risk of being simplistic but I think it's an overblown debate because 1) if "it was pretty clear" by 31/10 where's the fire? 2) did the statements have any impact on the markets/economy?
November 30, 2025 at 10:31 AM
I feel at risk of being simplistic but I think it's an overblown debate because 1) if "it was pretty clear" by 31/10 where's the fire? 2) did the statements have any impact on the markets/economy?
Yep, and coming full circle, Andrew Neil may still be great if he has a 45 minute interview on a non-commercial medium with prep time and researchers. In the social media world he reacts too quickly/shrilly. (Can be said of us all, but it's not how I make my living).
November 30, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Yep, and coming full circle, Andrew Neil may still be great if he has a 45 minute interview on a non-commercial medium with prep time and researchers. In the social media world he reacts too quickly/shrilly. (Can be said of us all, but it's not how I make my living).
I used to respect Andrew Neil, because he had good researchers and plenty of independence. Now he just seems like an angry ideologue
November 30, 2025 at 12:13 AM
I used to respect Andrew Neil, because he had good researchers and plenty of independence. Now he just seems like an angry ideologue