Pete Blanchard
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peteblanchard.bsky.social
Pete Blanchard
@peteblanchard.bsky.social
1.2K followers 810 following 1.8K posts
Proud father, hispanophile, history buff, once-competent bass player, ex-Fordie, pro-European.

Oh, and Janey Godley was right.
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peteblanchard.bsky.social
A very enjoyable day. Before the Xmas lights, the seafood lunch at Leigh set us up nicely for a walk around Shoeburyness Garrison to explore some of the area's military history, including a shipwrecked caisson intended for a Mulberry Harbour and the masts of the sunken SS Richard Montgomery.
The Endeavour, one of the handful of small cockle boats that left Leigh-on-Sea to lift men of the BEF off the beaches at Dunkirk in May/June 1940. All but one returned. A wooden table with serviettes, menus and plates of jellied eels, cockles, a crab sandwich and a dressed crab. All delicious. The clock tower at the former Shoeburyness Garrison. It has a central arch, above which is the lock and a small belfry. On the either side of the main arch, are smaller arches. Behind the structure is the old parade ground. Sundown at Shoebury's Gunner's Park. We look west along the promenade railing with the beach on our left. There are several wooden groynes running out to sea. On the right, a narrow promenade path and grass. On the horizon, the pale sun is low in the pale blue sky. There is a large thick grey cloud with the sun below it.
December 7, 2025 at 10:04 AM
peteblanchard.bsky.social
A look along a mole at Shoeburyness as the tide goes out. A grey day, so I went for a B & W shot. To the right, the Thames Estuary. To the left, the North Sea.

Standing at the end of this mole as the tide comes in really gives you a great idea of the actual tide speed as the water rushes past.
A black and white photo looking along a weathered, narrow, concrete mole extending out to sea. The beach is visible to the right of the mole. The sea to the left is chopper than that on the right. About 20m away, a tall pole rises from the mole with a sign saying CAUTION UNDERWATER OBSTRUCTIONS. At the end of the mole, we can see a groyne pole, showing where the end of the structure is. On the horizon, we can see three huge gas storage tanks and the Isle of Grain, Kent.
December 6, 2025 at 9:32 AM
peteblanchard.bsky.social
Saturday Quiz Question.

Is this:

a) Badly cooked cheese on toast
b) A rusting yellow metal gatepost
c) Bad case of untreated psoriasis

Answers on a postcard...
A yellow metal post where rust is bubbling under the paint, giving it a look of grilled cheese on toast.
December 6, 2025 at 8:38 AM
peteblanchard.bsky.social
Oh.
A BT webpage screenshot which says "Personalised offers are temporarily unavailable".
December 2, 2025 at 1:08 PM
peteblanchard.bsky.social
Postman's been. Amongst the junk mail is a letter from BT, my broadband supplier.

Apparently my contract ends with them early next year but they have an attractive VIP offer for me.

Sounds good. Let's take a peek...
Mailshot from BT inviting me to "Get the Halo VIP treatment"
December 2, 2025 at 1:08 PM
peteblanchard.bsky.social
The Thames Estuary at low tide today.
A landscape photo of the beach at Thorpe Bay at low tide. The top half of the shot is a very pale blue sky, with pale orange clouds over the horizon. In the top right-hand corner, the bright afternoon sun. On the horizon, you can make out some industrial buildings on the Isle of Grain, Kent. Most of the lower half is mud, with water in the distance. On the beach itself, we see the silhouettes of four people playing football. They are almost equidistant from each other across the beach from left to right.
November 30, 2025 at 7:08 PM
peteblanchard.bsky.social
Gypsy Bridge, Leigh-on-Sea in the late afternoon.
A shot of a steely blue sea with the soon-to-be setting sun reflecting off it. The sun is actually obscured by the pedestrian bridge which curves in front of it, descending from left to right. To the right, the rocky shoreline with a small ex-naval vessel rear the horizon. Between this shop and the camera is the head of a brave woman swimming in the chilly November sea.
November 25, 2025 at 4:49 PM
peteblanchard.bsky.social
'Beer Sunday' is a tradition I invented some years ago to avoid Monday morning spoiling my weekend.

Even though I'm now retired, Beer Sunday is still going strong.

Cheers!
A half-pint glass of beer on a beermat with the beer bottle behind it. Both are illuminated by a small lamp.
November 2, 2025 at 10:05 PM
peteblanchard.bsky.social
Cartoon showing "The Fastest Things in Earth". These are, in order, a cheetah, an aeroplane, the speed of light and bigots jumping to conclusions when a tragedy happens.
November 2, 2025 at 9:18 PM
peteblanchard.bsky.social
So Trump is now apparently concerned for Christians in Nigeria. He seems to quote 3,000 dead.

But what about the 12,000-15,000 mainly Christians who are gunned down every year in the USA?

Aren't they worth the same concern too?
A screenshot of Trump's social media post in which he shows apparent concern for Christians in Nigeria.
October 31, 2025 at 7:18 PM
peteblanchard.bsky.social
It is time for Elon Musk to fuck off and mind his own business.
A tedious social media post from Elon Musk, pathetically telling "the English" to side with Tommy bloody Robinson.
October 29, 2025 at 9:59 AM
peteblanchard.bsky.social
Irresponsibly posting my location on social media.
Yellow vertically rectangular road sign showing the 30mph speed limit with the humourous village name of Upper Dicker written underneath.
October 28, 2025 at 10:35 PM
peteblanchard.bsky.social
Oh!
Photo of a leaflet which promises a £50 gift card if you sign up to the funeral plan before the end of September.
September 10, 2025 at 6:43 AM
peteblanchard.bsky.social
Just got home to find the post has arrived.

Lovely. Another reminder I'm now over sixty.

#Bastards
Photo of a letter sent to me from a company called Pure Cremations.
September 9, 2025 at 1:35 PM
peteblanchard.bsky.social
One of the oddities of living near the sea is the bits and pieces of devoured crustaceans the gulls regularly drop in your garden.
A close-up of an orangey-pink piece of crab claw on a wooden table.
September 8, 2025 at 11:17 AM
peteblanchard.bsky.social
The view from the surface of the planet this morning.
A picture of the blue sky. There's some wispy cloud and high up, a tiny airliner too. At the bottom of the photo is the top of a tree with its green leaves caught in the sunlight of the early morning.
September 1, 2025 at 7:02 AM
peteblanchard.bsky.social
No idea what's going on but it's August Bank Holiday Monday and there's no sign of clouds or rain.

#Suspicious #EndOfDays
A photo of a cloudless blue sky with a treetop at the bottom of the photo.
August 25, 2025 at 9:39 AM
peteblanchard.bsky.social
That's one interpretation, sure.

While my background is in automotive rather than international trade, I'd be more than happy to bet a tenner the actual, rather loose wording (above) won't end up with the EU lowering any of its safety/emissions standards at all.
A screenshot of the recent EU - USA trade agreement. Screenshot says "8. The United States and the European Union commit to work together to reduce or eliminate non-tariff barriers. With respect to automobiles, the United States and the European Union intend to accept and provide mutual recognition to each other's standards. Cooperation on standards plays a crucial role in enhancing the transatlantic marketplace."
August 23, 2025 at 8:51 AM
peteblanchard.bsky.social
Kiss?
A screenshot of a confused social media post from the Orange Idiot in the White House. It reads "Bela".
August 17, 2025 at 4:26 PM
peteblanchard.bsky.social
They sell WHAT kind of cocktails at the new local tapas bar (which looks and sounds more like an accountant's)?
A dull, grey shop frontage with black signage saying BLACKSTONE.
August 2, 2025 at 10:25 AM
peteblanchard.bsky.social
Phil & Dan, meet Rupert.

Rupert, meet Dan & Phil...

@rbarretttaylor.bsky.social
A screenshot of my previous post, also including a new post by someone else at the same event.
July 2, 2025 at 5:59 PM
peteblanchard.bsky.social
@philipwblood.bsky.social
@dankaszeta.bsky.social
2 screenshots of Bluesky posts by two individuals at the same book launch. I've added a note saying "Phil, meet Dan" and "Dan, meet Phil" with the hashtag #IntroductionViaSM
July 2, 2025 at 5:54 PM
peteblanchard.bsky.social
For me, I always bring back red wine and turrón (hard almond nougat) from Spain to UK.
A photo of turrón (hard Spanish almond nougat) on a table, surrounded by sliced & whole almonds, a bowl of honey, pot of sugar & a couple of small oranges.
June 12, 2025 at 12:09 PM
peteblanchard.bsky.social
I asked it that exact question and it gave me a crap reply.
A screenshot of me asking WhatsApp AI what use it was and its reply that it's not perfect.
April 6, 2025 at 11:20 AM
peteblanchard.bsky.social
@philipwblood.bsky.social

This place looks awfully familiar...
A pint of beer & a bag of crisps are on a low table in a bar. There's a comfy chair behind the table and behind that, a crimson wall with a mirror on which the words 'Bar 1875' are etched.
March 21, 2025 at 6:57 PM