Spoquey
LightNews LightNews
spoquey.bsky.social
Spoquey
@spoquey.bsky.social
330 followers 290 following 1.2K posts
"When a man lets things go so far that he is more than half a bicycle, you will not see him so much because he spends a lot of his time leaning with one elbow on walls or standing propped by one foot at kerbstones.”
Flann O'Brien The Third Policeman
Posts Replies Media Videos
spoquey.bsky.social
Todays #dailypicturegame word is DOOR

Tomorrows word is UNREAL

The DOOR to the Palais des Rois de Majorque, Perpignan.
The front door to the amazing Palais des Rois de Majorque in Perpignan. It has a huge arch and metal grilles. The palais dates from 1273.
November 24, 2025 at 5:37 AM
spoquey.bsky.social
Todays #dailypicturegame word is DAWN

Tomorrows word is DOOR

A remarkable purple and pink. DAWN seen here the other day.
Crazy purple band pink dawn seen the other morning.
November 23, 2025 at 4:58 AM
spoquey.bsky.social
Glorious.
Avenue Général de Gaulle, Perpignan. There is a tall palm tree against a pure blue sky, in front of a cream coloured building with little shutters and a balcony.
November 18, 2025 at 8:16 AM
spoquey.bsky.social
Surely THIS is the derailleur you want for Christmas?
Very sparkly derailleur - silver with punched-out holes throughout, and red jockey wheels with what looks like diamonds embedded in them. Not very aerodynamic I expect. Sorry I don't know the make or the photographer.
November 16, 2025 at 8:56 AM
spoquey.bsky.social
I remember seeing by chance the Elephant Polo competition in Corbett Lodge, in Nepal 1997. I was cycling past and nearly got trampled by one elephant. One of my favourite "near misses". I have no idea what the rules were.
1997: Four elephants line up with their mahouts, ready to start a game of Elephant Polo in Nepal. Lots of little children sit on the ground nearby, soon to be within inches of the huge elephant legs. Fortunately nothing terrible happens - apart from the use of these beautiful creatures to drudge around for human pleasure.
November 15, 2025 at 11:40 AM
spoquey.bsky.social
Message to the Starbucks CEO:
Starbucks sticker which has been skilfully amended so that "Starbucks Coffee" reads "F@ck off".
November 15, 2025 at 8:28 AM
spoquey.bsky.social
So true. The first bike I bought on the scheme was a Condor Acciaio in 2007, which I rode to work every day and is still going strong. I would have been put off riding a cheaper, less reliable bike.
Bright orange Condor Acciaio bike, bought on the cycle to work scheme in 2007. Lovely steel bike.
November 13, 2025 at 7:09 AM
spoquey.bsky.social
Your poetry is bursting up among these cracks in very dry Perpignan in France. Plants are such thirsty little survivors.
Fascinating little plant that just burst out of the pavement near to my appartement after a few days of rain. I must find out who he/she is. I have no idea what plant/flower this is, but it shot up and bloomed out of the dry rocks of Leucate in the south of France. It has tiny leaves and even tinier yellow flowers. This plant, with its tiny beautiful white/pink flowers, grows along the downpipes in the building opposite my appartement and elsewhere in Perpignan. It has tiny green leaves and delicate flowers and grows "up" or "down" any downpipe that may have a little trickle of water on the extérieur. A true survivor!
November 12, 2025 at 9:28 PM
spoquey.bsky.social
Kurt Vonnegut's 1979 book Jailbird. The book cover is deepest red. It bears a sketch of a stork holding a baby in a cloth by its beak. The stork and the word "Jailbird" are filled in/written in lilac-blue.
November 12, 2025 at 9:55 AM
spoquey.bsky.social
How about this old jug and bowl?
Pitcher and bowl from Musee de Narbonne. They are decorated with exceptionally beautiful deep yellow glaze and sprigs of flowers.
November 11, 2025 at 2:40 AM
spoquey.bsky.social
Todays #dailypicturegame word is HIKE

Tomorrows word is MOON

A little HIKE around Port-Vendres, France, with added vineyards and dry stone walls and a little "cabane".
A little "cabane" outside Port-Vendres in France. To the left of the picture is one of many fields of vines, getting ready to burst into life. There is an almond tree offering shade and nuts towards the centre of the pic. To the right is the cabane where the vineyard workers will shelter from the strong sun. All the walls are dry stone slate and beautifully made to last for generations. Behind the scenery is a lovely blue sky with a fluffy cloud.
November 9, 2025 at 9:13 AM
spoquey.bsky.social
Todays #dailypicturegame word is FISHERMAN

Tomorrows word is EXPENSIVE
Two fishermen, worlds and at least a hundred years apart.
That tiny dot far out in the water is a lone fisherman fishing in the étangs near to Leucate. The étang is enormous under a cloudy sky. I took this from a moving train on the way to Montpellier. My cousin Dessie's painting of granddad fishing in the Liffey with one of his daughters, the pet goose and the pet dog.
November 5, 2025 at 5:23 PM
spoquey.bsky.social
Make them do porridge.
Untaxed vehicle. Tax due 1 November 2025.
November 3, 2025 at 12:47 PM
spoquey.bsky.social
If Donald Trump ever came back in fish form…
November 2, 2025 at 4:08 PM
spoquey.bsky.social
On the train from Perpignan to Montpellier. I saw this man fishing in the étangs Bages-Sigean⁩, tout seule. He is that tiny dot in the water.
I am on the train from Perpignan to Montpellier. I saw this man fishing in the étangs Bages-Sigean⁩, all alone in an immense shallow étang. He is a tiny dot in the massive étang of salty water and nearby vegetation and a distant horizon. He is wearing waders, I think, but the train was going too fast to clock it. I was just so impressed by someone who would wade out and fish, something that fisherfolk have been doing for centuries around here. So my next question is - what kind of fish is he looking for? He has some competition with the flamingos, the egrets, herons and cormorants which abound here. I would love to know, but he is now a tiny speck in the distance as the train chugs on.
November 1, 2025 at 8:33 PM
spoquey.bsky.social
This stage magician found to his cost that some magic tricks don't always work out as planned.
Patient next to me in the waiting room at the London Hospital. His stage trick was to bang his hand on a board of nails. Slight miscalculation that night. He has a six-inch nail embedded right through his right hand.
October 29, 2025 at 8:54 AM
spoquey.bsky.social
Vous pourriez faire très facilement un gateau aux pommes ou prunes avec une recette que ma soeur m'a envoyé. La tarte est une éponge avec zest d'orange. C'est le deuxième gateau que j'ai préparé depuis presque 50 ans.

La recette est dans ALT
Gateau aux prunes ou pommes: 110g beurre doux, 110g sucre, 150g self-raising flour, 2 oeufs larges, le zeste d'une orange grande. Mélangez tous avec un mixeur électrique. Mettez dans une plaque de cuisson. Ajoutez au-dessus 3 ou 4 pommes coupées en tranches. Ou prunes. Saupoudrez cinq cuillères de sucre au-dessus. Mettre dans le four à 200C pour vers 40 minutes plus ou moins. Quand le gateau est tiède, versez au-dessus le jus d'orange qui reste. Servez avec crème anglaise
October 24, 2025 at 6:34 PM
spoquey.bsky.social
Coincidence! I just replied to another post with a photo of the Minnie Lansbury Memorial clock in Bow, East London. I love the remembrance of this incredible woman, but always resented the poor timekeeping, even after restoration.
Minnie Lansbury clock opposite Bow station in east London. This memorial was raised by public subscription to remember Minnie, who was basically murdered by the British government for refusing to vote to increase the poll tax on the extremely poor people of Poplar. She and other Poplar councillors were imprisoned. She succumbed to sickness after a hunger strike and being force fed, and died. Minnie is buried in the East Ham Jewish Cemetery. Minnie's widower went on to marry Angela Lansbury's mum, which might explain why Angela always portrayed such feisty women in her films.
October 17, 2025 at 4:51 PM
spoquey.bsky.social
Lovely Angela helped restore this memorial clock in Bow, London, that I cycled past every day for 48 years. Her dad was married to Minnie Lansbury and her grandfather was George Lansbury. Find out more about this amazing family in my ALT TEXT.
The Minnie Lansbury Memorial clock opposite Bow station, East London. The local people raised the funds to create this in memory of Minnie, who died after being brutally imprisoned and force fed. She and the other Poplar councillors had refused to increase the rates on the poor of Poplar. Many of them were imprisoned and treated brutally. Minnie is buried in the amazing East Ham Jewish cemetery. It is an astonishing reminder of how swathes of immigrants have come to East London and the UK and enriched all our lives for centuries. Huguenots, Romans, Irish, Jewish, Syrian, Chinese, Bengalis, West Indians, Pakistanis and Indians and more. More recently many Eastern Europeans, who have been horribly treated by the people who voted for Brexit. Angela's dad was married to Minnie Lansbury and her grandfather was George Lansbury. True socialists, refusing to impose an increase of the rates in Poplar.
October 17, 2025 at 4:39 PM
spoquey.bsky.social
Oh hello there. Blooming lovely xxx
A beautiful orange-red flower that I saw one morning as I cycled past it. It has green leaves and is leaning against a whitewashed wall.
October 17, 2025 at 2:14 PM
spoquey.bsky.social
Reminds me of my Brexit death spiral embroidery. Incorporating some of the most hateful phrases spewed by Brexiteers.
"Traitors...you lost get over it...We want our country back"...some of the hateful things brexiteers said during their miserable and destructive campaign to take UK out of the EU.
October 15, 2025 at 3:45 PM
spoquey.bsky.social
Where I live in S France, hundreds of jackdaws fly over my terrace southwards to roost in the evening. Every morning at dawn they all fly northwards to work.
Every evening hundreds of crows fly northwards to roost and in the mornings they fly southwards to work.
Such a friendly arrangement!
Late straggler jackdaws sit on the television masts to catch their breath before flying north for a day's work. Hundreds have already flown past in great flocks to get to work on time. Very soon, hundreds of crows will be flying in the opposite direction, once the sun has come up. The sky is baby blue with pink clouds and the sun is making the lower part of the sky come alive with beautiful pinks and golds.
October 6, 2025 at 9:26 AM
spoquey.bsky.social
Oh Victoria, I am so so sorry about your mum. Here are pics of Connie the loveliest doggy, (sorry not a cat). Connie visits and comforts really poorly patients in local care homes with love and pats.
Sweet Cockapoo is looking up at me as there is a doggy ice cream treat on the table above her. The treat is small, and contains some bone-shaped doggy biscuits and a lovely doggy ice cream. This is Connie on her LGBTIQA etc celebration. She is smiling with a toothy smile, and lying on her back, hugging her favourite orange toy and wearing her LGBTIQA doggy collar with pride. Little moody Connie lying looking at her aunty. Little Connie in her favourite aunty's lap being tickled very gently. Her big ears are flapping out, her little nose is scenting pleasure and her lovely ginger fur is rippling with health. Her aunty is wearing fox-themed slipper socks.
October 3, 2025 at 11:07 PM
spoquey.bsky.social
It rather reminds me of this headline from a few years ago.
"Phelps ties for silver in 100 fly", this headline announces in huge letters. Beneath it in much smaller and obviously begrudging print "Ledecky sets world record in women's 800 freestyle". By Paul Newberry Associated Press. Thanks to the woman who posted this first - I didn't catch her details unfortunately.
October 3, 2025 at 4:34 PM
spoquey.bsky.social
Todays #dailypicturegame word is FAR

Tomorrows word is TILES

The Canigou mountain is FAR away, yet sometimes seems to loom over Perpignan
The Canigou mountain covered in snow. In the foreground is a grassy field with a little ruined cabane to the right of the photo.
October 3, 2025 at 7:41 AM